Re: Oz Speed Cameras
 

If 'I've' got it all wrong then explain why every govt in the modern world has speed limits on its roads? Can't be merely me can it.

Whats the argument here ? going faster is safer ? i'd love to see somebody explain that with physics.

Re: Oz Speed Cameras
 

I don't think anyone would say that "faster is safer" - after all, being stationary must come high on the list of being safe!

What some of us *are* saying is that, compared with those wretches aggressively throwing their vehicles around regardless of everyone else, those who are penalised for going a Km or two over any arbitrary limit are really small beer. And the limits *are* arbitrary in so many cases: the very fact that many of them were changed recently shows just that. If a limit has been upped to 60 from 50 does it mean that the government sanctions what would have been an offence last year?

Another thing which I believe is wrong is to put such emphasis on losing your licence: I believe it encourages criminality. Like it or not, we live now in a society which is spread out and reliant on personal transport. Taking a way someone's licence virtually makes it impossible to lead a normal life, and in a hell of a lot of cases means that the individual will ignore the ban regardless. The chances of him being caught, if he drives sensibly, are remote. But in breaking the law in this way he may well be encouraged to ignore it in other ways. I think that taking away a driving licence should be very much a last resort, purely for pragmatic reasons.

Re: Oz Speed Cameras
 

306 Speed Cameras (as of 12/04/06)

447 Traffic light cameras (as of 16/03/06)

Re: Oz Speed Cameras
 

232 bar - No worries mate, agree with the point you make.

I think people are misunderstanding the real issues here. Speed is a factor in a great many accidents but is rarely the only factor. For example, in Portsmouth a speed camera was installed at the site of a fatal car v pedestrian accident. The road in question is 4 lanes wide and looks and feels like a motorway but has a 40mph limit. There is a subway for pedestrians and a pelican crossing. A drunk pedestrian decided to run across the road instead and got hit by a speeding car. Now, who is more to blame for this? The speed contributed, without doubt, to the fatal results but the pedestrian should never have been there.
The governments of many countries have become obsessed with cutting the incidence of speeding on our roads and drivers have become obsessed with speed limits. The combiination has resulted in drivers becoming less and less aware of their own limits and more so of "safe" speeds rather than limits.
Of course you need speed limits but the over-zealous enforcement of the law cannot increase safety. It is dangerous driving that police should be targetting, not the motorist driving at 110 in a 100 zone.It is possible for a highly trained driver to drive more safely at 200kph than a bad driver at 100kph. This is why the current policies are flawed and why the ever increasing enforcement of speed limits is not seeing any correlative decrease in fatalities.
A young aggressive driver is more likely to be involved in a crash at 130kph than me driving at 180kph because I am relaxed and in control of my vehicle. I am aware of what other drivers might do and constantly scanning the road ahead. I know how to read and react to the limit point of corners.
The point is that some people drive at "inappropriate" speed and that is what can kill. ie driving too fast for the conditions, the road type, the road surface, the density of traffic, the likelihood of pedestrians, the vehicle they are in, the ability of the driver, etc..
Speed enforcement should take into account all of these factors.

Re: Oz Speed Cameras
 

[QUOTE=jon and alex]Its the fact the "police" often blame the wrong person. A girl got killed in the town where I live, she was running away from bullies and ran infront of a bus and got killed, the police rejected the bully story even tho there was loads of evidence from pupils from the girls school, but guess who got the blame, it has ruined the drivers life as he has got it on his concience 24/7. There has been uproar in the local paper as its even been suggested by a copper, its easier to do a driver than some kids bullying each other.
And you wonder why drivers get upset when they are just a target for police with nothing better to do with their time, than sit at the side of the road with a cash generator, ooops! sorry, speed camera!
Sorry if it offends you, but its true.
Catch some "real" criminals and see how your performance related pay takes a nose dive.

Re: Oz Speed Cameras
 

[QUOTE=Rachel & Paul]Erm, I don't even know how to use a speed gun as I'm a community officer who catches criminals. I'm also applying for the "criminal" investigation department! We don't have performance related pay! I'd be all for it though as I'd be raking it in with my arrest/conviction rate!!! Also, whenever you read about a case in the media you have to remember that the journalist is not privvy to all the information and evidence, in fact they are privvy to very little. As a result a very distorted picture often emerges which often incences people. Unfortunately, the police cannot clarify things because that would prejudice the prosecution so a one-sided account is given. Basically the police can't put their side of the story forward as they are not allowed.
Secondly, in the above scenario there are few offences for which the driver could be prosecuted. For a charge to be brought in relation to the child's death the driver would have to have done something pretty wrong. Minor speeding doesn't constitute dangerous driving so no charge there. Driving is not an unlawful act and thus the driver cannot be charged with manslaughter. Clearly it was not a murder. What has the driver been charged with? If a charge of causing death through dangerous driving was brought, you can bet your bottom dollar that the driver did something pretty bad.
One more thing for all drivers in the UK is that not all of the gadgets pointed at you are speed guns. Often they are number plate recognition cameras that are used to target people without insurance, stolen cars, cars used by criminals etc..
Anyway, I'm boring myself now so I'll stop! :zzz:

Re: Oz Speed Cameras
 

Despite all the yadda yadda over cameras, I have yet to receive a ticket, or even know of a fixed camera where I live and need to drive. I know of a good mobile spot, but am duely careful there.

The man parks on an edge of a verge on a fast moving non pavemented road and sets up. I once considered driving up and parking in front of him, running over his equipment - oops what a silly place to place electrical goods - and then say innocently "Thought you'd broken down and needed a tow!"

Where we live, people are like that, a stranger or a parked car tends to get noticed. :)