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It's easy because apart from jumping red lights (even if you got sirens behind you!!) there is no automatic way to catch a driver driving stupid, for instance too slow and all over the place which we have all witnessed on numerous occasions. No automated way of catching someone not looking at the road and texting. No easy way of catching a driver who's pulling into your lane without looking and pushing you out of the way.

My last 3 points for speeding were due to a girl texting while doing 75 with an exhaust which was bouncing up and down and suddenly found her noise up the rear of another vehicle, so decided to use the lane I was in and I wanted to get past. So did, but have 3 points and am down ?60 for it while she carried on her merry way.

Why? Because mine is easy and automated, therefore, I'm the one thats dangerous.
 
few years since I lost my licence for speeding,and that was on a motorbike.Within a couple of days of getting my licence back,I had a very serious accident that I very nearly didn't recover from.This was caused by me driving too fast for the conditions and the road I was on,in fact about 90MPH in a 30MPH zone.It took me nearly three years to walk again after this,and it's made me look at roads,and the way drivers act on them in a completely different way.Beacuse I'd never had even a minor accident before this,I guess I thought they always happen to other people.
I like to think I don't need to rely on any sort of electronic aids to remind me what the speed limits are,but yes I do have my Garmin switched on with the "Points of interest" database loaded whenever I travel any distance.

Chris.
You've said yourself the main reason for some accidents - travelling too fast for the conditions. I don't see how people being penalised for doing 34 in a 30 is actually making the roads any safer. Sure penalise them for 40 - 50 etc but if you think that cameras are purely there to make roads safer then you are being very naive. It's been shown in many counties that speed cameras have done nothing to reduce accidents at all. Lancashire for example has the most speed cameras yet its road death rate is on the rise - go figure.
 
a few years since I lost my licence for speeding,and that was on a motorbike.Within a couple of days of getting my licence back,I had a very serious accident that I very nearly didn't recover from.This was caused by me driving too fast for the conditions and the road I was on,in fact about 90MPH in a 30MPH zone.It took me nearly three years to walk again after this,and it's made me look at roads,and the way drivers act on them in a completely different way.Beacuse I'd never had even a minor accident before this,I guess I thought they always happen to other people.
They usually only happen to 'other' people as a result of such actions from certain people. When I say certain, I mean people for example that are doing 90mph in a 30mph. That is madness my friend, even if it was bone dry and deserted it would be probably be a jailable offence. Granted, you have learnt the hard way, (maybe some would say you didnt kill anyone and got off lightly??) but I don't shed a tear for your injuries as frankly your actions were mindless. Having just served a ban for speeding makes it all the worse; I would have liked to have thought that you may have learnt your lesson or at least valued your licence a little more. Instead, you are doing triple the speed limit in a built up area just days later....

It seems the few years of disability and rehabilitation gave you time to reflect and have a serious think about your actions and attitudes, but having come out the otherside, is your attitude safe driving for the sake of yourself or do you now consdier others who may or may have been on that occasion caught up innocently in you mindless driving. Points of interest warnings from Garmins are to safeguard only you and your passengers. Awareness and safe driving is to safeguard others.

Like you say, 30MPH for a reason, namely hazards like pedestrians and kids. Hence why most people agree with speed bumps and cameras outside schools. What gets the goat of the public is sneaky cameras on quiet safe road persecuting motorists that are a fraction over the limit in safe circumstances. This is the issue.

What is a bigger factor in causing accidents is bad driving, not excessive speed. 120MPH in a modern roadworthy car in an empty lane on a straight motorway IS safe. You will always have the 'what if' brigade, but freak accidents happens, its just the way it is. A modern tyre is more likely to withstand a blowout at 120MPH than the equivilent 30 years ago would have at 70MPH. Brakes are infinately better, we have complex traction systems, ABS, impact bars, airbags, and it seems to me too many people seem to think this will save them if it all goes wrong....

At 120MPH, the problem is the idiot in the Volvo 940GLE estate that will more than likely slide straight into your lane at about 60MPH to overtake someone who is doing 58MPH, all without taking the time to look in his mirrors. And it happens every day on every road. Some get away with it, some dont. But this is what we face day in day out. The guy speeding will always be the one in the wrong, not the one who didn't check his mirrors...

Bad driving IS the biggest problem we face. Speed is safe in the right circumstances. But I see terrible driving day in day out and it drives me mad. People tailgating on the motorway. Inexperienced kids driving way to fast. People cutting people up in rush hour traffic without considering the consequences their actions might have, just to get somewhere that little bit quicker. People thinking they have the right to speed, drive like a moron and cut people up becuase THEY are in a rush, and then have the right to put up a finger or brake check you when you beep the horn at them. One accident can cause hundreds/thousands of people to be held up. The fact that the majority of these accidents CAN be prevented is what gets me. The same with the fact that probably half of all fatal RTAs could probably be prevented if people took a bit more care, showed fellow motorists a little more respect and switched the brain on before getting into a car. Like a gun, the car is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands...

What we need is realtime cameras, catching and punishing bad drivers with fines, points and if need be, driving courses. And more so, using the profits of cameras, which lets fact it are never going to be axed as they make so much money, to fund traffic cops in cars catching and pulling more people up on shocking driving with a hard line approach to dangerous and poor driving. The average standard of driving on our roads is abysmal, anyone who disagrees is a fool, yet everyone will tell you their driving is of an acceptable standard.

And i'm not saying 'my' driving is the best or taking the moral highground, but there is a reason why I have a clean licence of over 6 years and never had an accident. I have never had a radar detector, sat nav or hotspot warnings. If I dont know the road, I drive accordingly and take extra care. I never drive faster than I can see. I dont want someones death on my conscience that could have been avoided. Accidents are called accidents because they aren't supposed to happen, but in most cases do because people aren't paying enough attention, are driving in a wreckless manner or are plain driving too fast for the given conditions.

And I will call people who drive like pricks a prick. I'm not picking on Imagewerx here, he has merely become an example unfortunately. But if you think that what I say includes any of you, then it probably does, in which case can I suggest you re-evaluate how good a driver you think you are....
 
Excellent post Basking!

I am firmly of the opinion that the UK driving test is far too easy and doesn't take real world driving into account enough.

I would also be happy if we all have to retest every 3-5 years.
 
My last 3 points for speeding were due to a girl texting while doing 75 with an exhaust which was bouncing up and down and suddenly found her noise up the rear of another vehicle, so decided to use the lane I was in and I wanted to get past. So did, but have 3 points and am down ?60 for it while she carried on her merry way.

Why? Because mine is easy and automated, therefore, I'm the one thats dangerous.
Now, do you not see what you did there?! I'm afraid nothing you've said in that sentence persuades me that you were not the one to blame.

Yes, she was doing something dumb, but then so were you. Why couldn't you have waited until you could get past without speeding?

The reason we have cameras in this country in the first place is because people won't take responsibility for their actions in a car. You control the steering, the brakes and the accelerator, so how you can blame anybody else for you speeding is bizarre IMO...

EDIT: And while we're all focused on speed, lets not forget that the vast majority of 'accidents' speed is not the main factor, although it probably makes the consequences a lot worse. Drink and Drug driving are still the big killers in this country I'm afraid.
 
Chaps, these things are the last of your worries.

Word on the street is that they're putting the cameras in cats eyes now. Only noticable difference is that the cats eye is yellow!

My old man is a lorry driver and he said he's already seen a few Midlands way, they're just not turned on yet [:S]
 
Anything that makes us focus our attention on our speedo's (not the swimming attire!) and not the road ahead has got to be a good thing!

My advice is never cross the road by a speed camera, the driver definitely won't be looking out for you!

Anyone who thinks 'safety' cameras are not a form of stealth tax is incredibly naive, why not abolish the fine and increase the number of points otherwise.
 
Concerning the cameras at the start of this post:

At least when a camera is visible, people slow down. This may only be to then speed up later, but they slowed down none-the-less. With hidden cameras the speeder will continue to speed. I hope if these hidden devices are introduced, that the government retains the visible ones in areas near schools etc.

I also resent the use of cameras solely for the raising of funds, but after a few fines from hidden cameras, people will soon slow down.... which can't be a bad thing!?!

Crap drivers are the reason for most crashes, as previously stated, but driving too fast is frequently crap driving as the roads are too congested for high speeds!
 
Fact is, they have tried visable cameras. Great big fuck off yellow boxes on posts right next to the road. And people still miss them. Which says EVERYTHING about people not paying attention doesn't it.

Some may say that they have their eyes on the road ahead. Thats not good enough. For me, good driving is about being aware of EVERYTHING around you. Hazard perception. Its now a part of the theory test, thats how important it is.

That speed camera could be a kid running out into the road. If you can't spot a foot square day glo yellow box in your peripheral vision, a two foot child doesnt stand a chance does he.....

Alot of people seem to think that people power will pervail and the government will do what we want if we grumble enough. Grumbling doesnt achieve anything. Nothing. Neither does a silly petition. Making a protest would. And do you think everyone will down cars and ride their bike/train/bus to work for however long it takes for the government to crack and reform things. Would people put themselves out for a while to push for radical changes in the way we are constantly bled of our earnings and stripped of our rights.

What do you think....
 
Move to Co. Durham, no speed camera's here!! The chief of police dosent think they are right and I also agree. The ?10k a speed camera costs should be put towards something better like another police car patrolling around the towns near the schools.

Accidents will happen and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it...More drivers should do advanaced driving courses and insurance companies should offer bigger discounts for IAM members. I know I am going to join up with the IAM and hopefully pass the test! I think this will make me a better and safer driver.
 
My last 3 points for speeding were due to a girl texting while doing 75 with an exhaust which was bouncing up and down and suddenly found her noise up the rear of another vehicle, so decided to use the lane I was in and I wanted to get past. So did, but have 3 points and am down ?60 for it while she carried on her merry way.

Why? Because mine is easy and automated, therefore, I'm the one thats dangerous.
Now, do you not see what you did there?! I'm afraid nothing you've said in that sentence persuades me that you were not the one to blame.

Yes, she was doing something dumb, but then so were you. Why couldn't you have waited until you could get past without speeding?

The reason we have cameras in this country in the first place is because people won't take responsibility for their actions in a car. You control the steering, the brakes and the accelerator, so how you can blame anybody else for you speeding is bizarre IMO...

EDIT: And while we're all focused on speed, lets not forget that the vast majority of 'accidents' speed is not the main factor, although it probably makes the consequences a lot worse. Drink and Drug driving are still the big killers in this country I'm afraid.
LOL I'm not denying that I used my right foot to get passed her. You read it wrong, or I explained it wrong.

She was in lane 1 behind car, I was going past her at about 75. Was just lining up to her boot when she decides that shes gonna bring her dodgy rear exhaust into the front of my car. She left about a foot if that, while texting. I had a van behind me, so got round her in the 3rd lane instead of hitting brakes and having a van possibly up my rear.

Bamn, speed van catches it all. They can even see the girl texting, but theres nothing they can do and I should not have been speeding. If in doubt I should have done an emergency stop according to them or pulled over and stopped (dual carriageway with no hard shoulder) and phoned the police.

What are the police going to say? 'erm thanks, but situations gone now hasn't it'.

So yer, the girl whos not looking when changing lanes, texting while on the dual carriageway and with exhaust about to fall off continues on her way and I'm the dangerous one.

Speed cameras are totally useless when it comes to these situations. Whats it done, made the roads safer? No. She carried on oblivious to everything around her. It would of course been MUCH safer for me to stop on the dual carriageway and call the police, or slam the anchors on and have a van up my backside, or of course, play the oblivious game and go into the back of her. Afterall at that point I wasn't speeding.

Might have been safer for me to munch on her exhaust as it came flying though my window?
 
Oh and one other point. The government know that modern cars could quite happily do 120MPH on a motorway safely, even more so than an Austin A35 would do 60MPH back in the 60s.

Don't forget, the 70MPH limit was introduced in an age when drum brakes were fitted all round on a car, tyres were made of plastic and if you could crack 70MPH you had a fast car lol

No, the reason that the speed limit hasn't been raised is very simple. Its not so much that the roads are crowded, which they are. No. It boils down to the fact that the government do not trust the majority of drivers to travel above 70MPH on a motorway. And I don't blame them. Its not the machine that is the menace. Its the person controlling it. I can only reitterate the point that the roads are littered with ignorant, arrogant, incompetent and idiotic morons, some in big/powerful cars they don't know the limits/size/weight of, and some who just plain can't drive well/won't drive well in anything.

Its these morons that cause these largely preventable accidents, that cause us to spend hours of our lives in traffic jams that shouldn't be there, that bump up insurance premiums year on year and have created the need for cameras in an crap attempt to control the situation.

The genuine initial intention of speed cameras was to SLOW people down on certain roads known to be problematic and help prevent accidents/injuries/deaths. Then the government clicked on how profitable it could be, and it has spiralled from there with camera vans on perfectly safe stretches of roads to make easy money from people who are normally law abiding but find themselves 3mph over the speed limit and who aren't going to argue, while Johnny Rep in his 318 or Johnny Chav in his bass box banger Fiesta can time and time cut people up, possibly cause damage/distress or an accident, and get away with it.

The camera doesnt tell the truth about a bad driver, it is merely a cheap and unfair way of catching largely unlucky people.
 
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