Speed cameras fail to cut accidents

[Shadeyman]

Speed cameras have failed to cut accidents on many roads and have actually led to a rise in casualties on some routes, official figures show today.

Ministers fear that thousands of cameras have served only to raise millions from motorists, rather than improve safety.

The findings, from an initial sample of 75 local authorities, will prompt the Government to call on every council to publish detailed information on each speed camera site, including accident rates and how much has been raised in fines.

Ministers hope that local authorities will succumb to pressure to remove the controversial devices if the information does not demonstrate that accidents have been cut.

Mike Penning, the road safety minister, said: “For the first time we are shining the light of transparency on the performance of speed cameras.

“People want to know that if their tax money is being spent on speed cameras that they are actually making their roads safer, not just raising money.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8719263/Speed-cameras-fail-to-cut-accidents.html

Speed camera's are a good thing near schools, hospitals, accident hotspots, even on large housing estates where children play in the streets but thats all. The rest are positioned specifically to make money and not to save lives IMO.

 

[Focus Owner]

set em to 10mph above the speed limit. add a heavy fine



I think traffic lights with a approach speed sensor and a red light camera would be better

 

[Shadeyman]

How about a huge fine for going 10% faster than the speed limit and an instant ban and your vehicle crushed if you double the speed limit?

But only near schools, hospitals, accident hotspots. Not hidden in a tree just after a bend 50 miles from the nearest town.

 

[Focus Owner]

we have a few in morley all of them are coming away from a school not going towards.

 

[Kier]

I think they are brilliant, you make the choice to speed, if you get caught...tough. Why not make money out of people who break the speed limit.

And to be honest, its not like they are hidden is it? You get signs saying they are down the road, and they are painted bright yellow!

 

[Stu DemonD]

Northants has had all their cameras turned off since 1st April 2011.

However, the camera vans still operate.

 

[Kier]

Northants has had all their cameras turned off since 1st April 2011.

However, the camera vans still operate.

Similar is Dorset, read on the local paper that only 10 cameras were working...not sure what 10 they are though lol.

 

[Focus Owner]

problem is when passing them all you do is stair at your speed

 

[bludvl_x19]

I think they are brilliant, you make the choice to speed, if you get caught...tough. Why not make money out of people who break the speed limit.

And to be honest, its not like they are hidden is it? You get signs saying they are down the road, and they are painted bright yellow!

Huh, maybe where you live. Spot the speed camera in this photo.

As long as there is a 3m gap in front of the camera car, they can park it anywhere, even in parallel parking at the side of the road. The first warning you get is when you drive past it and see the lights on the front of the car. No signs, no hi vis.


Best of all, I live in an estate with one entrance and exit, all housing so no through traffic; one of these is sited outside my house 3 days a month, gaining revene for the government. Major accidents in the 20 years the road has existed? 0 Minor ones? 1, my brother knocked off his bike. Accidents since the camera has been parked there: 0. In government statistics, that means the bastard camera is saving lives.

Speed cameras are only a revenue maker, they cost less to operate than they bring in. The only thing that a speed camera can detect is speeding. They can't see if you are drink driving, driving erratically; that sort of thing. The only thing that can do that is one of these:

Scrap all the speed cameras, replace them with humans.
/rant

 

[Shadeyman]

problem is when passing them all you do is stair at your speed

It would seem they do more harm than good in some places.

In Humberside, which has 89 speed cameras, there was no change in the number of accidents at a fifth of the sites, while the number of collisions rose at 17 of them. Of the 44 speed cameras in the Thames Valley, seven sites saw an increase in the number of incidents, with four-fold rise at a site in Aylesbury. Some speed cameras caught more than 60 motorists a day. In Cambridgeshire, four of the 47 speed cameras saw a rise in the number of collisions.

 

[Eklipze3k]

And then you get the people who slow right down to well below the speed limit for a camera, and then wonder why they get rear ended by the person behind them. A lot of the time they are placed exactly to make money, there is one here between 2 sets of lights on a downhill slope, if you hit the top of the hill at 30mph momentum will accelerate you enough to get a ticket. Only way to prevent it is to brake or change down to 3rd and let your gearbox slow you down. If it wasn't there, by the time the road levelled out again you'd be back to doing 30mph and literally yards from a traffic light which ALWAYS turns red just as you're approaching it.

 

[Kier]

Huh, maybe where you live. Spot the speed camera in this photo.

As long as there is a 3m gap in front of the camera car, they can park it anywhere, even in parallel parking at the side of the road. The first warning you get is when you drive past it and see the lights on the front of the car. No signs, no hi vis.


Best of all, I live in an estate with one entrance and exit, all housing so no through traffic; one of these is sited outside my house 3 days a month, gaining revene for the government. Major accidents in the 20 years the road has existed? 0 Minor ones? 1, my brother knocked off his bike. Accidents since the camera has been parked there: 0. In government statistics, that means the bastard camera is saving lives.

Speed cameras are only a revenue maker, they cost less to operate than they bring in. The only thing that a speed camera can detect is speeding. They can't see if you are drink driving, driving erratically; that sort of thing. The only thing that can do that is one of these:

Scrap all the speed cameras, replace them with humans.
/rant

lol, that sucks ...this is what we have round here...

Completely agree about more Police.

That said, with the speed gun, we are allowed to hide if we want to. I was coming back from work last week, each Tuesday night is bike night at the Quay. Traffic cops were hiding down on the slip road of the dual carriageway, bikes going pass wouldn't see them. I had to laugh lol.

 

[ChrisUK]

I'd prefer they spent more money and resources getting untaxed, unmot'd, uninsured idiots off the road tbh.

Speed doesn't kill - peoples ignorence and idiocy kills. These speed camera's are just a revenue stream no matter what they say regarding running costs etc.

 

[jnoiles]

I think they are brilliant, you make the choice to speed, if you get caught...tough. Why not make money out of people who break the speed limit.

By that rationale should we also harvest the organs of bank robbers to make some extra cash?

 

[sludgeguts]

I'd prefer they spent more money and resources getting untaxed, unmot'd, uninsured idiots off the road tbh.

Speed doesn't kill - peoples ignorence and idiocy kills. These speed camera's are just a revenue stream no matter what they say regarding running costs etc.

But speed can be a major contributory factor - especially when young lads are showing off their 'skills' as an 'ace' driver "look at me, I can hit this bend at 90, & just like in the xbox game, I'll drift round it and everyth...ohhhhh ****"
And as said earlier, there are the idiots that are driving way too fast, see the camera and slam on their brakes - simply no need imo

 

[Venters]

Yup if it werent for xboxs...

 

[GrandePuntoPaul]

totally agree with having more cops pulling people over. i used to live in hull when i was at uni. We went down a 60mph road and there must have been 5 cameras.... not a house in sight, it was in the stick like... between towns. then you go intp villags and the like, there isnt one to be seen. What is the point? if you miss a corner, ur into a field, not a kid or house.....


Also the point about watching speed. I live in N. Ireland, hardly have any speed cameras. There is a van that sits down my road sometime. I watch my speedo everytime i go down that road. It's like reading a text on your mobile. unsafe, driving without due care and attention.

 

[ChrisUK]

But speed can be a major contributory factor - especially when young lads are showing off their 'skills' as an 'ace' driver "look at me, I can hit this bend at 90, & just like in the xbox game, I'll drift round it and everyth...ohhhhh ****"
And as said earlier, there are the idiots that are driving way too fast, see the camera and slam on their brakes - simply no need imo

Only when that speed is applied by idiots that don't know what their doing.

I 'used' to be in that young lad category and used to speed everywhere like it was Need for Speed Underground and never had a single issue. If anything It's made me a better driver. I know the limits of all the car's I've owned and my own skills.

I knew when I could use the speed safely and in what conditions. Never had an accident or even so much as a close call because I've always anticipated it and assumed people will do the most stupid thing at the worst time. I guess not everyone is blessed with common sense though hence why society has to create laws etc controlling those idiots :bang:

And I've watched a few of your uploaded video's you aint exactly what I'd call a sedate driver :nerner: .

 

[jip0]

hang on wait...xbox isn't real? i cant drive like a god.... brb

 

[JustAndy]

hang on wait...xbox isn't real? i cant drive like a god.... brb

xbox isnt real but ps3 is