Spot the speed camera.....

[Kier]

Multi post alert!

I totally agree i got caught once it was my own fault for not paying attention to the speedo and I payed up. there was nothing in my case sneaky about it and even if the copper was disguised as a post box it would have made no difference i was still speeding at the moment so you have to except the punishment?

I don't believe the police use speed cameras to generate money, because a huge chunk of it goes to the government, what i do believe is that motorists are often an easy target, when it cost so much to secure a conviction for burglary or drug dealing, gathering evidence witnesses etc going to court for days on end.

Its so much easier to up your conviction rate with some well placed speed cameras.
the problems arise when we see normally law abiding citizens being hauled up for speeding time and time again (because they are so easy to catch) and the drug dealing thieves go free because they don't have enough evidence to secure a conviction.

so my solution is this, if you think PC plod should be out catching real criminals then don't speed. Then PC plod has no excuse to not go and catch some real criminals that way the police have more money and resource to get some of the scum bags off the street.

As far as I know, the Police don't get money from fixed penalty notices, only their driver awareness courses, no idea how much they'll get from each one though.

I'm sure every copper would rather get someone for burglary or drug dealing, a lot of the time its about being in the right place at the right time. Being out and about is better than being in the nick waiting for a call to come in.

That was probably not a speed camera but an ANPR (numberplate reading van)



I have no issue with police enforcing speed but when i started driving this was done by Traffic officers who would pull you over and deal with you at the road side there and then if you was a couple of mph over they would tell you to take more care and let you on your way... More often than not they would talk to you as a human being.. Along with a quick car check (tyre tread ect ) rather than taking a photograph and sending you an "invoice" in the post if your speeding as you go past one where in the incentive to slow down knowing you have been caught.....

I cant remember when i last saw a traffic car in town and the local road policing unit is based about 2-3 miles away :bang:

Due to budget cuts, a lot of departments are being cut. Traffic is one, round here traffic are now dealing a lot of what the response officers deal with, as well as their traffic stuff.

At the end of the day, the Police are here to enforce the law, if you speed (and lets face it, everyone does, and fairly sure everyone knows they are), if you get caught, take it on the chin.

Me too. Ive even heard that the film in the cameras is expensive and that sometimes they dont even put film in them... and yet they still make you slow down

What does a ANPR do then?

ANPR scans number plates of passing cars, checks that they have insurance, MOT and any other markers (stolen, drugs). All within a couple of seconds.

Couple of weeks ago, we got a drink driver due to him speeding (57 in a 30 if anyone is interested), if he wasn't speeding, we wouldn't have pulled him. Sure everyone would agree that was a good stop.

 

[Andy Monty]

Bingo kier your last paragraph explains exactly my point ;-) had sped past the motorbike camera he would have avoided a DD conviction

 

[bludvl_x19]

I have no issue with police enforcing speed but when i started driving this was done by Traffic officers who would pull you over and deal with you at the road side there and then if you was a couple of mph over they would tell you to take more care and let you on your way... More often than not they would talk to you as a human being.. Along with a quick car check (tyre tread ect ) rather than taking a photograph and sending you an "invoice" in the post if your speeding as you go past one where in the incentive to slow down knowing you have been caught.....

THIS, wholeheartedly.

If speeding is so dangerous, then shouldn't the emphasis be on catching motorists in the act and stopping the dangerous behaviour at that time, rather than letting you go on your way at an increased speed* with all its dangers and copping the fine in the mail 3-4 weeks later when all the damage has already been done?

Couple of weeks ago, we got a drink driver due to him speeding (57 in a 30 if anyone is interested), if he wasn't speeding, we wouldn't have pulled him. Sure everyone would agree that was a good stop.

Too right. And if instead of being a patrol car, there was a camera, the driver would have got off with a speeding ticket at best; at worst he could have killed people.


I truly believe that cameras are money making devices, they are only for speeding, nothing more. I would much rather a flesh and blood officer driving up and down doing an entire gamut of checks, speeding, overloaded trucks, unroadworthy vehicles, drunk drivers. But, they cost money, and don't recoup their costs as efficiently as a "well placed" speeding trap.



*Here in Victoria, you can be booked for being +3km/h (1.8mp/h) over the limit. Very dangerous...

 

[dave]

we have it all here, fixed cameras, cameras in vans and police when they are not busy, people may not see the police if they work 9-5 because they are only on the road when roads are busy and this is when there more accidents so the police are attending them