| From Real Justice
on 11th August 2003
In the name of justice and within precisely
designed parameters there is a need for speed cameras. Beyond that
the situation becomes dangerous.
We are now in that danger zone where we
must now spend too much time watching our speedometers rather than the
road ahead.
All of us law abiding citizens are in a
"no win" situation and that accounts for the vast majority of drivers.
If you are exceeding the speed limit there are a variety of laws you are
breaking. Should you be watching your speedometer instead of the
road ahead, you could be hit with maybe manslaughter, dangerous driving,
undue care and attention, etc.
What are we supposed to do?
Safe Speed comments:
Yes. We agree it's got dangerous. Please tell us what skills and experience
you base your opinion on. |
From FYI on 12th August
2003
Most areas have installed safety cameras
over the past ten years, and as such these cameras were installed against
different objectives and different criteria. The difficulty for partnerships
is that cameras that have been in place for a significant length of time
will often not have the speeding or casualty history to ensure acceptance
in to the programme, and indeed will have achieved their objectives.
Partnerships have 3 options for sites that
do not meet current criteria:
-
Include some or all as part of the 15%
(see section xxxxx);
-
Leave camera in place but do not enforce (i.e.
become a ‘dormant’ site). Site should be monitored and data should
still be included in the operational case and the monitoring tool.
Appropriate costs for maintenance and monitoring of the site can still
be recovered;
-
Consider decommissioning the site where it
serves no current traffic calming purpose (see section xxxxxx) for example
where road conditions and layout of site has changed.
Cameras that meet current criteria can of
course be included in the operational case.
Safe Speed comments:
Very interesting. Do you work for a Scamera partnership? Does that info
come from "The Handbook"? |
| From Careful Commuter on
23rd October 2003
In Cardiff a new speed camera has been
installed as you leave the Bute Town Tunnel heading towards the motorway.
This dual carriageway was until recently considered safe at the national
speed limit. Suddenly and cynically the speed limit is reduced to 50mph
to co-incide with the installation of a stealth tax camera.
Locally a wide, clear and straight semi-rural
road, with wide verges and a separate cycle path beyond the verges has
a 40mph limit (Lavernock road between Cosmeston and Sully near Barry).
If you turn off this road onto Beach road or Swanbridge road you will find
yourself on single track roads with no pavement, obscured bends, high hedges
and no pavements. Here the national speed limit applies. Something is back
to front.
I have recently witnessed a crash caused
by a speed camera. On the M4 westbound near Port Talbot, the speed limit
has been reduced to 50mph and a speed camera installed. This has caused
significant motorway congestion. The rubbernecking effect causes tailbacks
and shunts. Recently a lorry driver joining the motorway from a slip road
near the cameras saw a gap in the stacked up traffic just wide enough for
him enter. As he manoevered, checking the traffic and his mirrors the car
that he was slipping in behind noticed the camera. The car braked, the
lorry driver was still looking over his shoulders and
caught the tail end of the car in front
as he pulled out of the slip road. The car was turned sideways and pushed
along the motorway sideways on for about 100 yards. Speed cameras are a
menace and I do not believe the silly statistics that the vested interests
trot out. |
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