Safe Speed Forums

Hello to all from Australia.

I have spent several hours reading through many of the threads on this forum and have come to the conclusion that this is one of the best forums of its type I have seen.

We also suffer from the omnipresent threat of the dreaded speed camers and in the state of Victoria we have a 3kph (2mph) tolerance + 2kph allowance for camera error so I understand the complaints of 3mph tolerance in some areas of GB.

Our illustrious state premier (we have three levels of Government - Federal, State and Council) has announced on the news last night that he wants all new cars to only show a maximum of 130kph on the speedo so that we will not be tempted to see if the car is capabable of the outragously dangerous speeds show on the speedo (250+ on some). What a complete and total f#$kwit this man is. The moderator may blank that out but it's true.

Back to a few other things that some of you may like to know about us based on some of the other threads I have read:

We have trams in Melbourne that cover the vast majority of the city, which is about 50-60km across, and they share the roads with cars almost everywhere. Trams are very rarely involved in accidents with pedestrians or cars to the extent of anyone being injured. When it does happen it's all over the news, so since I've only seen a few in the last 5 years or so it must be rare indeed. Tram tracks are indeed a nasty road hazard as I can attest to having come off my motorcycle many years ago at around 35mph. I was changing lanes in the wet and suddenly I was looking at the stars with no idea how I got there. Fortunately the head on (literally) I had with an oncoming car only left me with minor injuries but the lesson was learnt.

The "hook" turn in Melbourne (where you turn right from the left lane after the lights change) is intended to ensure that 1. traffic continues to flow in the right lane at all times and 2. cars do not start their right turn and block the progress of the trams. This system actually works very well and if you are travelling across the city you can sometimes make it all the way without a single red light or turning vehicle blocking your way.

Our speed cameras are also located on the best revenue raising positions rather than the blackspots and as you are finding in the UK the general community attitude is one of revenue raising rather than safety.

Fortunately our points system is slightly more graded than yours (in the early stages) - <10kph = 1 point 11-25 = 3 points and 25+ = loss of license!!!!!!!! (<6mph, 7-18, 19+) Hows that for unbelieveable - 20mph over the limit = 1 month without a licence + 4 points!!!! The MAXIMUM speed limit in Victoria is 110kph (70mph) and that is only on a limited number of motorways with the maximum on 99% of country roads being 60mph. We also have 50kph (30mph) limits in side streets and 40kph (25mph) limits around schools (sometimes in school hours and sometimes 24hrs a day). Of course we don't want to run into a sweet darling running from a school at 2am after setting fire to it do we....

I love this site but unfortunately there are some members who will never understand that there are times when exceeding the posted limit is 100% safe and that speed cameras are actually a bad thing (except in blackspots).

I drive at a speed that I feel is safe for the conditions and that means when I am driving home down a local side street and I see lines of cars on both sides of the road I slow to about 15kph (10mph) as there is probably a party and there is a much higher chance of a child running onto the road. I do this even though I am legally able to drive through at 50kph!!!!

All speed is relative to the prevailing conditions and to enforce an arbitrary limit to cover all circumstances is simply ridiculous. Driving at night, in heavy rain, in fog, in bright sunlight, on a curve, over patched and slippery surface all in the same posted limit shows that this is patently absurd. I know we need a speed limit but to hammer into people that the most dangerous thing they can do is to speed makes them believe that as long as they travel at or under the limit they are safe. Nothing could be further from the truth and the vast majority of the subscribers to this site agree.

When is the UK, Australia and all the other speed camera obsessed countries going to follow the lead of intelligent Governments like Canada and Italy and states like Montana (USA) and address the real problem - attitude and skill.

Sorry for the ultra long post but I had lots to say and I need to communicate with like minded people.

BTW I only have 1 point on my licence (11 left) but that has absolutely nothing to do with staying inside the speed limit!!!

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Ross

Yes I'm a hoon, but only on the track!!!!

Welcome, and thanks for the compliments.

The "speeding obsession" really is an international problem based on nothing more than dogma and oversimplified beliefs. As I understand it you have it even worse than we do, and that's really saying something.

I hope you enjoy your visits here. Please be sure to let me know if you need any help finding content. As far as the main web site is concerned, the following page serves as a reasonable inxed to the main arguments:
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/againstcameras.html

I expect you're familiar with: http://www.roadsense.com.au ?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I've been trolling all through your site and am very familiar with most of it and yes I have read everything on roadsense.com.au, including the link to you.

Unfortunately, Harry's work commitments mean the site is not updated as often as I would like and there is not an interactive forum to post to. You have to submit to him and he will post it to the site.

Your site is absolutely brilliant, either you have plenty of money or you have no private life to be able to keep it so up-to-date!

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Ross

Yes I'm a hoon, but only on the track!!!!

I don't have plenty of money, I gave up work to do this full time and I struggle to survive on donations and so on. I badly need better funding and am seeking commercial sponsorship.

I do around 80 hours each week on Safe Speed, but it isn't my private life that give me more time than the average... I don't sleep much!

A typical week looks like this:

Safe Speed 80 hours
Sleep 25 hours
Domestic and leisure 63 hours

Most folk do something like this:

Work 40 hours
travel to and from work etc 5 hours
sleep 56 hours
Domestic and leisure 67 hours

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Paul, I wish I was rich so I could assist you because you are a blessing to us all and I hope you manage to survive long enough to see a change...

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Ross

Yes I'm a hoon, but only on the track!!!!

Every little helps! See: http://www.safespeed.org.uk/join.html

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Missed that page didn't I!

Consider me a paid up member - just paypal'd an annual membership...

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Ross

Yes I'm a hoon, but only on the track!!!!

So you did. Thanks a lot.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Wow - I wonder how many other road safety campaigns in the UK have atteacted true subscribers from that far away.

Welcome along, Ross

Edited to incorporate correct name

Signature amended, nice to be here.

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Ross

Yes I'm a hoon, but only on the track!!!!

Yeah, you're right. I'm flattered. There are a few other overseas subscribers.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I should also point out that the time difference between us is about 12 hours.... so WTF are you doing up at 4am!!!!!!

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Ross

Yes I'm a hoon, but only on the track!!!!

5:20am now. I told you I don't sleep much.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I need an hour or so now - night night both.

Hi Ross. Any chance they'll all come down in the next year or so before we go back there? While we're at it, any chance of free VB for all tourists?

It's a bizarre situation you've got there where the federal government seems to have just let the different states do more or less what they want, but actually it's pretty similar to how it is here. The DfT has guidelines for all the local authorities but no longer requires them to meet those guidelines. Where you have it better is that at least you have some sort of consistency over a much greater area. On the other hand, if you stick to the motorways here you can in theory go almost from one end of the country to the other at 70mph, but use A and B roads for the same trip and you might experience dozens of inexplicable limits.

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Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler - Einstein

No chance while the current State Government (labour) is still in power. The premier will NEVER give them away because his Government spends everything it gets so could not do without the revenue.

I dread to think what the Liberals will find when they win the next election, but I'm sure it will be a giant deficit and of course while they try and get things back on track they will not be able to afford to remove them either.

So I'm afraid we are stuck with them for the foreseeable future and no amount of logic will sway them from their "speed kills" campaign.

Any time you are in Melbourne you are welcome to drop by, plenty of VB in the fridge (and wine)... and that applies to any member of this forum even if your views differ from the majority...

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Ross

Yes I'm a hoon, but only on the track!!!!