Safe Speed Forums

Just been reading Bryan Lunn's (IAM Chief Examiner!) article - "Speed Cameras - compliance or capture?".

Some good stuff in there and discussion on the proposed graduated penalties.

Best line though - "Many drivers feel that they are an easy target. If speed enforcement cameras are genuinely about compliance and not capture (or to put it another way, they are about road safety and not revenue collection) then logically, the most effective cameras would be the ones that never flash. I don't see how catching people after the offence and punishing them makes a logical contribution to road safety if the principle objective is to get drivers to comply with the speed limit in the first place".

Sums it up very nicely, thank you Bryan...

Well the general idea is that once the offender has been punished, this acts as a deterrent to ensure that they don't do it again (pretty much in the same way that you send someone to prison for theft or whatever).

However, the only effect the camera seems to have on Joe Public is to induce a pathological hatred of not only the camera itself, but also a hatred towards the body that operates them (namely the old bill).

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

PeterE emailed me the full article. Here it is:





Thanks Peter.

This bit really annoyed me: "The sensible way to reduce road casualties is to try to change the behaviour of drivers who exceed the speed limit..."

Err, where's the evidence to support this? What about the other sensible ways?

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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

Oh no..not graduated fines again. With a camera accuracy of +/-2mph how can they prove you were doing 45 in a 30 limit.

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Speed camera policy Kills

Thanks to PeterE for downloading the whole article!

I agree with Paul there were some contradictory bits! but on the whole I thought it was positive.

Yes, given the political constraints that the IAM operate within, I thought the general tone was encouragingly sceptical.

I just hope the same points are made to government, rather more forcefully, behind closed doors.

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Indeed - Tim Collins (former Tory Transport Spokesman) used to live 50 yards from my parents' house!

Sadly I never had the opportunity to meet him ad hoc

Leaving my parents' house, turning on to Shap Road, there is a Talivan position (I guess EM, JT will be familar with the location...)

In 1997 Cumbria CC protected the layby with "Keep Clear" white lines - bizarrely in 2003 the allowed a Talivan position on this "keep clear" area????

In 2 years, I've never yet seen the CSCP Talivan parked on this location.
Be in no dount, parking it there WOULD cause an obstruction.

Watch this space!