Safe Speed Forums

By David Millward, Transport Editor Published: 6:44AM GMT 25 Jan 2010

Average speed cameras could be installed on all the country's motorways to cut carbon emissions under proposals drawn up by the Government's environmental advisers.
According to the Commission, Department for Transport figures have shown that the 70mph speed limit is being ignored by 52 per cent of motorists.
In a report published today, the Sustainable Development Commission has called on ministers to bring in the cameras to ensure that motorists stick to the 70 mph limit.
This alone would achieve a reduction of of 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, the Commission says.
According to the Commission, Department for Transport figures have shown that the 70mph speed limit is being ignored by 52 per cent of motorists.
Average speed cameras, measure a car's speed over a prolonged distance, rather than at a fixed point.
They are seen as being more effective than conventional cameras because they prevent motorists jamming on the brakes as soon as they see a device and then accelerating as soon as they have passed.
Their introduction both on motorways and in urban areas, the Commission says, would encourage smoother more environmentally-friendly driving.
Ministers say that where average speed cameras have been introduced in place of fixed cameras, both accidents and the number of speeding fines have fallen.
Normally used at road works, there are now also 10 permanent sets of average speed cameras on Britain's motorways.
Government approval is imminent for a new generation of average speed cameras which can measure how fast a car is going on a network of streets.
These will be installed in urban residential areas where a 20 mph limit is in force.

The Commission's call for more average speed cameras comes within days of Boris Johnson, London's Tory mayor, announcing that he plans to introduce them on a 7.5 mile stretch of the A13 in east London - even though the party's official policy is to choke off funding for the devices.
The idea of installing "time over distance" cameras on all motorways was condemned by Claire Armstrong, who runs the campaign group, Safespeed.

"For any organisation to call for any car behaviours to be altered in favour of unproven carbon emissions shows what a total shambles Road Safety has reached in this Country. The arguments are unproven," she said. "Are we to now be expected to offset road safety, against someone's misunderstood concept of Global Weather Patterns ? If so this would be a travesty."
Other recommendations in the Commission's report include a call for all cars to be fitted with speed limiters to cut carbon emissions.
The Commission has called on ministers to set a timetable for the introduction of the technology which could make it impossible for cars to break the speed limit.
Additionally, it believes that "Intelligent Speed Adaptation" should be fitted on Government cars, including the ministerial motor pool.
This would avoid a repetition of an incident in 2000 when the official car carrying Jack Straw, then Home Secretary, was caught travelling at 103 mph.

The Commission, which accepts that putting the devices in all cars could take several decades, could result in savings of 25 million tonnes of carbon as well as improving safety.
Its proposals are contained in a report called "Smarter Moves: How Information Communications Technology can promote Sustainable Mobility".
Other recommendations from the Commission include promoting the teaching of "eco-driving" techniques - in which motorists learn how to use their car in a fuel-efficient manner.
It has also called on the Department for Transport to encourage the growth of car clubs, where motorists share a vehicle rather than owning one outright.
The Commission also believes car use could be reduced by better public transport which would make motoring less attractive, especially with the introduction of pay as you drive road charging and tighter parking controls.

Other proposals are aimed at using technology to reduce the need to travel altogether, such as the promotion of video conferencing and making it easier for people to work from home rather than commute.
“While information technology alone won’t provide all the answers, it could go a long way towards making travel in the UK safer, more pleasant and more sustainable," said Stewart Davies, Business Commissioner at the Sustainable Development Commission.
“Already, eco-driving technology can help motorists spend less at the pumps and reduce their emissions; better information can make using public transport easier, and videoconferencing technology can help business travellers avoid some journeys altogether.
"It can help provide a better work-life balance, ensure we have more time with our families and as well as more productive working time. Increased, reliable internet connections on public transport could transform journeys into time well spent in a moving office, or for leisure travel – a cinema."

... or we could just put a tax on fuel. The thirstier your car the more you pay.

... or we could have graduated VED. The higher your emissions the larger the tax.

Oh, wait a minute...

Mole,

Under your system, how fast would 32 tonne artics be able to go?

Agreed.
The CO2 argument is unproven and to impose such methods onto road users is nothing to do with Road Safety. Why are we being the guinea-pigs for governments trial & Error policies. They haven't proved the Speed Kills arguments so what, now they are trying the Carbon one - what next ? Lack of Oil ?
It is a shambles. They are not fit for purpose.
Considering we are carbon based, are we [not] now to believe carbon is bad ?

And the larger majority of video surveillance devices can be used for anpr purposes.
So maybe now you can see why the interest in specs....which already is an anpr system....

British commission pushes standard speed camera utilization on roads
Posted on: Thursday January 28th, 2010 by Emma Young

The UK Sustainable Development Commission recently made public a report proposing the utilization of standard speed cameras for continuous trailing of motorist trips across the country. The advisory commission said that extensive use of standard speed cameras was necessary to lessen the emission of carbon dioxide produced by vehicles; a factor some says contributes to global warming.

The commission also recommended that the UK government to take urgent action to persuade the public in using mass transit and dispirit car owners on using their vehicles in general. Speed cameras were chosen as an easy alternative to attain this goal.

The enforcement of speed limit has also contributed in a cost-effective way in dropping carbon dioxide emissions with approximate reduction of 1.4 million tons on 70 MPH speed limit. Last 2009, the Home Office granted standard speed cameras to implement speed limits in inner-city areas. The cameras were networked simultaneously which can be mounted on entry and exit points in an area with fixed speed limits set on it.

The report also suggested for a fix timetable for the inauguration of Intelligent Speed Adaptation technology which utilizes global positioning satellites to set control over the driver on the vehicle’s speed, making it impossible for the vehicle to exceed the given speed limit. An infrastructure called information communications technology (ICT) could also be utilized for congestion pricing, tolling of every trip, and charging insurance fee depending on miles acquired. The commission emphasizes that this systems will need significant financial investment for it to be attainable.

The enforcement of speed limit has also contributed in a cost-effective way in dropping carbon dioxide emissions with approximate reduction of 1.4 million tons on 70 MPH speed limit.

I could see the market for aftermarket "chips" booming like never before!