Safe Speed Forums

The local lunchtime news had an item on the GATSO at Long Newton on the A66. Some miscreant attacked it on Saturday and then returned on Tuesday to finish it off with petrol and burning tyres. Mick Bennett of Cleveland Safety Partnership said it is severely damaged but would not be drawn on whether film loaded on Monday would still be usable. His other quotes were interesting e.g. "we have to have the cameras to save lives", "we have successfully reduced speeds on a road where there have been a number of fatalities", "the camera was not insured".
The road in question is a busy two-lane dual carriageway with a 70 mph limit and four junctions which permit traffic to turn right across the opposite carriageway. Visibility is good. However some drivers turning right onto the dual carriageway use Lane 2 as they would a slip road, i.e. accelerating from rest with traffic approaching in Lane 1.
I often drive to Middlesbrough on this road. The camera can be moved to any of four locations, all preceding a junction. Approaching traffic invariably slows to 50-60 mph to pass the camera then speeds up again.
Maximum speeds appear to be of the order of 80 mph between Darlington and Middlesbrough so I doubt if the camera actually catches anyone at all, and actually only slows traffic at one of the four junctions at any one time.
IMHO, the limit through the junctions at Long Newton should not be 70 but 50 until the promised grade-separated junction has been built. This would be a better contribution to road safety than the expensive camera.

A Cyclist said"This would be a better contribution to road safety than the expensive camera."


Yes my friend , but you have forgotten the prime rule of the Mick Bennett's of this country - "Cameras make money to pay for yet more cameras to etc."
The only good thing is that "perhaps" the fines "might" just pay for the road improvements.
When that day comes primates will be safe in a town west of you.