volvster
volvster wrote:
It is obvious by these top 10 revenue generating cameras, that they do little for road safety and the speeds the prosecuted motorists were doing would suggest that the speed limit is too low, which to me is a common problem all over the country.
Many speed limits have been changed from this 85th %ile to the average mean. Since many motorists are now too scared (for their licences) to dare to go over the posted limit it can be hard to access what the 85th%ile might be (on some roads and in some locations). The previous surveys took a straight dry road and good conditions with no obvious reasons to otherwise slow.
volvster wrote:
I use the motorway every day for work and if I sit in the middle lane cruising behind the cars in front I will be doing just over 80mph, which is above the guidelines of 10% + 2 mph, so does that mean we are all motoring criminals or are the speed limits too low.
The normal actions of the responsible and competent motorists should be deemed legal. However I would never advise that you 'just' sit in the middle lane of course.
volvster wrote:
Modern cars with modern brakes make motoring much safer than it used to and the technology is improving safety every year, but when was the last time our speed restrictions were looked at.
This is true and braking distances can be significantly reduced for modern cars, but if a motorist is failing to pay proper attention and crucial clues are missed, then all the braking in the world will not necessarily stop you in time.
This current review to 80mph is sensible and much more in keeping with the 85th%ile but no reports exist (that I am aware of) to verify what the current 85th%ile truly is.
volvster wrote:
I saw on the news that after the recent crash on the M5, that the 'Campaign Against Speed' were quick to pounce on the fact that speed had yet again contributed to a serious accident, and it was a good reason that the speed limit should not be raised to 80mph on motorways.
A very ill conceived move.
volvster wrote:
...I was told by a police motorway patrol sergeant that unless you were driving dangerously or out of character with the cars around you, that they would be unlikely to stop you until you exceeded 85mph, which I think is the police using their discression wisely, or they would be stopping virtually every car they sat behind.
Good traffic police that recognise the balance of appropriate and proper enforcement do exist, but they ought to be the norm not the exception. Much is wrong with the policing of our roads and the loss of much of the Traffic Patrols is a big reason why we now have seriously low driving / riding standards as bad habits become standard. See topic
here on the M5 crash.
volvster wrote:
... and believe that on open motoways that safe driving can be achieved at speeds of up to 90mph without the need for speed camaeras.
Safe driving /riding can, and was, achieved on our roads without a single speed camera in sight. During this time and for many many decades prior to this we held the safest roads in the world, however we no longer hold this accolade, and haven't done so, since the advent of the speed camera onto our road network in spite of other improvements.
volvster wrote:
and most accidents on motorways are caused by people who can't drive at 50mph let alone anything faster or the continual lane changers who should be banned from using motorways and I blame the Dept of Transport for allowing people to pass their driving test without ever setting tyre on a motorway.
Whilst we know that the motorists who sit within the lower percentage capabilities it is not necessarily related to their specific speed rate. (
here and
here) We have a webpage that shows all the effects of speed cameras on our roads -
here.