Safe Speed Forums

Per Page two of "Bolton Evening" - A speed camera is to be erected at the site where a 15 year old girl was killed...

Those who post to PH may recall that I posted up this tragic story and called it

"Six of One - Half Dozen of the Other".

The incident occurred at 11 pm when the teenager staggered intoi the roadway into the path of a car. She had consumed a bottle of vodka per the report at the time. Because of this factor - the driver who had been speeding at 55 mph in the 30 mph zone (and I think all on here admit this is not on in a built up area) escaped a dangerous driving conviction at Bolton Crown Court for this very reason. The parents sued the driver in a civil claim and won damages for the loss of their girl in a recent case - and they petitioned Manchester's Drive Safe for a camera repeatedly. The partnership apparently investigated and I hear the road is busy, has had a few minor shunts at a T-junction and is promisingly lucrative at night.

However, this tragic incident is more down to a child being allowed out late on a school night (this occurred on a Tuesday evening), getting hold of alcohol and one driver who was "in a hurry" and even if he had been driving at 30 mph when she staggered in front of him... outcome would have been the same dire awfulness.

I am perhaps "old fashioned" in many respects - my kids are not allowed out to roam - ground rules dictate that I expect to know their whereabout and a set time to be tucked up in bed at home. If they are doing anything they should not be doing .... and I cop them at it... let's just say I am tougher than any prat manager on fines from pocket money and groundings!

Perhaps a little less blame the other person, a lot more parental control and certainly driver education as the speed was indeed excessive and OTT in an urban environment.

I do not see how a speed camera is going to help given the circumstances of this very tragic death of a young girl - and I know 15 year olds can be wilful - but even so - I think these parents need to take stock and accept that blame lies with themselves, the deceased and the driver proportionately.

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If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
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Its called "window dressing". When there is a tragedy people want action. And cameras are the PC option.

I know of one incident where a child was killed on a road. It was in a 40 limit zone. The mother did not have control of the toddler when she was loading a car up and it wandered into the road. The solution...start a campaign to get the speed limit reduced. The mother should have been prosecuted for negligence.

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Speed camera policy Kills

It's simply indicative of society's view nowadays... It's always somebody else's fault.

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"Politicians are the same the world over... We build bridges where there aren't any rivers." - Nikita Kruschev

Clarissa Satchell reports a little more on the story in the "Manchester Evening".




Now not being callous or blaming here ... but when this story broke - much was made of the little fact that the drink involved was why the chap was cleared of the dangerous charge....

Now - we all know that kids will challenge authority and - yes - admit - have had the teenage rebellions and the little talk with one over cigarettes, (left the "morning judge" hem line and the make up applied with a trowel to Wildy We have had the challenges to authority - trying it on to see how far they can negotiate a rule broadening with us...

But I would be seriously angry with them if they defied me and stayed out until that time - and even more worried and concerned about under age drinking of hard spirits. If they then were to get run over in that condition... emotions, would I fear be mixxed, with anger and grief and aimed at both child and person who happened to collide with them. But I doubt I would be demanding a speed camera - as it does not "save innocent lives". This girl's life would have been saved by a tighter parental control - and a deep parental love is not about giving in to every darned whim...they have more respect and love and consideration for you if you say "NOPE - you want it - prove to me you are capable or show responsibility and sense of values by saving and working for it - then I'll negotiate a deal to help finance it!" - and this does include treating our family home and rules with respect and showing it by being home within reason of the agreed hour.

The site is to get a digital camera and the Partnership agree that this site does not meet the ACPO criteria - but it seems a precedent has been struck. Drivesafe "did a deal with Bury Council.

Council tax payers (and NOT SPEEDING DRIVERS) have paid for this scamera and the installation - with Drivesafe bearing the cost of issuing tickets....

Manchester area has digital cams on Rochdale Road and Princess Road in Withington and Mersey Square, Stockport...

So it seems we are now having rules being flouted because some parent cannot accept responsibility for allowing his child to stay out late and drink vodka...and sorry and all that - but "loving parents" do not do this sort of thing.

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

MM - we're seeing more and more of this recently - first the quad bike incident and now this.
How long before sense prevails and Social Services start to ask why these kids got in to this predicament.?
After all if they had been harmed by a vicous parent, Social Services would be getting slated for not intervening to remove the kid from potential danger.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

We have this same problem of wayward teenagers on the A590 too.
Girl of 15 in the back of a car at three in the morning, with older youths, and suspected of driving WITHOUT LIGHTS through a section of road with illuminated cats eyes.

Father called for this "dangerous" road to be put right! If that meant cutting down the first 50 feet of trees through which the car passed when it left the road, then I am against it!

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

After discussing a similar article in local paper, rather tongue in cheek a collegue sugested that some people are to stupid to be effective parents and suggested that there should be a parenting test.

Possibly controversial but any thoughts??

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Gordon Brown saying I got the country into it's current economic mess so I'll get us out of it is the same as Bomber Harris nipping over to Dresden and offering to repair a few windows.

Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done.

http://www.wildcrafts.co.uk

only some? Seriously though, being a good parent doesn't have anything to do with intelligence but it is a skill like anything else and some are naturally going to be better at it than others.