Safe Speed Forums

Paul,

there is a mistake in the figures somewhere. I was reading 'it's your duty' forum and a link to a Telegraph article that states:

Paul Smith, of Safe Speed, said research indicated that 70 per cent of drivers checked their speed at least three times when passing a speed camera.

But the data here is only 39% of drivers check three times. I'm assuming it is the experiment done here as there appears to be no other data from any other sources regarding this. Maybe it's the people who check three times and over, looks like it is just a question of clarity. Would be great ammunition for the pro-scams.



here's the link

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... xhome.html

Andrew

You've missed something. I said "at least three times" so those drivers who claim to check 3 times, 4 times and five or more times should be added together. Presently that's (24+14+5)/61 = 70.49%

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Paul,

it would have sounded more convincing saying "3 or more" but I get where your coming from anyway. Someone said in the 'it's your duty' forum that you got the figure of the top of your head, I was going to reply on your behalf saying see this link for the data but seen the 39% figure for 3 checks.

Fair enough.

Andrew

Even though my Road Pilot will have beeped once at a half mile distance from the camera and then 3 beeps at a quarter mile. I would still check the speed dispalyed ( more acurate than my speedo ) at least 3 times as I aproach the camera, particularly at 200 yards away. By then, if I'm still too fast, my little friend would be screaching it's heart out and I would have to be very, very stupid. My "Pilot" is on the dash, just above my instument binacle and requires much less eye movement to view than my actual speedo. I believe this "glance down" is enough in some instances to be a danger to other road users. Too much time looking at instruments and not enough time looking for the "Numpty" pulling out in front of you.

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Still round the corner there may wait,
A new road or a secret gate. ( Camera )
J. R. R. Tolkien (1892 - 1973)

Your description doesn't match any camera I've personally encountered, as you describe the camera's area extending to a crossroads, so your scenario has two major hazards which require mutually exclusive approaches on the part of the driver to guarantee their safety. The camera requires the driver to focus on their speed, and this is, statistically, the greater threat to their welfare, as camera-generated penalties greatly outnumber serious accidents. But the focus on speed detracts from attention to potential hazards arising from the crossroads. To equalize personal risk from the two hazards, the driver should probably be focusing over 90% of their attention on their speed, and less than 10% on the crossroads.

Other possible options when faced with the prospect of driving along the road you describe:
- Choose to take an alternative route
- Slow down to so far below the limit that you don't have to check your speed

just the once

_________________
freedom is knowledge of one's necessity

3-4 times, assuming that my GPS detector is not operational.

When it is, I get a clear audible warning which contnues until I am compliant with the speed limit, a visual check of the speedometer is only necessary once.