Speed Cameras - yay or nay?

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 04 Nov 2005, 19:18

I'm all for speed cameras if they encourage people to slow down on notorious roads, and subsequently prevent collisions. It's amazing how many people I've met who are totally ignornat towards speeding.

My driving instructor told me that he was driving at 30mph at a residential area and the bloke behind him kept beeping his horn. The impatient driver then overtook him at great speed.

The Grampian roads are incredibly dangerous. Last year I think there were no less than 46 major collisions, which resulted in at least one fatality. One country road has a pair of "yellow vultures" (I think that's what they're called). Basically two cameras at set distances, they record the time that the vehicle passed each point, thus calculating an average speed. Obviously drivers will not simply increase their speed after they pass the first point, they are required to maintain the correct speed.

These have cut speeding offences by 87%.

I agree that there are some dodgy speed limits around. I've seen places that go from national speed limit to 30mph with very little warning. Unless you know the roads well, chances are that you'll be going way too fast. So to place a camera there may be harsh. They should perhaps provide sufficient signs to warn drivers of a drastic reduction in speed limit. Then install cameras for those who don't read the signs and speed anyway.

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 04 Nov 2005, 20:04

It's ok with me to have them, but not if they are placed totally unnecessarily and just in order to rob people's money.

Put them in places where actual danger could be prevented by doing so.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 04 Nov 2005, 20:13

I agree partly with Bisc and partly with LD - speed and dangerous driving DOES kill, if you dont want to be fined keep to the bloody speed limit! How hard is that?

But there shouldnt be so many of them just to make money and criminalise the motorist.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 04 Nov 2005, 22:58

I say Nay !

Most roads have a 50 km/h limit when it's safe to drive at 100 or more.

Lately some of my friends have been shooting at these speed cameras with shotguns.

Mordib · Post by **Mordib** » 04 Nov 2005, 23:09

I say yay!!

I dont care about road safety, it just entertains me listening to people complaining about being caught breaking the law

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 04 Nov 2005, 23:44

thelostdragon wrote:It's ok with me to have them, but not if they are placed totally unnecessarily and just in order to rob people's money.

Put them in places where actual danger could be prevented by doing so.

Totally agree with LD...
Here in Holland they often put the speedcams in places that are pretty safe, so people drive pretty fast, but it's safe to do so. They (police) seem to be more interested in cashing some quick bucks, instead of caring about the safety...

BTW: You dont have speedlimits on the higways in germany, do you? So are there more/less traffic accidents, and how about trafficjams?
God, in Holland, even at night when there's no-one on the highways, you still have to obey the lousy speedlimits

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 05 Nov 2005, 05:49

Tom2681 wrote: Most roads have a 50 km/h limit when it's safe to drive at 100 or more.

What's that in MPH? I have no idea if 50KMPH is fast or not?

Lately some of my friends have been shooting at these speed cameras with shotguns.

Tom, you're a scary person.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 05 Nov 2005, 07:08

Mark,

50 km/h = 31 mph
100 km/h = 62 mph

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 05 Nov 2005, 12:51

BiscLimpkit wrote:Mark,

50 km/h = 31 mph
100 km/h = 62 mph

I'm sure Mark would have been able to calculate the 100 km/h knowing that 50 km/h are 31 mph.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 05 Nov 2005, 13:03

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 05 Nov 2005, 13:23

You never know... those Dundonians...

Nah I jest Mark.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 05 Nov 2005, 13:35

Only SCUM speed and when you lot kill someone or cause an accident and are told the other people would have survived if you were going a little slower. Then I hope it sinks into your tiny brains. There is not enuff speed cameras anywhere, if you dont speed you cannot complain they are stealing cash from you.

So dont do it.

I say increase the amount of cameras and make the fine absoluly massive and lock people up! as when one of your family is wiped out be speeding dicks, then come back and say ignorant comments.

I dont speed, nor should anyone else, if I do and I get caught I will be happy to take what punishment I get. I will not cry and say I am being victimised as they oput a camera in a silly place. YOUR WERE SPEEDING!!!!!!!!

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 05 Nov 2005, 13:46

romerojpg wrote:Only SCUM speed and when you lot kill someone or cause an accident and are told the other people would have survived if you were going a little slower. Then I hope it sinks into your tiny brains. There is not enuff speed cameras anywhere, if you dont speed you cannot complain they are stealing cash from you.

So dont do it.

I say increase the amount of cameras and make the fine absoluly massive and lock people up! as when one of your family is wiped out be speeding dicks, then come back and say ignorant comments.

I dont speed, nor should anyone else, if I do and I get caught I will be happy to take what punishment I get. I will not cry and say I am being victimised as they oput a camera in a silly place. YOUR WERE SPEEDING!!!!!!!!

true, but in some places the speed-limit is in no way reasonable to teh road-safety, like having an 80km/h limit on a 3-lane highway in the middle of the night...

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 05 Nov 2005, 13:54

We are not to judge the speed we think we are suposed to drive safley, if we were experts in that we would be fine, but most drivers are pathetic anyway and cannot drive to save their lives. Never mind when they speed.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 05 Nov 2005, 14:42

Mordib wrote:I say yay!! I dont care about road safety, it just entertains me listening to people complaining about being caught breaking the law

I think so too Mordib

Mordib · Post by **Mordib** » 06 Nov 2005, 00:34

i'm going to vote for you Romerojpg to become ruler of the world if the chance ever arises. i dont agree with many of your views and opinions of the world but life would become a darn amazing spectator sport

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 06 Nov 2005, 00:41

If Romero was king of the world, we'd all be branded as evil scum and hunted down like deer.

In my street, speed is limited to ~20 mph.
Let me say that 80 mph would still be safe on that street (for people who know how to drive).

My whole life I've been driving 10 miles over speed limits and it ain't fast enough.

biguy · Post by **biguy** » 15 Nov 2005, 19:07

Jeez...You guys should live over here in Seoul.....

You guys have ANGELS for drivers compared to most here..

Some examples....
Motorbikes regularly ride onthe sidewalk...
red lights are many times ignored..even on pedestrian crossings..
Cars beep if you go slower than around 60km/h on busy roads...
Everyone has NAVIGATORS that warn of speed traps/cameras....
Cars DO NOT usually move aside to let emergency vehicles pass....

I myself am a (relatively) careful driver..I HATE driving here...everyone is in a rush and impatient

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 15 Nov 2005, 20:12

Safe, tell that to the people you lot hit and tell the families they could be alive if you went 10 or 5 MPH slower.

Its a fact a few MPH more can KILL. When you loose someone close maybe it will sink in. Just becuause you can drive that means nothing anyway, speed is imposible to stop killing someone unless you jump the person before you hit them!

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 15 Nov 2005, 22:34

I feel it depends more on the driver then on the speed. I've noticed a serious difference between how I view traffic in front of me, and how my girlfriend sees it. I always see EVERYTHING! I always look very far ahead, and just pay attention to everything that's moving, and signs and shit. When I'm on a bike, I cut corners and take sidewalks and pretty much neglect any traffic law ever written, cause I've already seen the best way to go from point A to B... so I saw the trafficlights which I SHOULD be taking, are about to jump on red, there's no other traffic coming, there's a woman witha babycart but she;s about to leave the lil space of the sidewalk which I will need to cut across to... etc etc... anyway, to cut things short, on a bike I drive like a maniac, but I see (and hear) EVERYTHING and it's safe!

My girlfriend however, when she's in a car, she's only looking straight at the road ahead, and only about 50 meters orso... so she often gets lost, or gets pannicky, cause she misses turns or offramps, or whatever.

I dont know why certain people look at traffic in one way, and others in a very different kind of way...

I do know Cruyff had the same thing I have, a total awareness of all around him when he's in traffic, so I doubt it's uncommon what I have. I really like it btw... cause I usually ride my bike at a pretty fast pace, and so I'm constantly calculating the speed of cars and other bikes etc,so I know where they will be and where I will be at the time when they will be there, so can i cross the road or will that car hit me? It all goes very very fast in the head, which is awesome, cause you kinda string a route together and if everything goes well, you dont have to use your breaks once and you just glide through traffic...

It only gets dangerous when someone else doesnt signal he'll be making a turn or something, but I have pretty fast reflexes as well as steady nerves, so I usually just adjust the trajectory when that happens...

Anyway, point being... people will still be driving over people, even if they are only allowed to go 30 or 40... and people will still be killed... cause many people are THICK.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 15 Nov 2005, 23:01

The thing is yes you may be able to handle the speed, but its the others around you who cannot handle your speed, hence accidents ussually happen around idiots. yet the idiots get away without any harm! when it a just world they would crash and burn.

Thick people are a bad thing on the roads as some just dont know how to drive at all

but to me anyone who speeds is really thick and they try to justify their crap ways, when everyone know SPEED KILLS. but hey they are such good drivers I am sure they could magically avoid any accident, at any speed.