Thread: Speed Cameras

In response to various repies made above:

WB, "It must be frustrating for many cops to police some laws especially when it seems to be just a money grab."

Don't be mistaken, police don't run the speed cameras they are run by public servants and positioning of the cameras is given to them to decide within a certain area. These people are IMO around the same level as parking inspectors. They come back to the police station bragging about the numbers they are getting. :mad: Most coppers hate them because it is giving the police a bad rep, when in fact we have nothing really to do with them. I personally will not book people doing less than 10kph over. This covers the 10% theory and I get my tickets to keep the boss happy.

Silent(?)C, "I don't know if this is the case throughout NSW but certainly all the fixed cameras down my way and the majority of the ones I have seen in and around Sydney are clearly signposted "Speed Camera 24 Hours...(snip)...Let's face it, if the government really wanted to stop speeding, they would legislate for speed limiters on cars like they have in trucks."

I know QLD and NSW advertise their camera locations. In one spot on the Hume there is a fixed camera in a relly bad black spot, put in several years ago. Since the camera has been in, not one fatality...Problem solved. Re limiters, they won't work, they don't with trucks and they won't stop someone doing 110 in a 40 zone. Don't laugh, I have booked someone for it, during school closing times.

Daveinoz, "People have become desensitised to the road toll, they are even desensitised to the grafic ads the TAC run, they should be making people sick, but they aren't."

I've got some pics that would do the trick. Makes me sick and I've seen the worst you could imagine and then some.

Ben, "I'd also like to see some of the money go back to the Police themselves. They need it."
Agreed, but it raised too many conflict of interest questions.

Dan

Before they had speed camera's around here about 80% of Canberra drivers sped, generally in the range of 10-20kph. That has now dropped to 4% in the camera areas, you no longer are the slowest vehicle on the road doing the speed limit. Canberra roads are not patrolled and even school zones are only targeted when school goes back and there is a blitz. How much has it altered the death rate, very little, we have always had few fatalaties on the road and most of them are single vehicle early morning young male commodore drivers. Give me police out on patrol anytime, more effective, I have not seen a police car on patrol in canberra for so long it is not funny.

DanP wrote:

Don't be mistaken, police don't run the speed cameras they are run by public servants and positioning of the cameras is given to them to decide within a certain area. These people are IMO around the same level as parking inspectors. They come back to the police station bragging about the numbers they are getting. :mad: Most coppers hate them because it is giving the police a bad rep, when in fact we have nothing really to do with them. I personally will not book people doing less than 10kph over. This covers the 10% theory and I get my tickets to keep the boss happy.

If the 10% theory was correctly applied you would adjust your tolerances according to the speed limit.

10 % of 100 km/h = 10 km/h, 10% of 60 km/h = 6km/h, 10% of 40 km/h = 4 km/h



DanP wrote:

I know QLD and NSW advertise their camera locations. In one spot on the Hume there is a fixed camera in a relly bad black spot, put in several years ago. Since the camera has been in, not one fatality...Problem solved. Re limiters, they won't work, they don't with trucks and they won't stop someone doing 110 in a 40 zone. Don't laugh, I have booked someone for it, during school closing times.

In QLD, I've not seen fixed speed cameras, so I don't know if they signpost their locations. However, with the mobile speed cameras mounted in vans and landcruisers they erect a sign next to the vehicle saying "Speed Camera In Use". Unfortunately you cannot read the sign until you are level with it - very sneaky.

Originally Posted by Wood Borer

Shhhhhhhhh, just whose side are you on?

That No 5 you had a play with was paid for not getting booked at the following places:

Maroondah Highway 1/4/04 10:43 AM

Hume Highway Goulburn 10/5/02 11:12 PM (Could have been a big fine if I was speeding a lot)

Main Drag of Rockhampton 2/9/01 8:01 PM (If there had been a breathalyser there and if I had been pulled over and blew over the limit the taxi fare back to Melbourne would have cost heaps so a No5 is cheap in anyone's language)

All my planes have been paid for in this manner and just look at how much I have saved.
:confused

Mate now you've explained it, it works for me and it OBVIOUSLY works for you.

I'm gunna have to try it out on my missus

Cheers
Craig

John,

I didn't say that I give them 10%. I said I give 10kph. Across the board.

I don't know about fixed camera's in QLD either. But I have seen the big Ford Transit Bus parked on the side of the road with "ROAD SAFETY CAMERA" written all over it in big letters. If that's sneaky to you, you're cactus if you come to Vic. All the warning you get here is a car parked on the side of the road.

Dan

Originally Posted by DanP

All the warning you get here is a car parked on the side of the road.

Dan

Yep, this is what keeps me alert.

Always keep the eyes open for sus' cars parked in odd spots.


Not that I need to, mind :eek: :eek:

It doesn't take long to get used to them and be able to pick them. It took me about six months. In that time I got six fines, all for less than 7 kph and all in 100 or 110 zones.

Dan

Dan,

fair enough on the 10 kph thing.

Yes, the van/4wd generally does have "ROAD SAFETY CAMERA" written in big letters, but generally down the sides of the vehicle. However, they set up the van so that it is facing the traffice and you only know its definitely a speed camera vehicle once you're level.

Next time I drive in Vic I shall be extra cautious.

John

John,

They don't even put the flash out the front most of the time now. So you don't even know when you've had your pic taken. Just a fine in the mail four weeks later. Not much use in my opinion, as you don't slow down at the time. What use is a Road "Safety" Camera if you don't know your pic has been taken and you continue to speed and you get 100 metres down the road and crash and kill someone. The camera has then served its only (true) purpose which is to raise revenue. I'm sick to death of governments hiding behind the road toll.:mad:

Dan

This is a bit off topic, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

It just seems really unfair to me.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...1/s1242265.htm

If I'm using a router bit of 2 1/4" dia at 24,000 revs, you'd all say I was an idiot. :mad:

Why is it that you would condone me of doing 65 in a 60 zone and killing your kid because I couldn't stop in time, I was within 10% of the speed limit :mad: :mad:

Which one of you makes any project to a plus or minus tolerance of 10% or even 3%???? :confused:

Doesn't matter what you talk about, near enough is not good enough - especially when you talk about projecting a missile at speeds that are not recommended as safe, on a router, on a circular saw, in an automobile.

In any event you might get away with it some of the time, when you get caught you need to wear the end of the finger you've lost, injury or fine :mad: :mad: :eek:

Geezz I seem to be finding a lot of these soap boxes lately :eek:

Jamie

Originally Posted by barnsey

Why is it that you would condone me of doing 65 in a 60 zone and killing your kid because I couldn't stop in time, I was within 10% of the speed limit :mad: :mad:

But speed is only a small part of the problem. I would feel much safer seeing people drive faster but with 100% concetration on the raod than some school mum driving at 40 while on the phone and smoking.

It's like those horrible ads, with the guy hitting the little boy on his bike. He is accused of been a criminal because he was 5K over, but the fool was not LOOKING at the ROAD, if he was driving at 30Km/hr he would have hit the kid exactly the same way.

This speed kills is crap, it's like saying guns kill, no it's stupid drivers kill.

nic

If concentration is the answer - why does anyone speed? There can't be that many incapable of speeding and knowing the potential consequences?? :confused:

AHHHH I get it the world is full of ignorant people who can't grasp the concept

PLeeeazee :mad:

Go through red lights, park illegally, speed, have unprotected sex, operate your wood working machines beyond their recommended capacity and find someone to blame it on - think I've got the picture now - haven't I ???? :confused: :confused:

Originally Posted by nic

This speed kills is crap, it's like saying guns kill, no it's stupid drivers kill.

Actually stupid people cause collisions, speed becomes the factor of how much damage they do. The logic goes that if you were going slower then the damage would be less, therefor speed kills.

The speed limit is to slow everyone down to a speed where the worst driver can not do too much damage. I believe, practical or not, that the answer is not to drop the speed limit but to raise the driving standard.

That said the law is the law.
If the lotto is a tax on people who can't do maths, then speeding fines must be a tax on the impatient or stupid.