Reply With QuoteThey're trying to catch offenders.
I live in North West Essex, On Wednesday at 7.30am there was a policeman hiding in the bushes by Leaden Roding village hall, I was lucky there was a car in front of me, he got done, then today at 12.30 there is a police woman hiding in the bushes at White Roding, in both cases there was no doubt that they were hiding and there were places they could have stood and parked there cars and been seen. Other than raising cash what were they trying to achieve? If as they claim they are so short of personnel how is this a priority? This has probably been discussed loads of time before, I really wanted to warn people
They're trying to catch offenders.
Although there is guidance that all speed enforcement should be visible, it's not mandatory.
Speeding is a priority for many people who live in villages, so it's not a diversion away from other priorities if you ask those people.
To be quite honest, there are some cretinous speeding drivers who come through the 30 limit in our village daily, the police have been out at 0530 in the morning at our request and caught people doing 50 or 60 mph many times.
It's better they take hard core speeders to task first rather than clear up after a major accident surely? A 12 year old paperboy was killed in our village some years back, at 0645 in the morning so 'out of hours' enforcement is a good thing in my opinion.
I've had points for speeding in the past, so I know it happens without thinking sometimes, but if you're not speeding you don't have that aspect of driving to worry about.
I suppose they're trying to get people drive within the speed limits rather than like lunatics. Its not a game where you can drive how you like regardless of others unless you spot a policeman. Perhaps they need to hide every so often to catch these chancers.
I can't argue with that, in fact to help them in White Roding the speed limit goes 40-30-40-30-40 all in the space of 800 meters at one point you can see all of the signs at the Same time. If I wasn't a local I would probably would ha been caught by noOriginally Posted by Kingstepper
Last edited by adrianw; 18th August 2017 at 13:24.
There's two types of people - those who generally support speed reduction and speed cameras (me) and those who are against them saying it's a waste etc etc.
The two will never come together, and you can't persuade one to switch to the other!
These threads always go the same way.
So you never do 33 in a 30 on a straight road with no side roads?
Such things happen when you're not concentrating, over the years I've had a ticket or two for being not much over the speed limit, do I think its fair, not once, but I'm a more thoughtful driver because of it, humans are far more fragile than cars, I just wish catching the dicks using mobile phones whilst driving was so straight forward.
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
How does being a local help? Presumably you know the limit where the speed-trap was but were only 'saved' by the driver in front getting caught.
Yep... they usually end up in some form of slagging match. Normally on BP.
Those that think the speed limits set by 'the man' are correct and honest and those that think otherwise.
Which ever side you sit on, I'm coming to the conclusion that the days of driving as an enjoyable past time are nearly gone. I've gone from Lotus (manic) to Porsche (not so manic) to Polo (slow and steady) in just two years in response to this - it simply isn't fun anymore (most of the time) :-(
PS two speeding tickets in the last two years and neither was whilst driving the Lotus or the Porsche!
True, for the Leadon Roding trap, just always careful in White Roding, I'm not going to drive with my eyes glued to the speedometer in case I drift over, vehicle telematics now have the ability to control speed and monitor driver behaviour, if speeding is such a priority let the car control it. I'm lucky the last speeding fine I got was 15years ago, however I accept it is just luck.
I agree that reckless speeding needs to be dealt with, but don't necessarily agree with hiding in bushes etc, however when have you ever heard of someone being prosecuted for being too over cautious and is clearly unable to drive sensibly according to the road conditions. Weekly I see people that really shouldn't be on the road as they don't understand the rules of driving on a motorway or dual carriageway or even how to enter a round about. I have seen many a times other road users take as I perceive reckless manoeuvres in order to overtake these people. It's does seem a one way street.
B
I know you wont believe this, but no I never exceed the speed limit.
I use my cruise control where it is safe to do so (and tend to cover the brake) and always stick to the limit.
I absolutely don't claim to be an especially excellent / safe / experienced driver, though if you asked me I would say i'd be above average in safety terms.
I have seen the consequences of road death and injury first hand, and I don't mind admitting that it really scares me. It's brutal, bloody, horrible and devastating to peoples lives.
People just feel far too comfortable in their cars.
In addition to all the moral reasons, it's the law, and I try not to break the law even if I don't agree with it.
I've no objection to speed cameras in principle. What I do object to is the Government (in all its guises) acting as if speeding is the main cause of accidents.
The latest government statistics show that, in 2015, exceeding the speed limit was a contributory factor (not necessarily the only factor) in 5% of all accidents and 15% of fatal accidents. To put that in context, speeding isn't in the top 10 contributory factors for all accidents and is the 4th highest for fatal accidents.
The main cause of accidents is some variation on carelessness or recklessness. Despite there being more cars on the road every year, prosecutions for careless driving offences have actually fallen.
If my friends, relatives and work colleagues who have been fined for speeding are representative, the correalation between speeding (at speeds not greatly in excess of the limit) and accidents of any kind is non-existent.
What I would like to see is police time and effort on traffic enforcement being proprtionate to the statistical risk.
Hear hear!
What does it matter if you're sticking to the speed limit (particularly in what sounds like a built up area)?
You've hit the nail on the head. Speed can be detected with a speed camera and it takes no effort to prosecute/fine. The fact that it is easy to do (certainly compared to seeking out mobile users and other forms of bad driving) doesn't mean it should be done to the exclusion of all other enforcement.
Quite agree.
I see some shocking (and often dangerous) driving on my daily commute, and most of it is below the speed limit.
Most mornings on my drive to work i follow a woman in a Fiat 500 (seems we are on the same time set), she does 40, everywhere, no matter what the limit, so 40 in a 30 , 40 in a 50. She really is bloody annoying.
Last time we had plod with his hairdrier round here they got lot of speeders...............................90% locals so don't go on about people who speed through your village.
I use my speed limiter. And as the speed limit is a maximum and not a mandatory speed, in those 800m I'd stay at 30.
And a thousand times yes for mobile phone. As a matter of fact I wouldn't mind a "phone radar" that would detect a text or conversation. But that's another debate.
I do object to the hiding because it's a fund raising and target busting exercise. The deterrence would be greater if they were visible.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
The Government statistics show "Travelling too fast for conditions" (which can be below the speed limit) is a more common factor in accidents generally that exceeding the speed limit. It's just another example of carelessness which you very rarely see dealt with.
They are visible (if less so) because the OP has seen them (just not announcing their presence beforehand) and more of a deterrent because their exact location is unknown.
Personally don't care if they're fund raising, saves me paying more taxes.
In your wildest dreams
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Because it's too hard to prove.
Exceeding an arbitrary speed is black and white.
I see driving that it is far more dangerous than doing 5 or 10 MPH over the limit every time I drive, but I can't see a way to police that effectively.
Perhaps cars should have sensors (and road signs transmitters) that prevent you exceeding the 30 or 40 MPH limits? That doesn't seem unreasonable to me.
Of course, that would rely on the council (presumably) having funds to install and maintain the transmitters.
M
Last edited by snowman; 18th August 2017 at 15:02.
Exactly but the point is doing something easy rather than something effective is nonsense if the objective is safer roads.
Seems very unreasonable to me! That degree of intrusion (and expense) to deal with what is statistically a very small risk is wholly disproportionate. (There was a discussion about road pricing on the radio earlier and the point was made that it would mean the Government would know where you were al the time.
There is an argument for the telematic boxes which most young drivers need to get insurance. As I understand it, they measure driving "style" - acceleration and braking.
I'd be more than happy to have unmarked traffic cars driving round catching any kind of motoring offences. Too may people drive in the knowledge that provided they slow down past a speed camera, they can drive however they wish.
I agree - I wasn't suggesting it was GOOD, simply that it was EASY.
Do you have a mobile phone? In that case, they already know! (In either case, they only actually know where your car or phone are...)
Surely, too, they could charge PER MILE, rather than on location. Simple charging model and no intrusion, but I digress...
A restrictor could be optional, but if you had one that was working, you'd be exempt from speeding convictions (within, say, 10-15 MPH) if the transmitter was faulty.
Sure it'd be expensive, but will save more lives than a load of new nuclear warheads that we'll never be allowed to fire without US say so...
I know where I'd prefer to spend the money.
They could up the Motorway limit to 100 at the same time, as a reward
M
As I said earlier the technology is already here and fairly cheap, a lot of modern cars tell you the speed limit for the road you are travelling on, it is nothing to limit the carvtobtgese speeds if it is such a priority.
They "waste their time" in response to public complaints often those raised at PACT meetings. They may well have tried "visible policing" first. Often done by sending out a PCSO with a hand held. If the speeding continues then they up the ante, a few glum souls moaning in the pub is often as good a deterrent as anything else.
You know the rules and you know the risks. If you get done for speeding, you only have yourself to blame.
They are desperately short of personnel, so it's a priority to raise enough cash to employ more. I don't really agree with the sneaky behaviour though, North Yorkshire Police seem to be OK, usually in easy to see locations.
Yawn, same old same old.
It's 10% plus two to get prosecuted, so 35 in a 30.
Taking account most speedometers are slow, those angelic drivers sticking to the speed limit tend to be pottering along at 27 in a 30. They also tend to ride bicycles. They should also be prosecuted, or have their vehicles taken off them. Well, they'd still have their bike.
There's no such rule and most modern speedos aren't out by 10%
Well, I've never had a 'flash' at 35 in a 30, so it works for me.
The speed cameras on Brighton seafront are set at 36.
A role of the Police is to build a relationship with the community through an open and transparent approach. Hiding in the bushes does not do this and only breeds a hostility towards them that has far wider implications.
Speed cameras have a place but it should go hand in hand with education. It's accepted behavioural theory that education and deeper understanding creates change more than punishing.
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Bit of a dumb risk as different counties have different tolerances
I don't tend to pop to the Sainsbury's in Madagascar.
Is there such a road without any other considerations such as schools, "natural" crossing points, and so on?
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The community in question is usually the local one complaining about speeding, rather then the one that gets caught. Because that's how these ghastly speed traps with cops in bushes come about. Whether you feel hostile or not is up to the offender - they made the choice, they should be prepared for the potential consequences. And if it's their first offence, they will get education, in the form of a speed awareness course. It is only subsequently that they get punishment in the form of points.
And yes, I am one of those who never speeds, and always flabbergasted when I see people blaming others, rather than taking responsibility for their own behaviour.
No have a look on google maps
Madagascar is a country.
I know that, but didn't seem to matter when you typed incorrect information, so if the cap fits and all that.
Didn't type anything incorrect.
This from 2015: https://www.driving.co.uk/news/just-...h-to-speeding/ and http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...-a6721846.html
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
It would be nice if traffic in Norfolk actually ever exceeded 30. Rather slow on the road here.
Both articles over two years old and one relating to motorway driving.
Do whatever works for you - my post was not advice.
Indeed, because at the time it was about to roll out in a few counties. Your rule is no doubt valid in your area, and possibly quite a few others. There are counties where tolerance is nil.
But I agree we are all supposedly adult, who take responsibility for our actions and as such free to do what works for ourselves.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
And I misread county for country, but you jumped on that quick enough. My speedometer runs consistently faster than various GPS devices side by side. I believe the GPS devices to be more accurate and my clean licence tells me I drive at speeds within tolerance in areas I drive frequently. Many drive too slow primarily due to incorrectly calibrated speedometers.
NFN
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
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