Google Maps and Navigation – Speed Cameras

A bobby with his cam van was up to no good where I live last week. I set the cruise for 27 in town and the misses scoffed at me. But when i pointed to the van in the distance.

Then on return to our village he was there just parked 200 mtrs just inside the 30 zone limit.

This time periferal vison saw him as I hit the 30 zone at 40 and wham I hit the barkes massive. I drove passed him at 5MPH.

The misses came back from work with a tale that on of staff there had got a ticket.

TBH why dont the cops spend more rescources on catching perpertraitors of FGM or something. IDIOTS.

Keith – you will know that I am ex-police and I do tend to agree with your comments but possibly not the extreme driving example or what you called my ex-colleagues. Unfortunately if drivers DID obey the speed limits there would be no need for “Go Safe” or whatever they are currently called – but they DON’T unfortunately – they only react when they see such vans – or as in many cases – they don’t and too late – ticket!!  Statistically there are more people killed / maimed on our roads than by crime.  Thankfully I hope that you have never had to break the news to a young family that ‘dad won’t be coming home this evening (or ever again)’ as I have had to in my days – not a nice experience and something you NEVER EVER forget as a copper or even in retirement!!

What I would like to see is the use of a caution for those caught within 5mph of the speed limit as opposed to a fine – yes it’s very easy money and if you have a car, you must have money – cautions are never given unless you happen to get caught by a ‘human cop’!! Over many years as a custody officer I cautioned countless thieves, burglars, druggies and those who had committed  minor assaults but NEVER a motorist who may have been a few microgrammes over the limit or a mph or so over the speed limit.

Question – why were you entering a 30mph limit at 40mph is one question I would ask? Your inference to idiots (doing their job) could also be a reflection on your driving – the 30mph signs are quite clear and you must have known where you were at that time and hence familiar with the road conditions. Thankfully ‘there but for the grace of God, go I’ and thousands of other motorists – but before you unduly castigate them – have you ever attended at a fatal accident to see and hear the carnage? Perhaps that might change your mind?

Unfortunately the number of policeman (& their funding) currently available has gone down by 15-20% over the last few years (thanks to Theresa May and Co.)  and yes they are ‘bang at it’ trying to do everything, for everyone with relative nothing and one hand tied behind their backs as well’ – your analogy to FGM is stupid as that is not a crime that is seen in the public eye (compared to theft, burglary, robbery and violence). FGM is totally within the family and thus almost impossible to deal with – you may have heard that teachers, doctors etc are now being asked to disclose such information as and when they suspect it – it is certainly not a visible crime that a PC might come across in his daily work and to make that comparison reduces the validity and credibility of your argument in my opinion.

Totally agree with your post Dwynne. Only had to do the dreaded door knock to a new widow once, during a short spell as Regimental Police in BAOR. A young Bombardier had wrapped his BMW around a huge tree whilst driving at some speed and was killed instantly. I had to go and tell his even younger wife, who met me at the door. After giving the awful news, her reaction was to attack me and I had to allow her to take that out on me. Never forgotten it, never will.

Years later I was recovering vehicles, working as workshop foreman. I saw so many RTC’s that caused fatalities and life-changing injuries. In every case, speeding was involved, sometimes complicated by careless and/or dangerous driving. Many of the officers I met at these incidents, were as visibly sickened by what they had to do, as I was. It is absolutely true: speed kills. I am no saint here, having been caught twice driving a few MPH over the limit many years ago, but I drive within the limit now and have done for years.

The numbers using phones while driving is just as bad as speeding and drink driving, IMHO. This is a step in the right direction I think:

http://tinyurl.com/y2k3x5jx

Atm it cannot differentiate between drivers and passengers, but a passenger answering for the driver can ignore the warning.

A few months ago on Rhuallt Hill on the A55 Expressway in North Wales they introduced AS Cameras – in the first month or so they were active but not fining the motorists – several cars were clocked at 125++ mph and it is downhill.  Yes it’s a good dual carriageway but 125mph++?I would also have to agree that in some places they appear to be tax collectors but generally they are placed here as a result of complaints from the local community council or residents. (Based on experience over the years – when speed traps were place in locations as requested by the Co. Council – their members were amongst the first to be caught / fined!! KARMA!!

Because the Police are so short of resources you can be pretty sure that they had ’cause’ to set up a trap.

Probably a number of near misses were reported with multiple independent reports of the same followed by a bit of driver observation by a policeman trained to estimate traffic speeds. All of this would be required before using their precious van and crews (probably a car was also parked down the road or on a side road.).

I know that my local resident’s Police Panel has a fairly hard job to get speed monitoring set up, so I did not make up this sort of process.

The one the light up and just say “slow daiw are fine”, but Thr ones that monitor your speed and report it on the sign, may work to slow the daytime folk down. But at night, they have the oppersite effects. It turns into a game of let’s who can score the highest.

The former I’m all for, the latter not so much. As teens with cheap cars and crap suspension, are pushing their cars to the limit to impress friends through them.

Agree with all you said, bar Common sense was never common.

The main road near the estate which I live on was transformed to a 20 mph zone over the course of 2 nights. There is a junior school opposite one of the entrances to the estate on the main road. That stretch makes sense to be a 20 mph zone.

The rest of the road a 20 mph zone makes no sense at all. If it was on Cardiff City FC home match days (variable speed limit) I could see some logic to it but permanent is madness. I await the speed cameras to gather revenue.

The 20 mph zone by the school won’t make things any safer for the kids (the survival rate by being hit by a vehicle is an exception) unless the authorities clamp down very hard on the idiot parents, teachers and visitors to the school that park illegally and dangerously every single school day.  I’ve seen a road safety awareness van parked on the humped zebra crossing outside the school so it’s display materials could be unloaded with minimum walking by the driver. (Yes, it was reported to many people)

The Duke wrote:

The one the light up and just say “slow daiw are fine”, but Thr ones that monitor your speed and report it on the sign, may work to slow the daytime folk down. But at night, they have the oppersite effects. It turns into a game of let’s who can score the highest. The former I’m all for, the latter not so much. As teens with cheap cars and crap suspension, are pushing their cars to the limit to impress friends through them.

Not seen that Sign Baiting but a local Dual Carriageway is Biker Boulevard or Hot Rod Heaven every now and then in the early hours of the morning.    Its very much Rent a Suicide Mob and seems organised.  When it takes place there are many one on one flat out races with all the others simply watching and awaiting their turn.   Strangely I’m only aware of one fatality over the years but it is a run with mainly wide grass verges on either side which might mitigate crashes when they occur.

Went to the doctors today and all the surrounding streets are now a 20 mph zone.

Being able to get to 20 mph would be nice….