Roads in the area

[Bosun]

The horrible speed tax cameras are just out to get cash. Time to get rid of them! 

Being sick and tired of lunatic drivers and the deaths and tragedy of loss of life in road accidents, I want to see more traffic law enforcement, not less. With nearly 1,713 people killed on British roads in 2013, and many more seriously injured, it time the general public realised the dangers of hurtling about in a tonne box. It's speed that kills.

Speak to a grieving mother when her child has been killed in a recklessly driven car. There are enough of those mothers locally, and you'll change your mind. 

[Merddin Emrys]

Sorry, I will not change my mind, most collisions are not related to speed, but drivers not paying attention. Speed can be measured and taxed!

"Driver error and inattention is the most common contributory factor in UK road accidents, according to new statistics from the Department for Transport, while speed-related causes contribute to just 14 per cent of all prangs.

The DfT stats attribute 68 per cent of all road accidents to a failure to look, while in the majority (32 per cent) of fatal accidents loss of control is reported as the contributory factor.

Exceeding the speed limit is a contributory factor in five per cent of all accidents; driving too fast for conditions accounts for nine per cent. This makes exceeding the speed limit the sixth most common contributory factor.

Overall, the number of accidents in 2008 fell seven per cent from 2007, to 230,905. The number of people killed in accidents fell by 14 per cent, to 2538.

When asked if it was time to reduce the emphasis on speeding and concentrate on improving driver awareness, a DfT spokesperson said, “To help the police tackle bad driving we have proposed making careless driving a fixed-penalty offence and have also recently announced wide-ranging changes to driver testing and training, to better prepare learner drivers for the road.”

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motoring/errors-cause-most-uk-accidents

[Ian]

We apparently have the second lowest road-death rates in the world...

[Bosun]

And of course, drivers 'not paying attention' have just as much time to react travelling at 88ft per second as they do travelling at 29ft per second...... which has to do with - wait for it - speed.

And 'loss of control' was caused by what.....? The car being stationary? We all know people who have been involved in road collisions where they have been hit by a stationary car. Loss of control of a vehicle occurs when a vehicle is driven at an unsuitable speed for the conditions. Note the word 'speed'.

That S3 RTA 88 is to be made an FP offence will no doubt assist, but we need dedicated Road Traffic Policing to issue the FP's and enforce all traffic law. If 4 or 5 jumbo jets crashed each year in the UK with that loss of life, I doubt if it would be accepted and just put down to 'accidents'. 

[Merddin Emrys]

We will obviously never agree on this, although I do not know anyone who has been hit by a stationary car...

[Bosun]

although I do not know anyone who has been hit by a stationary car...

Sorry, my irony was wasted....

If a car is stationary and properly parked, it won't kill anyone. When it moves it travels at a certain speed and the higher that speed, the greater chance of physical injury in the event of a collision. That's why there are now many 20mph zones outside schools, as the chances of a child surviving being hit by a vehicle at 20mph is much greater than at 30mph. Therefore, it's the speed that kills. And, as I said in my previous post, a vehicle only looses control when being driven at a speed unsuitable for the conditions, regardless of the conditions. Therefore because of - speed.

[Merddin Emrys]

Oh I got it OK,  loss of control can be due to many things other than speed, constantly looking at a speedo is one distraction.

[Hugo]

Actually you are both correct, bad driving and speeding are the cause of road accidents but get a combination of bad driving and speeding and you have an accident waiting to happen.
As much as I detest them, I'm with Bosun on the speed cameras and just wish that they would use them for capturing other driving offences in addition to speeding.
Having said all that the speed cameras should be deployed sensibly and fairly.     I used to drive down the A51 in Staffordshire  and you could easily lose your licence in one day there as the speed cameras are located immediately after the speed limit has changed.

[DVT]

Whilst I agree that driving needs to be policed it should also be policed sensibly.   The problem is not the speed, but the attention of the driver - you should be able to judge by what you see all around you - not be watching your dashboard.  However, you cannot measure driver's attention levels.

Speed does not kill by itself, there are many other factors which, when put together, are inappropriate - exceed 60mph on the A470 down the Conwy Valley on a clear, dry day and you're labelled a killer, but try driving at 29mph down Mostyn Street on a Saturday afternoon you're perfectly legal.  I know which I consider to be safer.

[Bosun]

To suggest that driving down Mostyn Street on a Saturday afternoon at 29mph is perfectly legal shows a complete lack of knowledge of road traffic law and the Road Traffic Act 1988 (As amended.) If, as implied, Mostyn Street was chaotically busy, there could well be an offence of S2 (Dangerous Driving) or S3 (Careless or Inconsiderate Driving.)

[snowcap]

I have  been caught by the speed camera and still think that it is the right thing to use to stop the clownes like me that were breaking the law by speeding, they are put there for a reason and anyone who thinks it is just for the revenue should spend some time in accident and emergancy and see the faces of people involved in speeding accidents. It,s only people who break the speed limit who need be afraid of being caught . Stay within the law and have nothing to fear, break it and take whats comming without moaning about it

[Merddin Emrys]

It seems we will never agree on this, I still see them as speed tax cameras! 

[Bosun]

Taxes are in the main, unavoidable. If you decide to exceed the speed limit and put lives at risk and recieve a fine, that's your choice, your decision, therefore you voluntarily contribute. It's not a tax.

[Merddin Emrys]

Touch wood, I have not been caught with one, but I know many who have, none of them are mad drivers, just lost on the speed tax camera lottery!  Not one of them thought it was a good thing. Meanwhile the really mad dangerous drivers seem to get away with it...

[born2run]

I don't understand speeding, everyone speeds around to get to places quicker then someone has an accident because they are speeding then that accident closes the road and causes everyone to be caught in tailbacks for hours so people then speed to rectify the time they've just wasted sitting in a traffic jam because someone was speeding. Vicious circle if you ask me