Vandalised Gatso's

[Paul_D]

Quite suprised at that Nick. Is it a long term success story or only since the massive increase in traffic calming measures around our conurbations?

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

Hi Paul

 

It started with the introduction of compulsory seat belts, the recent rash of traffic calming and speed limits has had very little impact on overall death and serious injury rates.

 

The target should be bad drivers, not fast drivers. There are certainly areas in which speed needs to be restricted, but surely not on motorways and rural trunk roads.

 

What is really neede is driver education, not intimidation.

[awaaar]

I was once told (unsure how true) that part of the reason the speed limit was introduced on the motorways is due to the police toying with the idea, and setting up speed testing equipment on the M1 to see what the average speed was - they clocked a chap testing his AC Cobra for le mans doing a 168MPH - (top man ), shortly afterwards, 70MPH speedlimits imposed on all motorways - can anyone confirm this??

[Alan Fawcett]

I would just like to make it clear that the damaged coin collectors.....erm sorry speed..nope i'll get it right in a minute, saftey cameras on the A5 near cannock/norton canes are nothing to do with me, i wasn't there & i refuse to take the blame.

 

Thnks for letting me clear that up

 

Another thing is

 

Please DON'T blame the police for the cameras its the government who tell them to fit the things & statations(sp?) who decide where they should go.(omg i don't feel well, i'm sticking up for the cops!! i want me mam)

 

 

To finish i would just like to say

 

Death to the gatso!!!

[Apache]

They also distract people because they are looking to see if they are being done, and not at the road.

 

I hate them as well.

[davidP]

awaaar:

I was once told (unsure how true) that part of the reason the speed limit was introduced on the motorways is due to the police toying with the idea, and setting up speed testing equipment on the M1 to see what the average speed was - they clocked a chap testing his AC Cobra for le mans doing a 168MPH - (top man ), shortly afterwards, 70MPH speedlimits imposed on all motorways - can anyone confirm this??

There is an element of truth in this. AC & Aston Martin often used the M1 as a test track and the Cobra was one of the final straws. It was actually faster than you said:

 

From the AC Cars website

 

"1964 - The AC Cobra caused a sensation by racing along the M1 motorway at 183 mph, leading to questions being raised in Parliament. Two AC Cobras were entered in the Le Mans 24 Hour Race, the AC entry was the first British car to finish. By now, the 427 AC Cobra had the distinction of being listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the fastest production car in the world, a title which it held for several years.

[davidP]

The 70mph limit was introduced when many cars couldn't even manage 70mph easily. Yes, it slowed down the Jags and the like, but Joe Average in his Ford Anglia was barely affected except downhill with a following wind.

 

Nowadays however, there's barely a car in production that can't cruise at 90 all day without any effort at all. Even your Joe Average car can get near 120mph and cruise at 100 fairly easily. Add vastly improved tyres, suspension, steering & brakes and to make the limit at a similar level to 1963 in relation to car performance you'd have to set it at around 120!

(Anybody remember Clarkson brake testing a Ford Anglia, Range Rover & 911 to show comparative braked and scaring himself witless braking from 60 in the Anglia?)

 

I'd never agree with a 120 limit simply because our roads aren't designed for it, and more importantly many of our drivers aren't either. 120 cruise takes some serious concentration even in a good sportscar and far too many drivers these days just have no concentration. And there's the question - why not? Personally I think a large part of it is down to the fact that at 70mph cars need very little driving. You can drive at 70mph with one finger on the wheel and there's simply no effort involved. Most modern cars don't even begin to challenge the driver until you get over 80, and it's much higher than that in a good proportion of cars. I've personally always thought the cut-off was around 90. That's the level at which regardless of car model the speed forces you centre your attention on the road rather than other things.

 

So on balance I think I'd pitch the speed limit around 90, and perhaps with the French rule of a reduced limit in the wet as well (pluses and minuses on this one - not fully decided). Politicians won't ever vote for 90 however as the go-gooder brigade would cause too many nasty headlines, so I doubt we'll ever get more than 80, if they ever change it at al.

[corydoras]

davidP:

I'd never agree with a 120 limit simply because our roads aren't designed for it, and more importantly many of our drivers aren't either. 120 cruise takes some serious concentration even in a good sportscar and far too many drivers these days just have no concentration.

So if the average German can do it (on mostly two lane motorways) why can't we?

[poledark]

Looks like I could be out of step with most of you again. I live on a "main" road with a 50 mph limit on it. About 200yds from my house is a Pub, a farm entrance and two side roads. The road is also completely unlit. The road is the first straight bit after breasting a hill, and most drivers see the straight road and accellerate and try to overtake anything doing less than 50mph. Others going the opposite way see it as the last chance for a bit of speeding before the outskirts of Canterbury.

 

My missus and I recently asked the local council to reduce the speed limit to 40mph for two reasons, first to reduce the noise of accellerating and secondly because there have been 5 accidents in the last few months.

 

The council replied that they were keeping a close eye on the situation.

 

About 10days ago, I returned from fishing just before dusk, slowed down and indicated to turn right into my driveway. I stopped and waited as a car was coming in the opposite direction, and the silly B#####d behind him decided to overtake......jesus I thought, I,m gonna get flattened....so I flashed my headlights at him and thank the lord he slammed his brakes on and swerved and passed me on my NEAR SIDE!!!

 

Me, I would love to see speed cameras or something more effective all over the place, because it would slowly and surely change the speed crazy culture of many of our drivers.

 

I would like to see the day when all drivers had some sort of electronic tag which had to be inserted in the car/lorry/bike before the vehicle would start. This tag to be readable by roadside detectors which would be able to limit the speed of the vehicle. Hopefully it would also be able to read whether the driver was taxed and insured as well.

 

Miserable old sod ain't I?

 

Den

[Guest NickInTheNorth]

Hi Den

 

From the sound of it that sounds like the sort of place which could do with some cameras or something.

 

The problem is not speed per se, but inappropriate speeds. With all the hazards around people probably should be taking it steady.

 

That does not however mean that clear, straight stretches of road without permanent hazards should have cameras hidden on them simply to raise revenues. Nor does it mean that sensible well trained drivers should be limited to a pathetic 70mph on motorways. Speed of itself does not kill on roads. It is bad driving that does.