Same deal with the road toll, motor vehicle technology has done more than anything to reduce the road toll. You will never hear that in a government funded ad campaign.

They seem to obviously put the fixed speed cameras where they are the most likely to raise revenue, and are also the least dangerous locations for speeding.

For example there are fixed cameras in the cross-city tunnel in Sydney. If you speed in there how dangerous is it really? There are no intersections, no pedestrians, no bicycles, no driveways, no parked cars, no distractions, nothing. I'd argue a tunnel is the *safest* place do a little over the speed limit.

But my street which is a 50 zone and has pedestrians, crossings, intersections, parked cars, driveways - everything that makes speeding dangerous - has no fixed camera and I've never seen a mobile one either. I hear at least one hoon per hour at night, and generally cars travel along it too fast for the unexpected.

Also, 10kmh over in a 100 zone is not the same as 10kmh over in a 50 zone. And it's not just a relative speed thing either, as I've pointed out.

As for red light cameras I'm not convinced that a fine is more a deterrent than being in a serious accident. you're crazy if you run a red light, and you'll likely crash. I bet most that are caught are either sneaking through on an amber arrow after being in a long queue, which is not dangerous really, or have done the old "oh, amber light, I'll make it eas.....oh I'm not /oh I am, oh I'm ...err" - too late. Again, quite different from running a red, red light. But arguable.

evlPanda said..

They seem to obviously put the fixed speed cameras where they are the most likely to raise revenue, and are also the least dangerous locations for speeding.

For example there are fixed cameras in the cross-city tunnel in Sydney. If you speed in there how dangerous is it really? There are no intersections, no pedestrians, no bicycles, no driveways, no parked cars, no distractions, nothing. I'd argue a tunnel is the *safest* place do a little over the speed limit.

MMM Im guessing if you had an accident in the Sydney tunnel it would be a bloody bad one, So many cars and trucks with no where to go to avoid the crash. Im guessing prevention on that one is the main aim or maybe ive just watched too many hollywood movies of car pile ups in tunnels
W

Saw a meta-study of insurance data once... top 7 reasons for accidents involved "failure to be aware of other road users" in one for or other... "excessive speed for conditions" was number 8.

Red light cameras... none here in law-abiding Japan, and you've got to check both directions before moving on YOUR green light. It's bloody annoying but I'll take the slack-as attitude to road law enforcement here over the nazi-tastic nanny states of NZ etc!

It's simply the easiest form of detection of breaking a road-law (ie; gathering revenue). With an exception of 'excessive' speed, there are much worse issues in regard to road-safety.

- Mobile phones...very hard to detect a driver sms'ing or talking on one. Need a good visual (or camera tech) on their eyes, or at least notice how poor their driving is & check phone after they get pulled-up.
- Non-confident (or non-competent it should be) driver. These are the ones that either sit at an intersection and can't make a decision, drive ridiculously slow, causing other drivers (that may not have the best skills) behind to make dodgy judgement calls or simply stop mid-turn because they can't make up their mind!
- Hoons (inexperienced teens & bogans)...although speed is a common symptom...it's not the cause in a lot of the cases.
- Age...'some' oldies really should retire their licenses - but it should be based on ability & competence, not simply age.
- Alcohol & drugs...breathos take many man-hours, and relatively easy to avoid.

I wouldn't be surprised if most fines that are handed out are due to the incorrect speedos in cars. A brand-new 4wd that I drive on occasion is >7kms out, but under the speed shown on the speedo. My car is about 5km out - also under luckily, but my last car was about 5kms over...causing me a couple of tickets before I realised & made the mental adjustment.

driving from Geelong to Melbourne there are 4 crosses with flowers on the side of the road just before the speed camera fixed on an overpass. pretty sad.
that camera defenatly failed to save lifes.

pweedas said..

Actually, speed limits seem to be a very arbitrary thing really.
How can it be that the 'safe' speed to do down a freeway is the same speed regardless of whether it's a crowded road on a wet day, or an empty freeway on a dry clear night.
They both can't be reasonable limits.

You are forgetting the posted speed is the speed LIMIT, which is supposedly based on ideal driving conditions.
It is not the required speed to travel at - it is the "limit".
The driver is responsible to drive to suit the road conditions, without exceeding the limit.

having said that, how they determine which limits apply in certain areas, and the location of speed traps and cameras certainly makes little sense to me.


stephen

sn said..

pweedas said..



Actually, speed limits seem to be a very arbitrary thing really.

How can it be that the 'safe' speed to do down a freeway is the same speed regardless of whether it's a crowded road on a wet day, or an empty freeway on a dry clear night.

They both can't be reasonable limits.

You are forgetting the posted speed is the speed LIMIT, which is supposedly based on ideal driving conditions.

It is not the required speed to travel at - it is the "limit".

No that' can't be true.
Whenever conditions are bad I slow down but then all the d!ckheads bunch up really close behind me and try to shunt me alomg, up to the speed limit.
They also make rude gestures as they scrape past my door when they pass.
From that I would have to conclude, the posted speed limit is the mandated minimum.

Sailhack said..
- Mobile phones...very hard to detect a driver sms'ing or talking on one. Need a good visual (or camera tech) on their eyes, or at least notice how poor their driving is & check phone after they get pulled-up.
- Non-confident (or non-competent it should be) driver. These are the ones that either sit at an intersection and can't make a decision, drive ridiculously slow, causing other drivers (that may not have the best skills) behind to make dodgy judgement calls or simply stop mid-turn because they can't make up their mind!
- Hoons (inexperienced teens & bogans)...although speed is a common symptom...it's not the cause in a lot of the cases.
- Age...'some' oldies really should retire their licenses - but it should be based on ability & competence, not simply age.
- Alcohol & drugs...breathos take many man-hours, and relatively easy to avoid.

I watch the Spanish news on SBS, and in Spain they had 37 fatal road accident over Easter highest in 10 years... but the DGT (roads authority) started using helicopters with high powered cameras to check for people using their phones/ipads in metropolitan areas last year.
It was so successful they started reducing speed limits and doing the same on highways... pre financial crisis this wasn't the case.
So more enforcement, more accidents.

Spanish guy irate for being fined can't find any of those ipad using drivers DGT videos:

Kamikuza said..


Red light cameras... none here in law-abiding Japan,...

Bollocks. Not many, but coming to an intersection near you.
Certainly bugger all cops outside of the big cities, and (almost) no RBTs!
0% blood/alcohol laws, but no enforcement unless you are involved in an accident. Quite the incentive

Buster fin said..

Kamikuza said..


Red light cameras... none here in law-abiding Japan,...

Bollocks. Not many, but coming to an intersection near you.
Certainly bugger all cops outside of the big cities, and (almost) no RBTs!
0% blood/alcohol laws, but no enforcement unless you are involved in an accident. Quite the incentive

I've not seen any in my travels...! Got a location for those?

Plenty of cops with nothing better to do but set up stings - miles away in the country where you could do 250 and not endanger any thing but you gas mileage
Like the guys camped out at the crossroads that has stop signs on every corner LOL

They have plenty of breath checks too - usually involves breathing in the policeman's face - kid you not
There was a guy who got nailed at a check point for having... eaten a box of chocolate liquors. Stupid law...

My name is Stan. I am a retired Sergeant of the Police force for 14 years...
I am so annoyed at what is happening these days, in what I call ?Indiscriminate revenue gathering? It is absolutely disgusting. The government and the Police Force need to hang their heads in shame. If you did a survey of current serving members of the police forces in this country, you would be hard pushed to find many who disagree with me.

I know how the legal system works, and I know how to beat the system. This is how to do it ...
www.epicinter.net/how-and-why-you-should-fight-all-traffic-fines-by-an-ex-police-sergeant/