Speed Traffic Cameras..!!

[BENIDORM]

Over the past 12 months I've come across more and more 'mobile' speed cameras in Spain
,France, Germany,Holland and UK....

Is this a new European Initiative to cut down accidents, or is it just a 'subtle' way of raising funds..or both ?..

I don't particularly drive fast anymore, I'm never in that much of a hurry, but often the speed traps are sneakily placed at the edge of deserted hamlets, where it's not that difficult to be caught out...
I'm all for stopping accidents, and excessive speeding, but I can't help thinking that they are likely to cause accidents, judging by the number of drivers I've seen who have slammed on brakes when they realise the presence of the police with hand held or van mounted cameras...
I've had plenty of drivers, in all countries, signalling me to slow down, but of course you can get fined for doing this as well..
In France if you are caught doing an excessive speed you have an 'on-the- spot' fine and an instant driving ban for 6 months..could be a big problem if you are the only driver in the vehicle..

So drive carefully...
Regards,
Gordon..

[pietree]

It's odd,

I stupidly thought it was a free for all on some European roads and I have to admit to joining in the speeding when traveling from Spain on a long hike across Europe. I got flashed in Italy that slowed me down however thankfully, I never heard nowt, maybe it's only to fleece the locals?

[olive]

It might be a knee jerk reaction to poor results from the initiatives introduced by each EU country to reduce road deaths over a ten year programme. The programme is I guess about 3/4 of the way through now and sadly most countries have failed to make an impact with deaths running still at about 10 a day on average per UK sized country.

Cynics might even suggest it is a revenue generator!

I think I am right in saying Spains initiative was the double warning triangle requirement and also the flourescant jackets. Very good initiatives in my opinion. In The UK they plumped for a proliferation of speed cameras which have now been proved to not have been effective in reducing road deaths. Swindon and Oxford have recently switched theirs off.

[pietree]

Reports on the news today say speeding has increased by 80 percent since the switch off.

[olive]

How do they know that?

exit poll?

The cameras weren't really switched off.?

An army of mobile cameras were employed?

[BENIDORM]

Olive,
I was thinking the same, how can they quote figures ?..I'm sure it must be guess work...

I've driven over 350 miles today in UK and seen 3 mobile cameras enroute,and I've only witnessed a couple of 'boy racers' driving really stupidly..mind you it is holiday time and the coastal roads are really busy, so nobody going fast even if they wanted to...
I have to say that the standard of driving does seem to have improved in Spain over the last few years, based on what I've experienced over the past 20+ years, but they've still a long way to go, sometimes they are so impatient...

Regards,
Gordon

[Paula]

Not entirely on topic, but, can anyone explain how those "Average Speed" cameras work, the ones they have all through roadworks in UK?
Is it just random, like clock every 100th car or something? Or am I plonking along at 50mph for miles for no good reason.

[Nimrod]

My driving in Spain is completely different to my driving in UK.
When in Spain I have to switch to Spanish driver mode,ie,drive 20 mph faster than I would normally
I don't find this difficult,I've been driving nearly 50 years,but you do have to change your driving style.

[Nimrod]

Not entirely on topic, but, can anyone explain how those "Average Speed" cameras work, the ones they have all through roadworks in UK?
Is it just random, like clock every 100th car or something? Or am I plonking along at 50mph for miles for no good reason.

An Average Speed camera is just that.
When you come within the range of the camera your reg no is taken and your ave speed calculated to the next camera and so on.
At one time it was thought that changing lanes would cheat the camera ,but this is urban myth.

[Nimrod]

A general rule in the UK is that they will allow you to speed 10% + 2 mph of the speed limit without prosecuting.
ie,speed limit 30mph...35mph is ok,36 mph = prosecution.
Not all police forces follow this though,North Wales is particularly sticky.

[zanuck]

Reports on the news today say speeding has increased by 80 percent since the switch off.

This was in Oxfordshire.
The cameras were switched off, but not the recording mechanism; so the "Safety Partnership" aka fund generators, went to each of the 70 or so (?) cameras across the county and checked the number of motorists who would normally have been photographed for speeding, and found that the quantity recorded but not photographed, on average had increased by 80% in those camera locations.

[Paula]

When you come within the range of the camera your reg no is taken and your ave speed calculated to the next camera and so on..

Of every car that goes past the camera?

[pietree]

Yep, if you think thats amazing, do a google and take a look at what ANPR cameras, usually in vans, can do when they read each vehicle in upto four lanes of traffic travelling at speed, and within a second know just about everything about every one of them.

[.Griff.]

Reports on the news today say speeding has increased by 80 percent since the switch off.

This was in Oxfordshire.
The cameras were switched off, but not the recording mechanism; so the "Safety Partnership" aka fund generators, went to each of the 70 or so (?) cameras across the county and checked the number of motorists who would normally have been photographed for speeding, and found that the quantity recorded but not photographed, on average had increased by 80% in those camera locations.

Did Elvis give them a hand after riding in on Red Rum?

[Nimrod]

When you come within the range of the camera your reg no is taken and your ave speed calculated to the next camera and so on..

Of every car that goes past the camera?

As pietree said....it's every car.
ANPR is a fantastic system and alerts police cars fitted with it to cars that are untaxed,uninsured and without MOT.
It helps keep the riff raff off the road as police have the power to confiscate vehicles until dues are paid.

[Paula]

Ok I'll continue to plonk along at 50 in roadworks

[markwilding]

In my opinion the introduction of measures to reduce accidents in Spain are working. The points system has worked and you don't need any statistics, although there are statistic to prove there are less accidents on the roads, to see that cars are driven more carefully than before.
I never understand the critics of fines for speeding. People know the speed limit and if they drive over the limit then they have only got themselves to blame
The way not to pay those fines, which are supposedly only there to fleece the poor driver out of their hard earned cash (sic),is not to speed.

[Campo Steve]

Not entirely on topic, but, can anyone explain how those "Average Speed" cameras work, the ones they have all through roadworks in UK?
Is it just random, like clock every 100th car or something? Or am I plonking along at 50mph for miles for no good reason.

An Average Speed camera is just that.
When you come within the range of the camera your reg no is taken and your ave speed calculated to the next camera and so on.
At one time it was thought that changing lanes would cheat the camera ,but this is urban myth.

And they aren't just at roadworks. A long stretch of the A77 in Ayrshire has them so I assume they are elsewhere as well.

[Nimrod]

Yep,
They are all over the place,the M25 is a favourite.

[BENIDORM]

I hadn't realised that these cameras were so clever...

I really don't drive that fast now-a-days, I'm not in a hurry and I now only operate in 2 speeds..
Slow and Stop !...
So hopefully I will avoid speeding fines....

But you really don't know when you are being filmed ..do you ?

Last week I sat down to watch the local news on the tv, ( UK )...and they started to show a report about how people were still spending plenty in the supermarkets, and who was the first person shown on this report...
ME..!!..coming out of Tesco loaded with bags of bargains...how embarrassing.
Little did they know that all of my bargains are going to Spain....

Anyway...Keep Your Speed Down...Stay Alert...Stay Alive...

Regards,
Gordon,
The Mystery Tesco bulk shopper...