speed cameras

linz

Im sure there are thousands of drivers out there like me who have been snapped by these awful things. "Luckily" I got offered the speed awareness workshop which costs £65 (£5 more than the fine) but some of my friends who aren't bad drivers at all and are now driving on eggshells for the next few years hoping not to get banned.

People who haven't been done may probably be thinking its my own fault for getting caught and they're probably right. It was a matter of a couple of miles an hour over in an area I was unfamiliar with, didn't see the camera til the last minute and i'd just been visiting my fiance in hospital and had a lot on my mind.

It didn't occur to me until I got flashed actually how easy it's becoming to get flashed these days and how much of a government money making scheme it's turning into.

Interestingly, we've just returned home from honeymoon in Scotland and travelled hundreds of miles in a few days. All in all we only saw 3 speed cameras and they were all in Glasgow. Dread to think how many there are in England, and the number keeps increasing

>:(

plumpmouse

I'm sorry but i'll have to say i have no sympathy with anyone caught speeding. I'm not saying that i never speed slightly but i do believe that if your caught you should face the consequence. After all you have broke the law!!!!!!!!!!

trafalgar_2

Ditto and unfamiliarity is no excuse
If in doubt slow down :-/
And a couple of miles an hour extra can mean the differance between getting injured and being dead
Stop looking for cameras and look at your speedo is my advice to drivers

Did the course actually teach you anything, 8)

libra10

It looks like the cost of the course varies in different parts of the country. My son (in Lancashire) was zapped doing the great speed of 33mph in a 30 zone. He had to pay £90 for the workshop though, compared to your £65. He did feel that he learnt something from it. But, in my opinion, some of the constabularies are a little over-zealous.

plumpmouse

And a couple of miles an hour extra can mean the differance between getting injured and being dead

I witnessed an accident 3 years ago this summer. My husband was driving it was a very sunny day and a girl stepped out in front of a taxi driver. (He was speeding slighty but she literally just stepped in front of his car.)

My husband was the first there and helped the girl. I stood with her little sister whilst her mum was with the girl (very upset as you can imagine.) I'll never forget seeing her led on the floor covered in blood. Luckily she lived but she will have back problems from the rest of her life as a result. The taxi driver was devastated and will have that on his mind forever ( I know I have and it was me that hit her)

Speed does kill and as trafalgar says a couple of miles can make the difference.

trafalgar_2

Thanks for your post Plumpmouse, hope it makes someone , even one,think

Trix

Totally agree with the 'speed cameras are only bad if you're driving over the speed limit'. Complaining about them is like a shoplifter saying 'they should of told me they had CCTV - then I wouldn't have nicked anything'.

BUT...I think sometimes a little compassion may be in order. When my daughter was 18 months old she was diagnosed with tonsilitis. After spending the night lying with her as she dozed and screamed I went to take her pyjamas off to cool her down and her skin was peeling away in places. At the hospital they didn't really know what was wrong and were guessing at a couple of causes - one being life threatening. She ended up on a morphine drip because of the agony she was in as her skin peeled away from her. Once she was settled we went to get changes of clothes etc and found that in our hurry to get her to hospital the car lights had been left on. When we went to lift the bonnet the catch broke (old car, bad day).
Anyway - we ended up in a rush to get back to our daughter (who may have been dying) and got flashed doing 36 in a 30 zone. It was 7.30 am on a Sunday in June so very light and very quiet - houses on one side of the road only and a fair way from the road. We were fined £40 and my husband had 3 points put on his licence. We wrote to the courts or whatever explaining the circumstances and saying they could have access to our daughters medical records to prove that she was so ill but got a 'tough luck' kind of letter.

Now I didn't mind paying the fine (to a degree) but at the time my husband was a bus driver and we were worried about the effect the points would have on his job.

So should everyone face the same treatment for the same crime or should there be a bit of give if you can prove circumstances and road conditions / time of day / how light it was etc?

BTW - my daughter ended up having scalded skin syndrome, scarlet fever and impetigo as well as the tonsilitis but once correctly diagnosed (four days later!) and given the right treatment she recovered in a couple of weeks ;D

trafalgar_2

I totally, totally understand where your coming from Trix and I'm glad your daughter is fine now, I did a very stupid thing when my daughter was 8 I was busy and on my own and I started to run a bath , hot water first(yeah I know I learnt the hard way)and I popped down to check on my son , unbeknown to me daughter sat on bath edge to turn tap off and fell in,followed ambulance and desperately wanted to keep up with it , so I do understand :-/
I'd of thought they would of given leaway in your case but I have to say if that became the norm i.e.roads quiet, emergency situation etc what about the one that is unlucky enough to be killed when the road is quiet or its early
My point is a few miles faster a few metres closer

I hope that doesn't sound callous because I don't mean it to be, thats just my view
I have to add in the SHOP but don't DROP board there are people discussing trying to buy those machines that tell you where speed cameras are, that sickens me because if they are not speeding WHY would they want one

scheming_gypsy

https://www.tuftufclub.co.uk/english/index.htm


I disagree with speed cameras totally. They're not a speed deterrent but a money making scheme for the police.

Even the AA don't think they're doing the job they're supposed to and speeding is the seventh main cause of crashes.

here

Rip them all out and come up with a safer alternative.

trafalgar_2

"a safer alternative"

Which is cut the speed done :-/

Speed may not cause the majority of accidents but when accidents occur , greater speed , more deaths :-[

What I don't get is why they say drivers spend all their time checking the speedo, I was taught to do this just as naturally as checking mirrors(without even thinking about it)if people did this you wouldn't need speed cameras as everybody would know their speed and not be over the limit

People worry about speed cameras BECAUSE they speed in between but don't want to pay a fine
Don't speed /don't worry ;D ;D

scheming_gypsy

The majority of people exceed the speed limit at one point or another. It's natural instinct to check your speed when you see a speed camera to make sure you're not risking 3 points and a fine.

One of the reasons for having a radar detector is so you have more time make sure you're under the speed limit, not just to slow down. Which is safer than anchoring it when you see the camera.