Why Do People Hate Stealth Speed Cameras?

anotheruser

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3034682/Number-drivers-caught-speeding-increases-25-cent-just-one-year-rise-stealth-cameras-used-police.html

I know this discussion has probably been done before but I really don't understand why people don't like the use of "hidden" speed cameras.
These cameras aren't hidden; huge signs advising you the are cameras in this area isn't exactly hidden... it's just the physical camera isn't painted yellow so you know where to slow down.

Let's face it, that's why motorists like them painted yellow - so we all know when we can get back to breaking the law...

I speed rarely these days. I'm happy to go at 70mph on the motorway. While people say "it's too slow" and "modern cars are safer", this latter one is true but isn't that the problem with life? We're all busy zooming here and there?
Leave an extra 10 mins earlier. If you can't, there's only one person to blame.

Plus, if the police departments need to make money, I see no problem why this is one avenue.
If two officers can make their salary, working costs and a bit of profit I'd invite more of them on the road.

[Deleted User]

The answer is simple, speeding is not perceived as socially unacceptable, so people feel entitled to break the limit, and see enforcement as an unfair infringement of their rights.

deanos

i guess the smart motorways dont work if everyone is speeding ? , never been on one myself, no motorways around these parts

Strider590

Personally I want stealth speed camera in 30 zones, to catch all the idiots who drive about doing 42mph.

What gets my back up is they put them in locations where speeding is not causing a problem, usually in locations where they can make as much money as possible, usually where they've created an unreasonably low speed limit for the road.

I wouldn't mind if they actually did anything to improve road safety, but how safe is it when your in lane two of a 70mph dual carriageway, when the moron in front see's the camera and slams on the brakes because they don't know what the limit is??

I saw someone do this ^^ on a fast bend, he lost control of the car, it skidded sideways and I barely missed him.

In their current usage, they're not about road safety, they're about greed.

xHannahx

Down here in Cornwall average cameras are being fitted in 30 zones.
I don't have a problem with them,
If I get caught I get caught, but I do my best to stay within limits

Johno100

anotheruser wrote: »

Plus, if the police departments need to make money, I see no problem why this is one avenue.
If two officers can make their salary, working costs and a bit of profit I'd invite more of them on the road.

Well apart from us not having 'Police Departments' in the UK, the money raised from speeding fines doesn't go to the police It goes straight to the government.

Strider590 wrote: »

Personally I want stealth speed camera in 30 zones, to catch all the idiots who drive about doing 42mph.

Oh, you mean those 30mph zones that used to be 40mph for many years until some councillor thought it would be a vote winner to get the speed limit reduced?

Strider590

Johno100 wrote: »

Oh, you mean those 30mph zones that used to be 40mph for many years until some councillor thought it would be a vote winner to get the speed limit reduced?

What I mean is residential areas and outside schools for example.
The 42mph brigade need their license revoking, they kill pedestrian in 30 limits and they cause frustration and annoyance in 50/60/70 limits.

SailorSam

I don't hate the steal cameras. I don't speed, if others did the same they wouldn't have to worry.

dunroving

I don't have a major problem with stealth cameras per se, but it is frustrating that car speedometers are not very accurate. The speedo in my current car definitely registers a faster speed than my old one (in fact I found a Youtube review that said a similar thing about this car).

As someone else said, some 30 mph zones really should be 40s. There is a 30 zone and camera as you enter a small town close to where I live, that used to be 40 mph and really doesn't need to be 30 mph. There is a clear, open road into the town with no buildings either side, and then all of a sudden the speed limit changes to 30 mph and you feel like you are unnecessarily creeping along, often with other drivers stuck up your rear bumper. Everyone slows down for the speed camera then speeds back up to 40 mph ...

I'm a pretty careful, cautious driver (no accidents or insurance claims since I started driving in the early 80s) but even I get frustrated with some daft 30 mph zones.

forgotmyname

Its when they put a camera on a major route out of the city, Then they drop the speed limit. The only reason i can think of is that the camera was not making enough money.

Never seen an accident on that stretch of road.

or where i got caught, dropped a 70mph dual carriageway speed down to 30mph, Both lanes still open, Roadworks moved over 1/4 mile down the road on the roundabout but the signs were left way up the road. I was just under 40mph.

motorguy

anotheruser wrote: »

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3034682/Number-drivers-caught-speeding-increases-25-cent-just-one-year-rise-stealth-cameras-used-police.html

I know this discussion has probably been done before but I really don't understand why people don't like the use of "hidden" speed cameras.
These cameras aren't hidden; huge signs advising you the are cameras in this area isn't exactly hidden... it's just the physical camera isn't painted yellow so you know where to slow down.

People dont like them because "catching" someone doing 1 mph over some police cameras perceived limit isnt really acheiving something other than generating revenue. If there is a stretch of road that people drive too fast on, educate people or using traffic calming measures.

I got done 20 years ago on a road that happened to be within the city limits in a massive thoroughfare through an industrial area doing 40 in a 30. I genuinely thought it was a 40. I asked why it was a 30 when it was such an open road and got the reply - as other motorists zoomed past at 40+ - that is was within the city boundary therefore it was a 30.

I said if they were that concerned, why didnt they just put up 30mph signs saying as so many people thought it was a 40, and that way everyone would know it was a 30. "not our problem - thats a council issue" came the reply.

anotheruser wrote: »

Let's face it, that's why motorists like them painted yellow - so we all know when we can get back to breaking the law...

Speed cameras should be used as a deterent. taking 1 hour on 1 afternoon with a hidden camera and catching 100 people isnt going to change anything. Make it obvious and 10,000 people know to slow down.

anotheruser wrote: »

I speed rarely these days. I'm happy to go at 70mph on the motorway. While people say "it's too slow" and "modern cars are safer", this latter one is true but isn't that the problem with life? We're all busy zooming here and there?
Leave an extra 10 mins earlier. If you can't, there's only one person to blame.

I personally dont speed either on motorways. Too easy a target.

However the speed limit should be higher. There is no justifiable reason for it to be at 70 - other than politicians are afraid to get behind an increase because it might lose them votes.

anotheruser wrote: »

Plus, if the police departments need to make money, I see no problem why this is one avenue.

No. They dont need to make money. They are there to enforce the law, not to be a business.

anotheruser wrote: »

If two officers can make their salary, working costs and a bit of profit I'd invite more of them on the road.

I would suggest those two officers might find their time better spent investigating real crimes, were true traffic calming and speeding prevention measures put in place.

Theres 3 places around me the police invariably sit with their hair driers. I see them there easily once a week, so they must be there several times a week. Has there ever been an accident on those stretches due to speeding? No. Has a child ever been hit by a speeding car? No. Its just easy money for two brain dead police officers.

If they REALLY wanted to prevent speeding on those stretches, they would lobby the council to put in traffic calming measures.

But then that doesnt bring in revenue does it?