Thirsty Boy
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Fair enough
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Speed Cameras
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Fair enough
What if the camera revenue was spent directly on providing an increased police presence in the public? This is just a question and by no means a claim that this actually happens.
People don't get upset by the by the existence of speed cameras but rather the claims by government officials as to the purpose of the cameras. Using Queensland as an example, there would be far less objection if the Bligh Government stated they were increasing the number of speed cameras because it has been shown to be a cost-effective means of generating revenue. There would be even less objection if the revenue was shown to be directly returned to the departments responsible for roads and policing.
For some people, knowing the truth is enough. For others, they want to hear those responsible actually tell the truth.
drsmurto
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Ok yardy, and i do agree with your points on other areas that need policing.
TasChris
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Fair enough, you do make some good points. The system of financing what areas is very rooted, sqeeky wheel always gets the grease especially if there is votes and money in it
I am about to go to a meeting about the closure of local primary school. A school whicg has been given 2 million in state and federal grants in last 18months then they decide to close it...MM could have used that money better
Cheers
Chris
pk.sax
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Bastards got me yesterday right before the 80 zone starts. Tere is a main set of lights at the end of town and for some funny reason they have the 80 limit starting just a pinch after that, perfect to plant a motorcycle cop to nab people.
I've not seen a single cop in the Cairns CBD itself trying to police drivers where the chance of hitting a pedestrian is actually higher. Yet, they sit just outside the city and try to catch people getting away for the weekend. It IS a money grab.
I've not seen a single cop in the Cairns CBD itself trying to police drivers where the chance of hitting a pedestrian is actually higher. Yet, they sit just outside the city and try to catch people getting away for the weekend. It IS a money grab.
brettprevans
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Well got my first ticket (speed camera) in 10yrs last week on the night my 3rd kid was born. Fkn spewing. I'm ringing them and asking for a warning. It was under 10kph so I might get the warning
drew9242
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They might not even send you a fine. I have been flashed about 3 times and only got a fine for one of them. Otherwise I have a perfect driving record for 8 years. So you might be lucky.
Edit: Reread your post and you proably got the fine already. :wacko:
brettprevans
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lol. the fine came through. but then again the car is in my wifes name, so it would have been her record they were looking at, not mine. shes had a few in the last few years.
Peteoz77
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There was a new speed camera installed on the road that my wife takes home from work... it was there for over 6 months, and she drove past it every day. Then they announced on the radio that it was to be switched on (after 6 months) and of course she didn't hear about it.
Well a week later she gets FIVE speeding tickets in the mail in ONE day, a Friday. Teh follwing Friday she gets two more. I tried to argue with the Traffic Authority, but got nowhere. I said "If she had been ticketed by a police officer, she would have ONE ticket, not SEVEN. She did not realise that she was being ticketed." I Also said "If you had sent the tickets the day after they were issued, she would have at the most THREE tickets, but she had no idea she was being fined until she already had SEVEN tickets"
No luck... they said "If she wasn't speeding, she would not have received any fines. Never mind that the speed limit was reduced at the same time the camera was installed.
$1800 later the fines were paid, and fortunately we live in another state.. so she didn't lose her license.
Revenue Raising I says!
Well a week later she gets FIVE speeding tickets in the mail in ONE day, a Friday. Teh follwing Friday she gets two more. I tried to argue with the Traffic Authority, but got nowhere. I said "If she had been ticketed by a police officer, she would have ONE ticket, not SEVEN. She did not realise that she was being ticketed." I Also said "If you had sent the tickets the day after they were issued, she would have at the most THREE tickets, but she had no idea she was being fined until she already had SEVEN tickets"
No luck... they said "If she wasn't speeding, she would not have received any fines. Never mind that the speed limit was reduced at the same time the camera was installed.
$1800 later the fines were paid, and fortunately we live in another state.. so she didn't lose her license.
Revenue Raising I says!
peaky
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Similar thing happened to me. Got home from work one day and found 4 tickets in the mail from a new speed camera set up not far from my house. I was already on good behaviour so I got 6 months disqualified. Fair enough, I was speeding.
Funny thing, the camera was set up close to a school and heaps of the mums picking up their kids lost their licences as did the teachers!
Hope they all learned their lessons, I sure did. (pun intended)
pk.sax
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All these speed cameras do is make people find another stretch to speed on tonmake up for lost time. The boss isn't gonna cut you slack because a camera got put on your route :S I really don't think they made any of you a safer driver around bad spots where there isn't a camera....
Much as I hate mobile cameras because they always set up to nab people - not regulate them, at least they make everyone try to be speed conscious everywhere.
Much as I hate mobile cameras because they always set up to nab people - not regulate them, at least they make everyone try to be speed conscious everywhere.
[email protected]
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I fully agree with both sides. Of course this is revenue raising, and yes we do ask for it, the police only are digging the gold mine we provide.
As said earlier all we have to do is the limit or less. I did more than 3 1/2 years on the road for work and a lot of km in this time, I only got busted once (114 k in 100 k zone, could have been $110 and 3 points, but a good cop, all he did was give me a caution). Both the other guys that I worked with have lost their license by not taking their tickets to heart.
what I do disagree with is when a stretch of road is say 80 km/h and gets changed to 60 km and the police are all over it like never before. Yes it did need to be reduced (as the area was getting built up) but I think there should be a law that if a speed change occurs then fines (not warnings) can only be handed out after a given time frame (Humans are a creature of habit).
In Tasmania they are using end of speed limits so this means you have to know the max speed for the road youre on 50,60,70,80,90,100,110 could be any of them. Why dont they just tell you?
As for Victoria I dont see how any equipment can be good enough to work with only a 3km/h tolerance. 3/110 = 2.7%. if my calculations are correct then this is 825mm/sec increase at 110km/h.
If it was really this much if an issue, then think of all the millions that could have been invested in a system where by a transmitter at each speed sign post transmits a signal that all car and truck etc can receive which in turn this sets the max speed possible without an over ride, say you put ya foot flat or push a button on the dash. I think this would take out all question if apprehended. But only if there was a way to make sure the radars were reset before the offender was to leave the scene of crime.
If they expect you to reduce youre speed to the limit youre approaching before you pass the sign then surely the same goes for increasing youre speed.
As said earlier all we have to do is the limit or less. I did more than 3 1/2 years on the road for work and a lot of km in this time, I only got busted once (114 k in 100 k zone, could have been $110 and 3 points, but a good cop, all he did was give me a caution). Both the other guys that I worked with have lost their license by not taking their tickets to heart.
what I do disagree with is when a stretch of road is say 80 km/h and gets changed to 60 km and the police are all over it like never before. Yes it did need to be reduced (as the area was getting built up) but I think there should be a law that if a speed change occurs then fines (not warnings) can only be handed out after a given time frame (Humans are a creature of habit).
In Tasmania they are using end of speed limits so this means you have to know the max speed for the road youre on 50,60,70,80,90,100,110 could be any of them. Why dont they just tell you?
As for Victoria I dont see how any equipment can be good enough to work with only a 3km/h tolerance. 3/110 = 2.7%. if my calculations are correct then this is 825mm/sec increase at 110km/h.
If it was really this much if an issue, then think of all the millions that could have been invested in a system where by a transmitter at each speed sign post transmits a signal that all car and truck etc can receive which in turn this sets the max speed possible without an over ride, say you put ya foot flat or push a button on the dash. I think this would take out all question if apprehended. But only if there was a way to make sure the radars were reset before the offender was to leave the scene of crime.
If they expect you to reduce youre speed to the limit youre approaching before you pass the sign then surely the same goes for increasing youre speed.
I've been done for speeding that many times I pretty much have a direct debit to civic compliance.
I got my first ticket for speeding within 10 days of obtaining my P's towing a boat coming into Ararat. (Funny you arent allowed to tow on your Ls but get your Ps and start towing a boat, van what ever with no supervision...)
I've been clocked a few times for having a heavy right boot including doing 140 in an 80 zone. I did my time on two feet and a heart beat and I realise that at times I have been known to drive dangerously - particularly when I was younger and had a car full of mates. I wouldnt think anything of it to rip up the hand brake at 60+kph to drop a u-banger in traffic with 3 mates in the car. Yep sure its was dangerous - but I wasnt speeding...
I pay attention to the road though not my speedo. I have two crashes - one was rolling a 4wd on a badly corigated road at under 30kph where the car was thrown off the road and into a spoon drain. The other was a car in front took off then slammed on the brakes at a give way interstection - I was looking to my right and creeping up to the intersection - yep both my fault and I've learned from both crashes.
Im so paranoid about getting flashed on eastlink here in melbourne with their 50 billion speed cameras and continual hwy patrol that I avoid the ******* thing. When I do go on it my missus is continually at me about paying attention to the road because I wander all over the road cause Im so concerned about speeding. You could EASILY do 140+kph on this road safely but most of the time everyone is on 90kph cause everyone is so **** scared of getting flashed.
I do an average of 1000ks per week which for someone who doesnt drive for a living or live in a remote location is a reasonable amount of ks.
I have a great deal of doubt that speeding causes crashes. I believe that concentration lapses (mostly due to fatigue), boredom, poor vehicle maintenance and drivers driving beyond their ability cause more accidents than speed. Then there are the drivers under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. I'd put my lefty on more crashes happen because of people getting too close to the vehicle in front.
People blame too many crashes cause by dangerous driving on speed - there is a MASSIVE difference.
You can do 60kph in a 60kph zone and be driving dangerously - not driving to the conditions etc. NO speed camera will get you for this. But you can be doing 140kph on the hume with no traffic around cruising along and you'll get flashed - but your alert, driving to the conditions etc. I'd be my arse that the guy driving dangerously but within the speed limit is more likely to have a crash or hit someone than the bloke cruising along @140kph on the freeway.
I'd bet more accidents are caused by people falling asleep at the wheel etc than by doing 140 up the freeway. As for the arguement that not all vehicles can do 140 on a freeway safely - get the pieces of **** off the road! Obviously there are some vintage vehicles that cant do such speeds but most of those drivers would be more content taking the back roads and going through the towns that are bypassed by freeways.
I DONT like speed cameras - they DONT change a drivers state of mind/attitude. You get pulled up by a police officer and you know you've done the wrong thing and you become concious of your speed. You get done by a speed camera and you dont even realise for 10+ days. You dont change your driving habbit/attitude you get a letter in the mail and you just get pissed off with revenue raising.
You watch places where known fixed speed cameras are. BANG every on is on the brakes then back on the gas 50 meters up the road. This upsets the flow of traffic and leads to more nose to tail accidents.
What about the bloke and his missus driving along in their VC commodore with rust everywhere a bent tail shaft, leaking hub seals and unbalanced unroadworthy tyres. Even doing the speed limit he is fricken dangerous and if he does have a car the structural intergrity of the car is likely so bad that all the vehicles occupants will be killed even in a fairly low speed impact.
Obviously I realise that speed cameras give the ability to police more areas than would be possible using TMU vehicles and officers but fixed cameras are a ****.
I got my first ticket for speeding within 10 days of obtaining my P's towing a boat coming into Ararat. (Funny you arent allowed to tow on your Ls but get your Ps and start towing a boat, van what ever with no supervision...)
I've been clocked a few times for having a heavy right boot including doing 140 in an 80 zone. I did my time on two feet and a heart beat and I realise that at times I have been known to drive dangerously - particularly when I was younger and had a car full of mates. I wouldnt think anything of it to rip up the hand brake at 60+kph to drop a u-banger in traffic with 3 mates in the car. Yep sure its was dangerous - but I wasnt speeding...
I pay attention to the road though not my speedo. I have two crashes - one was rolling a 4wd on a badly corigated road at under 30kph where the car was thrown off the road and into a spoon drain. The other was a car in front took off then slammed on the brakes at a give way interstection - I was looking to my right and creeping up to the intersection - yep both my fault and I've learned from both crashes.
Im so paranoid about getting flashed on eastlink here in melbourne with their 50 billion speed cameras and continual hwy patrol that I avoid the ******* thing. When I do go on it my missus is continually at me about paying attention to the road because I wander all over the road cause Im so concerned about speeding. You could EASILY do 140+kph on this road safely but most of the time everyone is on 90kph cause everyone is so **** scared of getting flashed.
I do an average of 1000ks per week which for someone who doesnt drive for a living or live in a remote location is a reasonable amount of ks.
I have a great deal of doubt that speeding causes crashes. I believe that concentration lapses (mostly due to fatigue), boredom, poor vehicle maintenance and drivers driving beyond their ability cause more accidents than speed. Then there are the drivers under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. I'd put my lefty on more crashes happen because of people getting too close to the vehicle in front.
People blame too many crashes cause by dangerous driving on speed - there is a MASSIVE difference.
You can do 60kph in a 60kph zone and be driving dangerously - not driving to the conditions etc. NO speed camera will get you for this. But you can be doing 140kph on the hume with no traffic around cruising along and you'll get flashed - but your alert, driving to the conditions etc. I'd be my arse that the guy driving dangerously but within the speed limit is more likely to have a crash or hit someone than the bloke cruising along @140kph on the freeway.
I'd bet more accidents are caused by people falling asleep at the wheel etc than by doing 140 up the freeway. As for the arguement that not all vehicles can do 140 on a freeway safely - get the pieces of **** off the road! Obviously there are some vintage vehicles that cant do such speeds but most of those drivers would be more content taking the back roads and going through the towns that are bypassed by freeways.
I DONT like speed cameras - they DONT change a drivers state of mind/attitude. You get pulled up by a police officer and you know you've done the wrong thing and you become concious of your speed. You get done by a speed camera and you dont even realise for 10+ days. You dont change your driving habbit/attitude you get a letter in the mail and you just get pissed off with revenue raising.
You watch places where known fixed speed cameras are. BANG every on is on the brakes then back on the gas 50 meters up the road. This upsets the flow of traffic and leads to more nose to tail accidents.
What about the bloke and his missus driving along in their VC commodore with rust everywhere a bent tail shaft, leaking hub seals and unbalanced unroadworthy tyres. Even doing the speed limit he is fricken dangerous and if he does have a car the structural intergrity of the car is likely so bad that all the vehicles occupants will be killed even in a fairly low speed impact.
Obviously I realise that speed cameras give the ability to police more areas than would be possible using TMU vehicles and officers but fixed cameras are a ****.
Liam_snorkel
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can't believe I just read all of that.
TasChris
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Thanks TasChris you smart arse. Where were you and your clever retorts on Monday when I got done for speeding, not so clever then,were you!!
Cheers Chris
TasChris
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At speed!!
At 114 km in a 100km/h zone the fine is only $110 fine and 2 points in Tas, better than most states.
Cheers
Chris
Thirsty Boy
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Mate, if you are by your own admission incapable of driving in a coherrent fashion and simultaneously paying attention to how fast you are going, then you are so **** a driver that the sooner you get your next series if fines and are removed from the road, the better I'll feel about myself and the people I care about being on that road. The problem with the road laws isn't speed limits and cameras to enforce them - its that people like you are allowed to have a license in the first place.
pk.sax
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Besides bla bla bla... I can bet half a left nut that if you put a majority of Aussies that drive on our freeways on some of the better freeway systems around the world that allow higher speeds, they would be damn dangerous because they don't ever learn how to handle a vehicle at above 120 km/h (max) over any distance.
Yes indeed, most speedsters out there scare me. They just don't have the practice of driving at those speeds properly, they do it in a) panic B) boredom c) hurry etc.... None of which are safe.
For the extreme reliance we have on our roads to get anywhere, we have really crappy training systems backed up by a majorly punitive road law system, bad new car purchase scene (with insurance costs for newly licensed drivers, except for aami...) and roads that should be in a lot of cases signed higher speed than they are because the legal limit kicks in and then the local police find it funny that they can exploit that for revenue rather than concentrate on more real safety issues.
Yes indeed, most speedsters out there scare me. They just don't have the practice of driving at those speeds properly, they do it in a) panic B) boredom c) hurry etc.... None of which are safe.
For the extreme reliance we have on our roads to get anywhere, we have really crappy training systems backed up by a majorly punitive road law system, bad new car purchase scene (with insurance costs for newly licensed drivers, except for aami...) and roads that should be in a lot of cases signed higher speed than they are because the legal limit kicks in and then the local police find it funny that they can exploit that for revenue rather than concentrate on more real safety issues.
So let me get this straight TB Your saying that someone who gets flashed at 106kph in a 100kph zone on a 4 lane toll road is a menace? Remembering that untill 2003 the ADRs stated that speedos could have upto a 10% error Thats since been changed and speedos can only now read that your travelling faster than you actually are - but there are plenty of pre 2003 vehicles on the road.
Dont get me wrong when I was younger - yes I was. But then you have to look at driver training etc. I'd been driving since I was 13 years old so I had shed loads of confidence. Problem with current driving tests is that basically thats all they are a confidence test. If you can confidently do a 3 point turn and drive a manual car in light traffic - here you go heres your licence.
I learnt WAY more doing a 1 day murcotts driver training course than I learnt in 2 years having my learners. The only thing I wish is that I'd done the murcotts course earlier (ie before I got my Ps) as the information that was taught there would have made me a much safer driver. Im not talking about the actual driver training - because really to a certain degree that is a bit of ****. No the theory side of things is really where the lessons are. Real world statistics drummed into you in an environment where you cant just "flick the channel".
The other thing is that (And I dont know if things have changed with the introduction of green P's here in vic) that P plate drivers should be given an instant suspension. When I did my P's I had 12 points to play with and I had a reasonable paying job. couple of points here few $ there what did I care? I know they have since changed it to 5 points in 12 months however I still think this is too leanient.
I deserved to loose my licence when I did - and I'll be honest I've learned my lesson. I don't blatantly speed, Im not dropping handbrake turns, ripping skids etc. Things that proper driver training would possibly have swayed me from doing. That said - boys will be boys. Especially those of us who have grown up around cars (I had my first car before I could drive). Also vicroads should IMO encourage people to get CAMS licences etc and provide information on how to go about having legal fun in cars. Indicate that public roads arent the place to be working out your reaction times and quater mile times - save it for the track with information on where tracks are located and how you go about getting your car down the quater.
In saying that I do think that fixed speed cameras on freeways are bollocks. Red light cameras - yes, fixed speed cameras in residential and built up areas - yes, distance over time cameras - no, mobile speed cameras - yes. Fixed speed cameras on freeways are NOT a safety device they are purely revenue raising. Sure they dont raise revenue when you dont speed - but when your doing a trip from say frankston to stringvale road along eastlink sitting on 100kph as best you can on undulating roads (I'm sorry I dont have cruise control - and at near $1800 to have a decent kit retrofitted which still wont stop the vehicle running away on down hill stretches I'm not interested in fitting it) and you get flashed doing 106kph coming under the dandenong bypass thats ******** straight out. I would much rather the drivers around me be paying attention to the road than making sure they are "bang on" the speed limit.
The other thing is how many of us have been on a free way realised that the exit we need is coming up but we're in the right lane - the left lane is clear in front but there is a car next to you and several care behind both in your lane and the two left lanes. You dont brake and mess up the flow of traffic - you give the right peddal the boot and get across. Oh **** you just got flash for cashed at 111kph by a fixed speed camera...
Now tell me whats more dangerous - stoming on the loud pedal for 150-200 meters and keeping the flow of traffic going. OR slowing down all traffic trying to merge into a full lane pissing people behind you off cause they dont know what your doing and they jump into another lane driving past you giving you a mouth full?
The last speeding infringement I got was done at 66kph in an area where they have recently dropped the speed limit from 80 down to 60. Thats the first infringement I've had in 2+ years the one before that was 85kph in a roadworks zone with a reduced (from 100) limit of 80 kph - at 2am with no road works going at the time. Yes in both instances I was actually in the wrong and deserved the fines I recieved. In neither case would I suggest I was a "menace" just simple acts of a.) not slowing down fast enough for a revised speed limit. b.) being negligent at 2am and letting my reduced speed creep back up. The officer that pulled me up even commented on the fact that I had slowed to the correct speed limit but slowly increased my speed through the reduced limit area. **** happens I paid my $140odd fine and I'm more cautious in reduced limit areas (more than I can say for a lot of drivers who seem to have a love affair with high beams and horns in such areas...). These are perfect examples of how cameras and TMU work effectively. Fixed speed cameras on freeways DO NOT WORK at reducing the road toll and improving traffic safety.
Have you ever done any long distance driving? Melbourne to darwin? melbourne to perth etc? you cant honestly think Im going to believe that you sat "johnny on the limit" the whole way and didn't at all get tempted at all to just slightly push a little harder on that right pedal? I know last time I drove to perth I sat on pretty much 110-120kph the whole time and I even passed some hwy patrol vehicles at the upper of these speeds. Difference being that the hwy patrol guys take a note of if what you are doing is actually dangerous or not - something a speed camera cannot do. If I was doing 120kph and overtaking everything in site with oncomming traffic I have no doubt those guys would book me. But open road with no one in sight either direction they know the biggest danger to me or anyone else on the road is hitting wild camels or big roos or tourists driving on the wrong side of the road (
).
There is a difference between someone "innocently" exceeding the speed limit slightly and someone blatantly speeding &/or driving dangerously.
Of course everyone is entitiled to their opinion and thats mine
Dont get me wrong when I was younger - yes I was. But then you have to look at driver training etc. I'd been driving since I was 13 years old so I had shed loads of confidence. Problem with current driving tests is that basically thats all they are a confidence test. If you can confidently do a 3 point turn and drive a manual car in light traffic - here you go heres your licence.
I learnt WAY more doing a 1 day murcotts driver training course than I learnt in 2 years having my learners. The only thing I wish is that I'd done the murcotts course earlier (ie before I got my Ps) as the information that was taught there would have made me a much safer driver. Im not talking about the actual driver training - because really to a certain degree that is a bit of ****. No the theory side of things is really where the lessons are. Real world statistics drummed into you in an environment where you cant just "flick the channel".
The other thing is that (And I dont know if things have changed with the introduction of green P's here in vic) that P plate drivers should be given an instant suspension. When I did my P's I had 12 points to play with and I had a reasonable paying job. couple of points here few $ there what did I care? I know they have since changed it to 5 points in 12 months however I still think this is too leanient.
I deserved to loose my licence when I did - and I'll be honest I've learned my lesson. I don't blatantly speed, Im not dropping handbrake turns, ripping skids etc. Things that proper driver training would possibly have swayed me from doing. That said - boys will be boys. Especially those of us who have grown up around cars (I had my first car before I could drive). Also vicroads should IMO encourage people to get CAMS licences etc and provide information on how to go about having legal fun in cars. Indicate that public roads arent the place to be working out your reaction times and quater mile times - save it for the track with information on where tracks are located and how you go about getting your car down the quater.
In saying that I do think that fixed speed cameras on freeways are bollocks. Red light cameras - yes, fixed speed cameras in residential and built up areas - yes, distance over time cameras - no, mobile speed cameras - yes. Fixed speed cameras on freeways are NOT a safety device they are purely revenue raising. Sure they dont raise revenue when you dont speed - but when your doing a trip from say frankston to stringvale road along eastlink sitting on 100kph as best you can on undulating roads (I'm sorry I dont have cruise control - and at near $1800 to have a decent kit retrofitted which still wont stop the vehicle running away on down hill stretches I'm not interested in fitting it) and you get flashed doing 106kph coming under the dandenong bypass thats ******** straight out. I would much rather the drivers around me be paying attention to the road than making sure they are "bang on" the speed limit.
The other thing is how many of us have been on a free way realised that the exit we need is coming up but we're in the right lane - the left lane is clear in front but there is a car next to you and several care behind both in your lane and the two left lanes. You dont brake and mess up the flow of traffic - you give the right peddal the boot and get across. Oh **** you just got flash for cashed at 111kph by a fixed speed camera...
Now tell me whats more dangerous - stoming on the loud pedal for 150-200 meters and keeping the flow of traffic going. OR slowing down all traffic trying to merge into a full lane pissing people behind you off cause they dont know what your doing and they jump into another lane driving past you giving you a mouth full?
The last speeding infringement I got was done at 66kph in an area where they have recently dropped the speed limit from 80 down to 60. Thats the first infringement I've had in 2+ years the one before that was 85kph in a roadworks zone with a reduced (from 100) limit of 80 kph - at 2am with no road works going at the time. Yes in both instances I was actually in the wrong and deserved the fines I recieved. In neither case would I suggest I was a "menace" just simple acts of a.) not slowing down fast enough for a revised speed limit. b.) being negligent at 2am and letting my reduced speed creep back up. The officer that pulled me up even commented on the fact that I had slowed to the correct speed limit but slowly increased my speed through the reduced limit area. **** happens I paid my $140odd fine and I'm more cautious in reduced limit areas (more than I can say for a lot of drivers who seem to have a love affair with high beams and horns in such areas...). These are perfect examples of how cameras and TMU work effectively. Fixed speed cameras on freeways DO NOT WORK at reducing the road toll and improving traffic safety.
Have you ever done any long distance driving? Melbourne to darwin? melbourne to perth etc? you cant honestly think Im going to believe that you sat "johnny on the limit" the whole way and didn't at all get tempted at all to just slightly push a little harder on that right pedal? I know last time I drove to perth I sat on pretty much 110-120kph the whole time and I even passed some hwy patrol vehicles at the upper of these speeds. Difference being that the hwy patrol guys take a note of if what you are doing is actually dangerous or not - something a speed camera cannot do. If I was doing 120kph and overtaking everything in site with oncomming traffic I have no doubt those guys would book me. But open road with no one in sight either direction they know the biggest danger to me or anyone else on the road is hitting wild camels or big roos or tourists driving on the wrong side of the road (
).There is a difference between someone "innocently" exceeding the speed limit slightly and someone blatantly speeding &/or driving dangerously.
Of course everyone is entitiled to their opinion and thats mine
Thirsty Boy
ICB - tight shorts and poor attitude. **** yeah!
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No, in dont think that someone who gets the occasional speeding fine for minorly exceeding the speed limit is a menace, thats not what i said. I said that if you are so bad a driver that you are unable to both maintain a speed within the limit and simultaneoudly drive in a safe manner... That makes you a menace.
"Im so paranoid about getting flashed on eastlink here in melbourne with their 50 billion speed cameras and continual hwy patrol that I avoid the ******* thing. When I do go on it my missus is continually at me about paying attention to the road because I wander all over the road cause Im so concerned about speeding."
And as quoted above, you said quite clearly that you weren't capable of that. Anyone who even comes close to being skilled enough to be considered a good driver, can do easily what you say you cannot do. Otherwise you certainly are confident about your driving ability, and so is every single abysmally bad driver i have ever encountered.
Everyone does 90 on eastlink because they are scared of getting a fine for speeding huh? ... But you also say quite clearly that fixed speed cameras are incapable of changing people's mindset... And then provide us with an excellent example of speed cameras doing exactly what they are supposed to do - causing everyone to drive at below the speed limit.
Your problems with speed cameras seem to mostly stem from your inability to control your car and its speed correctly - perhaps you working on that might be a more practicable solution than changing the laws to accomodate your lack of skill.
"Im so paranoid about getting flashed on eastlink here in melbourne with their 50 billion speed cameras and continual hwy patrol that I avoid the ******* thing. When I do go on it my missus is continually at me about paying attention to the road because I wander all over the road cause Im so concerned about speeding."
And as quoted above, you said quite clearly that you weren't capable of that. Anyone who even comes close to being skilled enough to be considered a good driver, can do easily what you say you cannot do. Otherwise you certainly are confident about your driving ability, and so is every single abysmally bad driver i have ever encountered.
Everyone does 90 on eastlink because they are scared of getting a fine for speeding huh? ... But you also say quite clearly that fixed speed cameras are incapable of changing people's mindset... And then provide us with an excellent example of speed cameras doing exactly what they are supposed to do - causing everyone to drive at below the speed limit.
Your problems with speed cameras seem to mostly stem from your inability to control your car and its speed correctly - perhaps you working on that might be a more practicable solution than changing the laws to accomodate your lack of skill.
Pennywise
Brewin' Beer for Crazy Clowns & Juggalo's
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The speed argument is pointless, the main point (IMO) is that everyone else on the road is not expecting you to fly by them at 160+ k's an hour, THAT is the dangerous part, not how fast YOU"RE going, but what others on the road are expecting, you to follow the laws of the road. I reckon the speed laws are there because they know how many useless pricks are on the road, and most of them simple can't handle a car at any speed, let alone 100+, FFS, half of them can't even turn a ******* corner properly.
Malted
Humdinger
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Man that ***** me how so many people must think that staying in their lane is optional! The problem is I reckon these sort of people just don't think at all.
^Exactly.
If the freeways were 140 and every one was doing 140 there would be no issue. But when the freeway is 100 kph and someone comes flying up at 140 people are making lane change decisions based on the flow of traffic being 95-<105kph. Obviously you wouldnt make suburban freeways 140kph but major interstate links like the hume could easily carry traffic at 140 kph. From memory these days on the hume you dont even pass through a town at all this side of the boarder.
If the fixed speed cameras were set at say 115ks (on 100kph motorways) but there were regular TMU patrol cars with mobile radar you would get better public response - and likely make a bigger impact. Someone doing 160 up the freeway isnt concerned about a few speeding fines - they know when they get done its minimum 12 months (way to lenient IMO).
Seriously up the fines for all I care $140 is a piss in the ocean really comparitive to the cost of care for someone in the alfred etc - make them $300+ but put a bigger TMU presence out there!
People could plod along at 100kph with no fear that if their vehicle runs away down a hill or they get a touch heavy on the gas they are goin to get fined. You'd still get the drivers blatantly speeding with the speed cameras and the regular TMU presence would actually make an impact and the TMU officers can make a practical decision to weather the driver they just locked on was speeding or just trying to travel safely out of the way of other road users.
A bit of driver education one chosing the correct lane to travel in might be handy too - and how to merge on to a motorway, it freaks me out how many people still almost come to a stop to get onto a freeway - Victoria would have to be the worst state of all that I've travelled to for this (I've not been to QLD so I cant comment). Approach the motorway on the on ramp pick your merge point and drive into it at the speed of the traffic flow - its not rocket science! Yet how many freeway crashes happen at freeway entrances...
The other problem with cameras is how many of us have been asked to take someone elses points for a couple of hundred bucks? You can't do that when an officer pulls you up.
Also Twelve points is also a LOT of points. Thats 12 offences over 3 years at 3-9kph over the limit. Even then you just get a 6 or 12 month "good behavious bond" Thats a lot of blokes crossing the road with a pizza getting messed up. Should be some kind of scale where a one off incident at 3-9kph is 1 point a second offence in 12 months is 3 points etc. 10-17 (i think thats the next break?) should be 3 points for a one off incident then 30 day suspension of licence. 17-25kph 30 day suspension second offence in twelve months 3 month suspension. if no second offence is recorded in the 12 months then it reverts back to the minimum again.
You'd make a way bigger impact on the road toll / safety awareness by inconveniencing people than your $1540 worth of 11x $140 one point fines over 3 years is ever going to make.
If the freeways were 140 and every one was doing 140 there would be no issue. But when the freeway is 100 kph and someone comes flying up at 140 people are making lane change decisions based on the flow of traffic being 95-<105kph. Obviously you wouldnt make suburban freeways 140kph but major interstate links like the hume could easily carry traffic at 140 kph. From memory these days on the hume you dont even pass through a town at all this side of the boarder.
If the fixed speed cameras were set at say 115ks (on 100kph motorways) but there were regular TMU patrol cars with mobile radar you would get better public response - and likely make a bigger impact. Someone doing 160 up the freeway isnt concerned about a few speeding fines - they know when they get done its minimum 12 months (way to lenient IMO).
Seriously up the fines for all I care $140 is a piss in the ocean really comparitive to the cost of care for someone in the alfred etc - make them $300+ but put a bigger TMU presence out there!
People could plod along at 100kph with no fear that if their vehicle runs away down a hill or they get a touch heavy on the gas they are goin to get fined. You'd still get the drivers blatantly speeding with the speed cameras and the regular TMU presence would actually make an impact and the TMU officers can make a practical decision to weather the driver they just locked on was speeding or just trying to travel safely out of the way of other road users.
A bit of driver education one chosing the correct lane to travel in might be handy too - and how to merge on to a motorway, it freaks me out how many people still almost come to a stop to get onto a freeway - Victoria would have to be the worst state of all that I've travelled to for this (I've not been to QLD so I cant comment). Approach the motorway on the on ramp pick your merge point and drive into it at the speed of the traffic flow - its not rocket science! Yet how many freeway crashes happen at freeway entrances...
The other problem with cameras is how many of us have been asked to take someone elses points for a couple of hundred bucks? You can't do that when an officer pulls you up.
Also Twelve points is also a LOT of points. Thats 12 offences over 3 years at 3-9kph over the limit. Even then you just get a 6 or 12 month "good behavious bond" Thats a lot of blokes crossing the road with a pizza getting messed up. Should be some kind of scale where a one off incident at 3-9kph is 1 point a second offence in 12 months is 3 points etc. 10-17 (i think thats the next break?) should be 3 points for a one off incident then 30 day suspension of licence. 17-25kph 30 day suspension second offence in twelve months 3 month suspension. if no second offence is recorded in the 12 months then it reverts back to the minimum again.
You'd make a way bigger impact on the road toll / safety awareness by inconveniencing people than your $1540 worth of 11x $140 one point fines over 3 years is ever going to make.
Pfft bikes on the reefton spur are the worst. I've not got one 'yet', but dads got two - both realising they are too hot around the corner dropping their bikes - one smashed a mag wheel on his rangie classic to pieces. Another mate got one dropped his bike into my mates trailer snapped a beam axle. Save it for the track boys. I've come across a few where a bunch of guys are picking up a mate whos dropped a bike. I realise accidents happen - but fark!
pk.sax
RIP bum
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hahahaha.. more people I know would turn into the next lane than do a controlled tight right hand turn at the lights. Lets not even talk about Left hand turns at any speed whatsoever if there isn't a slip lane. Majority of people just do it dead slow and do not increase their revs through the turn to maintain momentum. Pretty much a joke how it is, they could ditch that extra year of P's in favour of compulsory driving skill training (the kind taught in advanced driving courses) at the end of your L's, would teach people to handle and control their cars a bit better, weed out some of the itchy nervous types.
