Speed Cameras

[bum]

Drinking cleans up around 3000 Aussies a year and costs the community in the order of 15 billion. Not to mention the lives it makes a misery of along the way.
Smoking kills around 6000.
Road deaths are what, around 1800? and many of those are alcohol related anyway.

Drinking and smoking, both legal.
Speeding, illegal. How odd..

As tax paying revenue generator's you'd think the government would be more interested in prolonging our lives via banning ciggies and grog than collecting a fistful of fines for people doing 65 in a 60 zone.

I think a clear distinction here is that speeding has more capacity to harm others, the harm it causes is (arguably) more preventable due to its instantaneous damage (i.e one smoke won't wipe out your family) and stopping speeding doesn't outlaw the broader activity of driving while making the others illegal does (and banning driving would be a much larger problem than banning smoking (alcohol not mentioned for some strange reason?)). Also, I don't know what it is like Australia wide but the various Victorian governments of the last few years have been making some very unpopular laws about controlling smoking in public places so the impact on others is certainly something they are doing something about.

As for your last point, I think you'll find that they don't get to keep the tax money we pay so they don't actually look at us as cash-cows at all - they probably look at us as needy ******* who demand $10 spending for every $1 taxed.

 

[bum]

My problem with fixed or hidden cameras is they don't discriminate. When I pull out of my driveway, speed up, overshoot the limit by a few k's for a fraction of a second, take my foot off the pedal just in time to cop a two hundred dollar camera flash, I don't call that a fair and equitable way of improving road safety.

Where is your ability to discriminate? I'm sure all of us speed in this nature from time to time but I don't see how that makes it okay. You're speeding. You know the speed limit. What's the issue? You don't want to pay $200? They know that and that is why the cameras exist in the first place. There is nothing at all preventing you from doing under the speed limit in this scenario.

 

[Dave70]

Also, I don't know what it is like Australia wide but the various Victorian governments of the last few years have been making some very unpopular laws about controlling smoking in public places so the impact on others is certainly something they are doing something about.

Yep. NSW pubs and clubs have been making smokers feel like second class citizens for quite some time now by segregating them in purpose built areas.
These were basically just secure cages bolted to the pub the pub akin to cattle holding yards.
But in order to win back their hearts, they've thoughtfully now equipped these area's with gaming facilities, draught beer and air conditioning so patrons can enjoy the cultural trifrecta of drinking, smoking and gambling.

 

[Kai]

is nothing at all preventing you from doing under the speed limit in this scenario.

Yes there was, the part where I accidentally overshoot the speed limit for a fraction of a second. That literally two heartbeats of time equates to a 200$ fine is draconian to say the least, and does nothing to make the roads safer. I drive responsibly already, the only part of my behaviour this could possibly change is more time spent staring at my speedometer and less at the road.

I accept that cameras are a compromise for road safety. That doesn't mean I have to believe they are perfect, or right all the time. Nothing is, really.

 

[spog]

the state government here in south oz have increased road traffic fines as of today july the first.
not to make people safer,its because this state is financialy ******,i drove back from whyalla today a spotted 5 radar cars of all types and discriptions gotta fix the states troubles some how.......cheers.....spog............

 

[spog]

sorry forgot to add the distance is 260km 5 radars in that distance is a joke.........

 

[seemax]

Maybe it is a joke, maybe not.

If there were no radars and no threat of radars many drivers would simply ignore the limit, which in most cases might be ok but it's the 1% that will end in tragedy.

As it has been said before, don't speed and you don't have to worry.

The nanny state it may well be... BUT society on a whole loves to whinge and not act. If enough people rallied and made their voice heard things could be different in many aspects - just look at Getup!

 

[yardy]

sorry forgot to add the distance is 260km 5 radars in that distance is a joke.........

I'm with you mate, obviously all the ******** being spruiked here is by drivers who do the 30 minute commute. 'Don't speed and you won't have a problem', wow what ******* stop n go genius worked that out

the point is, crime is on the rise and they install speed cameras, meth labs, burglaries, assaults blah blah blah and not a copper to be seen on the streets, drive from Gladstone to Bundy and you'll see more coppers than roadkill..

 

[drew9242]

Maybe we should fine people who get caught on CCTV giving a right hook to someone. Then we can all winge that the the government is just revenue raising.

 

[bum]

crime is on the rise

http://www.aic.gov.au/en/publications/curr...rime.aspx#rates

 

[yardy]

nice link bum, check out the stats and graph for morons believing government ********.

 

[bum]

Ah. I'll check Today Tonight next time.

 

[yardy]

Don't you have Derryn Hinch on speed dial ?

 

[bum]

Odd thing for the bloke writing his scripts to say.

 

[yardy]

how's the stop and go traffic control career going, say hi to Warwick for us.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

I'm 41, driving for 23 years - never had a speeding fine because I try as hard as I can to drive at or below the speed limit.

Don't speed and speed cameras are irrelevant - I don't even notice them.

There should be a speed camera every 100m as far as I am concerned, then only imbeciles would get speeding fines... mind you, I think that's mostly true already.

 

[bum]

how's the stop and go traffic control career going, say hi to Warwick for us.

Something wrong with traffic control?

 

[drsmurto]

I'm 41, driving for 23 years - never had a speeding fine because I try as hard as I can to drive at or below the speed limit.

Don't speed and speed cameras are irrelevant - I don't even notice them.

There should be a speed camera every 100m as far as I am concerned, then only imbeciles would get speeding fines... mind you, I think that's mostly true already.

It really is that simple.

You can argue all you like about revenue raising, crime rates, safety issues but the simple fact of the matter is that if you acknowledge that the speed limit is in fact a limit and not the minimum speed then the money stays in your pocket. Regardless of whether you know better. Regardless of whether the speed used to be higher. Rocket science it isn't. If you fail to understand this most basic of logic then why are you driving in the first place? It is more basic than breathing. A kindergarten child understands this level of logic.

Like TB, I'd like to see speed cameras every 100m but with the technology that detects the distance between cars since most people fail to understand the concept of a safe braking distance (i do the speed limit and have cars up my arse because of it) as well as fining drivers for not having their lights on in fog or rain or overcast conditions. I swear 90+% of drivers on the road think their headlights are for them to see in the middle of the night rather than increasing their visibility to other drivers.

And my pet hate, people using their mobiles when driving. These people should be shot. Point blank. There is no excuse for it.

 

[TasChris]

I'm with you mate, obviously all the ******** being spruiked here is by drivers who do the 30 minute commute. 'Don't speed and you won't have a problem', wow what ******* stop n go genius worked that out

the point is, crime is on the rise and they install speed cameras, meth labs, burglaries, assaults blah blah blah and not a copper to be seen on the streets, drive from Gladstone to Bundy and you'll see more coppers than roadkill..

nice link bum, check out the stats and graph for morons believing government ********.

Don't you have Derryn Hinch on speed dial ?

how's the stop and go traffic control career going, say hi to Warwick for us.

Some quality post there Yardy. Not up to your normal helpful and informative level
Chris

 

[yardy]

thanks chris :icon_cheers:

my point and pet hate is spending money on raising revenue and none spent on reducing the amount of meth labs, pensioners punched in the face for a few dollars, kids being abducted in broad daylight etc

yes, tb and doc, it's not ******* rocket science, i personally don't speed but did get done and wore it on the chin, '09 / '10 financial year i did over 50,000 km driving all over Qld for work, the total was 1 failure to wear a seat belt and one point lost for 110kmh.. so my rant is not that of a disgruntled driver but that of a pissed off taxpayer.

just in the region i live there has been a huge increase in labs, assaults etc, I believe the money would be better spent on a higher police presence on the streets rather than a static camera that's a licence to print money, it's not ******* rocket science.