Speed Cameras

[Thirsty Boy]

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.

Fair enough

 

[goomboogo]

thanks chris :icon_cheers:

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.

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]

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.

Ok yardy, and i do agree with your points on other areas that need policing.

 

[TasChris]

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.

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]

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.

 

[brettprevans]

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]

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

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]

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:

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]

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!

 

[bum]

So you didn't raise your voice to your wife at the time? You know because none of that was her fault?

 

[peaky]

Well a week later she gets FIVE speeding tickets in the mail in ONE day, a Friday.

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)

 

[Peteoz77]

So you didn't raise your voice to your wife at the time? You know because none of that was her fault?

Like that would have made any difference.. :lol: LOL

 

[bum]

Ha! Fair call.

 

[pk.sax]

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.

 

[[email protected]]

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.

 

[komodo]

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 ****.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

can't believe I just read all of that.

 

[TasChris]

I agree, its a voluntary tax that you can opt out of at any time. If you wish to contribute, keep speeding.

Cheers
Chris

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

 

[yardy]

my karma just ran over your dogma :icon_cheers:

 

[TasChris]

my karma just ran over your dogma :icon_cheers:

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