Are Swindon Council right to ban speed cameras on their roads?

yorkie

there is more to careless driving than speeding.

by removing the cameras and increasing police presence, they can eliminate other offences.

who is the safer driver? the one doing 31 mph, looking at the road, not the speedo, watching everything going on around

or

the one doing 29 mph, on the phone, feeding sweets to 2 unrestrained kids in the back, trying to light a cigarette...

the one doing 31 would be picked up by the camera despite being in a better situation to stop in an emergency if needed.

the speed cameras do not pick up things like using mobiles when driving.

more real police would catch the bad drivers (speeders included) than just the cameras.

Chris A

hell ye,accidents are for people who don't pay attention to the road, which speed cameras contributes a lot to cos every1s more worried bout the signs sayin wt speed limit is and then we're too busy staring at our dash to make sure we're not even 1mph over and then bang, too late, someone knocks down cos they're too busy starin at the speedo than the road ahead. Speed cameras do make people slow down but they're not the answer at all to road safety, i reckon it would be a perfect idea. 95% of speeding related accidents are for people who go too fast for the conditions of the road (like on wet/icy conditions, fast round a sharp bend etc) not for simply going over the limit whether by a little or a lot. Some roads are safe to speed, others arent so they should think of different approaches and let the public have a say in decisions and from drivers both the young, middle and old, male and female should all have a right to say.
I sometimes speed but unlike the many real culprits out there I do it safely which is why I havent crashed.
Speed cameras are dangerous because
1: People are too focused on their speedo and the speed limits than watching the road ahead
2: Someone may go over the limit then suddenley have to break sharply to avoid being flashed by a camera which can often cause the car behind to go in its rear
3: The REAL offenders are more likely to do stuff like malipilate their no plates, use fake ones or steal someone elses no plates and speed so 2 get them into trouble for nothing stead of being caught on the spot by the cops and finding out the real truth.
4: Cameras are just a step too far, if we're stuck with pafetically slow speed limits, more traffic jams, more pollution, more time wasted, it makes driving boring and pointless
5: Slow speed will make people more likely to daze off from concentration from the boredom of it cos it feels lyk nothing for the condition of the road, hence of course also causing more accidents
so no speed cameras kill more than they safe, end of.
6: Speeding related accidents are far far more to do wiht people who drive too fast for the conditions (like on a bend etc)
7: Most the speed cameras in the uk are in such ridiculous places, if anywhere they should have them right by the local schools and the roads with real sharp bends, not the motorways that at night you could do over 100mph 'safely
And anyone who disagrees is an utter low minded mug who don't care bout anything but themselves
so ye good idea, hope every council does the same

Chris

i think its a good idea, speed cameras only make me do the speed limit while going though it, and the whole time im looking at my dash, not the road... those response signs make me feel like i need to slow down for my own and others safety and slow down for a longer time, and i keep my eyes on the road as my exact speed is not important... lets see how they get on but im for it.

cimex

Yes Swindon Council are leading the way at last to better road safety.They are spending their money more sensibly on various ways of improving safety, such as better lighting. What Chris and yorkie state is true and add to that statistics from all over UK seem toÂ show that speed cameras in fact do NOT reduce accidents as wrongly alleged by government lies as compared to areas where they do not have them. If anything the existence of speed cameras cause more accidents compared to having police cars keeping a look out for dangerous, careless and stupid drivers.
In reply to PJJ, believe me mate speed cameras ARE a means of revenue collection over here too, just like they are in Oz.
Timbo - you are misguided and admit you are an irresponsible teenage hooligan!. But as others have explained it is not just your speed being over the limit that causes accidents but your irresponsible attitude that makes you drive stupidly and carelessly if you really want to go faster than is safe "just for the hell of it" and think you need to be nicked by a speed camera and have the threat of your licence being taken away to make you less irresponsible. No timbo, clearly it is not really a speed camera but a policeman with a pair of eyes and a pad of charge sheets that should be watching you.For example if you are driving within the speed limit but (say) using a hand held mobile phone or fiddling with your hi fi or having a laugh with your teenager mates in the car instead of concentrating your attention on driving safely, you are in fact more not less likely to cause that accident or the "avoidable death" you so wrongly infer is prevented only by speed cameras.and hopefully when the Officer gives his evidence about your bad driving, then indeed when you appear in the Magistrates Court their Worships will indeed take your licence off you until you learn to drive responsibly and safely!

Chewbydoo

I say good for them taking this stand against cameras. I'm lucky that there are none at all in my town but I find it really difficult when I go other places, as if driving in a strange place isn't bad enough trying to navigate around and stay in the correct lane.

PJJ

It least it isn't a revenue raiser like it is over here in Australia. Lot of the speed cameras aren't working properly.

WelshLad

I find the only people who moan about speed cameras are the ones who got caught.

Lily

no!

Timbo

Got to disagree with others here. I am just learning to drive & have not yet been nicked for speeding myself but if I no they are there they make me drive more responsbily than I might otherwise coz.I do have urges to speed like hell like teenagers do but dont want to lose my licence. If sped cameras R removed while most will still drive sensibly there will be a minority, may be including the likes of me, who will just go too fast knowing we're no longer going to risk being nicked. Result will be more accidents and perhaps more preventable deaths. I think Swindon Council R wrong.

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