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10-01-2008, 07:38pm
I can't find the original source, but here's my memory of a story I found in Two Wheels about the evidence against speed camera's in the UK. It was from a couple of years ago.
It went something like this....
The traffic authority was berating a county for not allowing speed cameras to be installed within it's boundaries. The county claimed that there had never been a road fatality in the area and it wasn't justified. Part of the M25 went through that county - a road that carries 50,000 vehicles every day. That county shared borders with 5 other counties. One already had camera's and the remaining 4 decided to allow camera's to be installed.
End result?
ALL 5 surrounding counties experienced an INCREASE in road fatalities - starting within days of the camera's being installed. The county that did not allow the camera's to be installed still has not experienced even one fatality. Not one.
I'm not saying that speed camera's are always bad - in a true black spot with clear warnings they would save lives. Drivers would slow down because they see the warning - or suffer the consequences. Trouble is, our camera's are positioned for revenue, not road safety.
Now, most people would say... "Well, move them or get rid of them!" but the hitch is.... our state governments RELY on that revenue. They've become (in a way) addicted to the steady stream of income. They won't increase direct charges and taxes because that hurts them on polling day - so they tax us indirectly. I don't think I could exist in Victoria. I'd lose my license within weeks. At least here in NSW the fixed camera's (including red light ones) have warning signs. But they still aren't positioned in black spots in the vast majority of cases.
So the state governments can't afford to get rid of the camera's and as their need for revenue increases I fear the "legal" bar will be lowered until we can barely get around.
What is the solution? I can honestly say I don't have a clue. Far better minds than mine have tried and failed.
The other thing is bike commuters. They are popping up everywhere. Peak hour is a disaster because of all the slow peddlers. You can't get around them... and even if you do at the next traffic light they just trickle up to the front, position themselves in front of the first vehicle and.... its too frustrating for words!
I'm depressed... I'm stopping now.
It went something like this....
The traffic authority was berating a county for not allowing speed cameras to be installed within it's boundaries. The county claimed that there had never been a road fatality in the area and it wasn't justified. Part of the M25 went through that county - a road that carries 50,000 vehicles every day. That county shared borders with 5 other counties. One already had camera's and the remaining 4 decided to allow camera's to be installed.
End result?
ALL 5 surrounding counties experienced an INCREASE in road fatalities - starting within days of the camera's being installed. The county that did not allow the camera's to be installed still has not experienced even one fatality. Not one.
I'm not saying that speed camera's are always bad - in a true black spot with clear warnings they would save lives. Drivers would slow down because they see the warning - or suffer the consequences. Trouble is, our camera's are positioned for revenue, not road safety.
Now, most people would say... "Well, move them or get rid of them!" but the hitch is.... our state governments RELY on that revenue. They've become (in a way) addicted to the steady stream of income. They won't increase direct charges and taxes because that hurts them on polling day - so they tax us indirectly. I don't think I could exist in Victoria. I'd lose my license within weeks. At least here in NSW the fixed camera's (including red light ones) have warning signs. But they still aren't positioned in black spots in the vast majority of cases.
So the state governments can't afford to get rid of the camera's and as their need for revenue increases I fear the "legal" bar will be lowered until we can barely get around.
What is the solution? I can honestly say I don't have a clue. Far better minds than mine have tried and failed.
The other thing is bike commuters. They are popping up everywhere. Peak hour is a disaster because of all the slow peddlers. You can't get around them... and even if you do at the next traffic light they just trickle up to the front, position themselves in front of the first vehicle and.... its too frustrating for words!
I'm depressed... I'm stopping now.