How would YOU stop speeding??

[Angus]

think it just goes off every time you cross 75 while accellerating..

how about this idea - put cruise control on cars with a few buttons - ie a button for 30 and a button for 60.. it would save the driver having to think about whether to speed or not..

Problem is though, you want drivers to think whilst they're driving, about driving.

If they're not thinking about what they're doing then you're going to end up with even more accidents. It's part of the reason that even handsfree kits are discouraged by the government for use whilst driving.

[5lab]

imo, they would still be thinking about what theyre doing, just not thinking about how fast they are going.. you could even make it so the driver still has to have his/her foot on the accellerator, but just stopping them going above 30 till they hit the button again.. i think i'd welcome something like this, as it means i could pay more attention to road conditions and stuff than my speed

[Big RICHARD]

4. Lowering speed limits:
I think that having a 20mph speed limit in the centres of towns and cities is one of the best ways to really get drivers to slow down. Also it is the most cost effective. Also, the driver of the car in the advert who hits the dummy would have stopped miles before he hits the dummy....

One of the best ways to inforce the 20mph speed limit is to use red tarmac. This makes you very aware that the speed limit is 20mph.

This would only work if there was a suitable alternative (higher speed, out of town) route, otherwise the congestion at 8:30 on a monday morning would be horrendous. Try crossing the Tyne at this time and you'll know what I'm talking about!

[Jiff Lemon]

This is one area that Milton keynes excels in.....

The whole road system is laid out in a grid fashion. The main Grid is National Speed limit. However, you're looking at a mile maximum between roundabouts.

Once you get off the grid and into an estate, its generally a 30 zone with humps.

The real beauty is the red ways. These are dedicated cycle/pedestrian paths, that are routed WELL away from the grid.

Traffic moves pretty damn freely and quickly. Its not perfect - there are accidents, and they can be nasty. However, as is the case with the majority of accidents, its driver error thats the root of the problem.

So..... my solution:

Driver re-education.

[Ravens Nest]

One of the things that annoys me the most about Speed camera's is in a lot of places you dont seem to get a warning early enough to adjust your speed accordingly.

And also in a lot of areas the speed limit will vary on the same stretch of road, so one minute your doing 50 then it suddenly drops to 40 and they have this little tiny sign with the speed limit on it (Which is easily missed) then you get snapped by the camera going 10 miles overs the speed limit..

I also think that the Speed camera signs should be re-designed to include a large Speed limit sign, as sometimes i dont know what the speed limit is but keep seeing signs saying Speed cameras.

[dkmech]

I also think that the Speed camera signs should be re-designed to include a large Speed limit sign, as sometimes i dont know what the speed limit is but keep seeing signs saying Speed cameras.

I second that. Thats just them being greedy.

[Angus]

One of the things that annoys me the most about Speed camera's is in a lot of places you dont seem to get a warning early enough to adjust your speed accordingly.

And also in a lot of areas the speed limit will vary on the same stretch of road, so one minute your doing 50 then it suddenly drops to 40 and they have this little tiny sign with the speed limit on it (Which is easily missed) then you get snapped by the camera going 10 miles overs the speed limit..

I also think that the Speed camera signs should be re-designed to include a large Speed limit sign, as sometimes i dont know what the speed limit is but keep seeing signs saying Speed cameras.

I'm not sure what you mean by "early warning" as you enter there (should) be limit signs and, unless the limit is a twenty or thirty, [edit: or national limit] there should be repeater signs. If there aren't repeater signs as stated in the highway code, then to be honest, you've probably got a case for appeal. If there were, then it's your own fault that you were speeding in the first place.

I do agree with you about the limit signs on the cameras though.

[Ravens Nest]

Theres a road near where i live where i think the speed limit is 30 (Once again no speed signs), and there is one speed camera sign and it is half way hidden by a bush (When you get near enough you can see it) there are no camera signs before this point and then there's the camera..

Nearly got caught by it as was doing 35 (This is on a industrial estate, no pavements or pedestrians) Turn off from a side road started to accelerate didnt see the sign and there wasnt any earlier, then i saw the camera jutting out in yellow just past the sign was able to brake just in time (Checked rear-mirror first though, i was lucky) once again because of no signs earlier telling me the speed limit or there was a speed camera there.

Thanks for the agreement on the speed limits on cameras, just seems common sense to us.

[Pigeon]

Personally I think the way to stop speeding involves two things!

Firstly I and I guess most other people do not conciously speed however our speed creeps over the limit if we feel safe on the road. To stop the creeping up there should be more speed limit signs put up, and at a fair size, or on red tarmac, so you always have the limit fresh in your mind. Some places sometimes in town you can drive for so long between a sign and there ae so many other hazards in between when you get to a clearer bit you just think whats the speed limit again!

After that we need more hidden/random/mobile cameras to catch out and fine the aggressive fast idiot speeders!

This would mean most people getting off ok as they would always know and stick to the limit! Where as the real speeders get in trouble!

Only after we sort out the speeding mess do I believe we should get a higher limit for motorways and maybe some other roads!

[Skii]

More Police,less cameras.

Genius innit ?

[Stoo]

More Police,less cameras.

Genius innit ?

Yep, works in the states too, when I was over there on holiday, pretty much everyone stuck to the 55 limit because if you didn't you'd get pulled over by a state trooper because they were so prolific. You'd get the occasional person try it, but before too long you'd hear the sirens going and a few minutes later you'd see them pulled over getting a roasting

[5lab]

but a cop is MUCH more expensive than a camera - cop + car probably costs yer average tax payer ~3-4 grand a month, compared to a 1-off 1 grandish for a camera.. over a year that means they can put up 48 cameras for the price of one cop..

[Angus]

but a cop is MUCH more expensive than a camera - cop + car probably costs yer average tax payer ~3-4 grand a month, compared to a 1-off 1 grandish for a camera.. over a year that means they can put up 48 cameras for the price of one cop..

Aren't the cameras really expensive?

About £30K if i remember correctly.

Explains why not all camera housings have cameras in.

[Angus]

Gatso Meter Speed Cameras

There are over 4,000 fixed Gatso's speed/safety camera's currently in use by police forces and local authorities across the UK, accounting for 90% of all fixed cameras. The Gatso which uses radar technology, is used for fixed speed cameras, in-car mobile units, on tripod's and can even be used from moving vehicle's.

Fixed installation post Gatso speed cameras are rear facing. This is so the cameras 'flash' does not blind oncoming motorists. Unfortunately, this also means the cameras are not always viewable until the last second (as pictured above). The cost of installing a Gatso camera is approximately £20,000, but can cost as much as £40,000 if located in a rural location, as the system requires a 240v power supply.

The fixed Gatso camera has the ability to take up to 400 pictures. Cameras in that are located in busy areas or are particularly hidden, often only last a few hours before the film runs out, soon recouping the £20,000-£40,000 price tag.

Gatso's can also identify between cars/vans and HGV's separately. For example, if the speed limit was 60 mph for cars/vans and 40 mph for HGV's the camera will enforce the two separate limits.

It is common for fixed Gatso's to be positioned so they can be turned around to check both sides of the road - but only one direction at a time.

On the M25 in Berkshire and Surrey Gatso speed cameras have been placed in gantries across the width of the motorway with all four lanes covered simultaneously.

[5lab]

fair enough, gawd knows where i saw that then

there are some round here now which are double-sided. well sneaky cos people see them pointing towards them and keep going quick.. then get flashed when going past..