News - Average speed cameras proposed for all UK motorways

[stavroshamster]

I'm not convinced about the reducing accidents argument, most poeple will end up spending more time looking at the speedo than the road!!

I wonder if this would be legal under European law?

There have been average speed camera on the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon for a couple of years now. This is one of the busiest roads in the country due to it being 2 lanes and there used to be a serious accident every week or more. When there wasn't there was always a traffic jam.

I have no idea what the official figures now are, but there has certainly been a marked reduction in the amount of queueing that goes on.

Having said that, I am not in favour of having them on all motorways because most don't suffer from the same kind of problems. And, although I am all in favour of CO2 reductions, I don't see this being used as a major tool for reduction - many car manufacturers are already setting the pace here I think (although could be encouraged to do more).

[malfunction]

Secondly, to everyone who insists that cars are so much safer now: yes, the cars may be technologically better, but do people suddenly have significantly faster reactions than they did 50 years ago? No, didn't think so, The problem is not whether it's safe for the car to move faster than 70mph, but whether it's safe for an average numpty to drive one at those speeds.

Reactions may be the same but braking distances are a lot shorter. I hate to cite topgear but if a knackered Rover 214 can come to a stop well inside the official distance I'm pretty sure most cars on the road can do a lot better. If you could cure the numptiness (?) of people tailgating, lane hogging and generally driving like idiots I think faster speeds would be fine.

[mycarsavw]

Reactions may be the same but breaking distances are a lot shorter. I hate to cite topgear but if a knackered Rover 214 can come to a stop well inside the official distance I'm pretty sure most cars on the road can do a lot better. If you could cure the numptiness (?) of people tailgating, lane hogging and generally driving like idiots I think faster speeds would be fine.

Teach and enforce proper lane discipline and I honestly believe there'll be no need to alter any maximum speed limits.

[greenalien]

If you could cure the numptiness (?) of people tailgating, lane hogging and generally driving like idiots I think faster speeds would be fine

Unfortunately there's no chance whatsoever that this will ever happen - there's a lot of morons out there in vehicles - what about the million-plus who drive without insurance, for example. Don't be surprised if speed limits come down even more in the future as car ownership continues to increase.

[borandi]

With a average speed limit of 70mph - if you're going downhill for 10 minutes at 74mph without realising, you have to then spend the next 3 minutes going at 58, desperately watching your speedometer, rather than the road.

Stupid idea.

[malfunction]

Teach and enforce proper lane discipline and I honestly believe there'll be no need to alter any maximum speed limits.

Unfortunately there's no chance whatsoever that this will ever happen - there's a lot of morons out there in vehicles - what about the million-plus who drive without insurance, for example. Don't be surprised if speed limits come down even more in the future as car ownership continues to increase.

While I agree it would be an extremely difficult if not impossible task cameras do nothing to improve behaviour whereas more police / highways agency staff - and perhaps public campaigns - just might be able to do so

[Andeh13]

HEXUS, where did this article come from? I'd like to read the original source.

[scaryjim]

... if you're going downhill for 10 minutes at 74mph without realising ...

If you can't control your speed going down a hill, and you will drive downhill for ten minutes in a speed controlled area without once checking your speedo to make sure you haven't accidentally increased your speed, then you don't deserve a driving license, frankly.

It takes less than a second to glance at your speedo, and you only need to do that once every 30s or so to reasonably maintain an average speed over a long stretch of road (tbh, I probably glance at it that often just out of habit). Hardly dangerous, is it...

[cheesemp]

I like the idea - They had 50 Mph average speed limit cameras on the M27/M3 junction when they widened it. Use to be loads of accidents and ques. There where none while the cameras where there and I was getting an extra 5mpg on the car (when that was only a small part of my journey) - there also seemed to be less idiots sitting up my arse etc. Its also been better since the junction widening was completed - but hey its far cheaper to put in cameras than an extra lane.

[KidChameleon]

Are people forgetting that Motorways are already the safest roads in the UK? Speed has virtually nothing to do with accidents (isnt it like only 4% of accidents are speed related?). This will just be a money generating machine, the amount of Co2 produced & traffic diversions to install them would totally offset any reduction by the vehicles.

"Analysis of casualty statistics in Great Britain has shown excessive speed to be a contributory factor in 12% of all injury collisions, 18% where there is a serious injury and 28% of all collisions which result
in a fatality."

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety...yourlimits.pdf

Not exactly "virtually nothing".

I've never understood the view that speed doesn't increase the chances of an accident. Sure, you could say it was the dog's fault for stepping out in front of you, making you swerve. But if you were going slower you would have had time to react.



However, motorways are free flowing and generally don't have hazards as long as everyone moves smoothly and keep their distance. In that case, I see no difference between 70mph and 80mph. Either way, a crash would be severe. The problem is difference in speed. As above, if someone doing 80-90mph suddenly meets someone doing 50mph, there's a problem. I think it's fine to have some leniency in motorway speeds in terms of safety.

Considering these are only proposals to enforce a law, would people feel the same way about enforcing laws against burglary or mugging? How dare they stop people waving a knife around every now and then?

[jonathan_phang]

HEXUS, where did this article come from? I'd like to read the original source.

Me too please

[Andeh13]

"Analysis of casualty statistics in Great Britain has shown excessive speed to be a contributory factor in 12% of all injury collisions, 18% where there is a serious injury and 28% of all collisions which result
in a fatality."

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety...yourlimits.pdf

Not exactly "virtually nothing".

I've never understood the view that speed doesn't increase the chances of an accident. Sure, you could say it was the dog's fault for stepping out in front of you, making you swerve. But if you were going slower you would have had time to react.

Government statistics aside, They don't give the breakdown for the road types involved, the type of collisions or what they define as 'excessive speed'. One definite statistic is the fact that German's Autbahns (no speed limits) are a damn site safer then our motorways, though some of that can be put down to the fact they are well maintained and have more money spent on them(one more failure of our government, and a proof that money isn't being spent as wisely as it should?). I wonder how many of those statistics involve pedestrians, running red lights or just driving like a clown (drinking etc) as well.

Until they show some definite predictions, and some trials where average speed cameras have improved the CO2, improved safety and improved journey times it is still one stealth tax if you ask me.

[Breezey]

Since modern cars are so much safer then cars when the national speed limit was set, and rads are safer than they've ever been, surely there is a good argument for increasing the limit.
The same goes for using mobile phones while driving. Why should all of us be restricted because a few are incapable of multi-tasking.

It's all about raising revenue and allowing government control under the guise of 'safety' and 'reducing emissions'. It's our fault. We let them put up cameras and paid them to do it, so it only makes sense for them to put up more. It's not too late to start necklacing on a grand scale, and that's the only way to change it.

I agree with this 110%, take the german autobahns as an example can sit at 110mph and not even feel the difference from 70mph.

[floppybootstomp]

The same goes for using mobile phones while driving. Why should all of us be restricted because a few are incapable of multi-tasking.

A few? A few? Listen up, the meatheads I've seen phone clamped to ear, doing 10mph and holding up trafic or weaving all over the place - I'd like to shoot them, frankly.

What kind of numbskull argument is that?

The majority of folk cannot hold a mobile phone to ear and drive safely, me included.

Laws are made to embrace the majority, not those supposedly gifted people who have extra-curricular skills.

As far as I'm concerned, hands-free should be banned as well.

Modern cars are safer, yes, but there are still lots of fifty year old cars on the road, relatively few, I grant you, but they're still there.

An 80 or 90mph speed limit would still apply to 'classics'

Just a thought

[Biscuit]

Government statistics aside, They don't give the breakdown for the road types involved, the type of collisions or what they define as 'excessive speed'. One definite statistic is the fact that German's Autbahns (no speed limits) are a damn site safer then our motorways, though some of that can be put down to the fact they are well maintained and have more money spent on them(one more failure of our government, and a proof that money isn't being spent as wisely as it should?). I wonder how many of those statistics involve pedestrians, running red lights or just driving like a clown (drinking etc) as well.

Until they show some definite predictions, and some trials where average speed cameras have improved the CO2, improved safety and improved journey times it is still one stealth tax if you ask me.

Agreed

[TeePee]

While we're talking statistics, let's consider the 40% decrease in casualties over the last ten years. The roads are safer. Let's stop with the silly misconception that speed and mobile phones cause accidents. Crap drivers cause accidents, and cameras don't help to catch them.