Reply to: Would you work on a 'traffic surveillance' project?

[Paddy]

You sure about that? Do you have a link, I would imagine not as its total tuplip, SCP are not privately run, in the example you gave Hampshire the fines are admisitered inhouse Hampshire Constabulary: Central Ticket Office all be it with Civilian Employees rather than Police Officers, which you must agree is a better idea than have a £30k a year bobby stuck behind a desk

Did you just quote Godwins Law?

Fines are dealt with by Capita. There was a feature on this on the BBC about two years ago. The private company running the partnership also sponsors lobby groups in order to put lower speed limits on country roads.

[Durbs]

For the record, PLEASE don't put speed camers on the Cat and Fiddle.....

Have you been up the Cat 'n Fiddle recently???

I used to ride up there every weekend but its now all those average speed cameras that track you over the route so you cant just slow down for the cameras themselves. rode it last weekend, is rubbish now.

[Mich the Tester]

surely the whole point is that the cameras take the judgement out of the situation.
It becomes black and white, right or wrong.
I can cite a thousand ocasions when the law said '70 is ok' and my common sense said 'do 50'
and a thousand times when the law said 'no more than 70' and my common sense said 'do 90'


have you ever driven down a road where the law says 30, and you can see toddlers running around chasing a foot ball?

if you stuck to 30 and killed one, would the camera fans be happy ?

of course not. so we have to use our common sense at one end of the scale, but not at the money making end of the scale

mmmmmmm

Spot on.

[SimonMac]

You are so naïve. The speed cameras are run by a so called “safety camera partnerships”. These are run by private companies and they get about 30% of the revenue. The fines are then administered by the police who also outsource it to a private company. Unsurprisingly the “safety camera partnership” in Hampshire is owned by a County Councillor and ex chief constable.

You sure about that? Do you have a link, I would imagine not as its total tuplip, SCP are not privately run, in the example you gave Hampshire the fines are admisitered inhouse Hampshire Constabulary: Central Ticket Office all be it with Civilian Employees rather than Police Officers, which you must agree is a better idea than have a £30k a year bobby stuck behind a desk

You remind me of the collaborators in the Channel Islands during WWII who reported escaped prisoners because "it was the law".

Did you just quote Godwins Law?

[wobbegong]

If you have a moral objection to it, don't do it. Be true to yourself, something else will come along. I turned down work at the Molins plant in the late 80's. I didn't want to be part of the tobacco industry. I'd do it again today.

[thunderlizard]

Presumably testing a system like that involves tear-arsing around town at breakneck speed in a souped-up Cosworth and making sure you get logged in all the right places. Sounds like a top lark. Go for it.

[conned tractor]

You are so naïve. The speed cameras are run by a so called “safety camera partnerships”. These are run by private companies and they get about 30% of the revenue. The fines are then administered by the police who also outsource it to a private company. Unsurprisingly the “safety camera partnership” in Hampshire is owned by a County Councillor and ex chief constable.

You remind me of the collaborators in the Channel Islands during WWII who reported escaped prisoners because "it was the law".

Well said Paddy.

[Paddy]

I think the primary objective is to catch the people breaking the law?

So what if they are being used to raise money? People are shouting out that the police are underfunded as it is so why not penalise people who are breaking the law.

The thing I have most umbridge about is your last comment

This is where my earlier comment comes into play, if you object to the law fight it, not the speed cameras.

You are so naïve. The speed cameras are run by a so called “safety camera partnerships”. These are run by private companies and they get about 30% of the revenue. The fines are then administered by the police who also outsource it to a private company. Unsurprisingly the “safety camera partnership” in Hampshire is owned by a County Councillor and ex chief constable.

You remind me of the collaborators in the Channel Islands during WWII who reported escaped prisoners because "it was the law".

[d000hg]

EO I don't think the cameras will force you do drive at 30 and plough into children. It's a good line for the judge if you fancied taking out some chavs but I doubt they will go for it.

[SimonMac]

I'd do it. No question. Interesting project.

I'd also make sure that I coded in a rule for my own car that excluded it from the resulting speeding report while also adding a rule that added 20 mph to the actual speed of anyone with a personalised number plate or fluffy dice.

Whats worse, someone who pays £2-3k for a proper personalised plate, or the cheap skate with a bog standard number plate that they use black tape to make look like something else?

[MarillionFan]

I'd do it. No question. Interesting project.

I'd also make sure that I coded in a rule for my own car that excluded it from the resulting speeding report while also adding a rule that added 20 mph to the actual speed of anyone with a personalised number plate or fluffy dice.

[EternalOptimist]

surely the whole point is that the cameras take the judgement out of the situation.
It becomes black and white, right or wrong.
I can cite a thousand ocasions when the law said '70 is ok' and my common sense said 'do 50'
and a thousand times when the law said 'no more than 70' and my common sense said 'do 90'


have you ever driven down a road where the law says 30, and you can see toddlers running around chasing a foot ball?

if you stuck to 30 and killed one, would the camera fans be happy ?

of course not. so we have to use our common sense at one end of the scale, but not at the money making end of the scale

mmmmmmm

[d000hg]

My problem with the law is that it's outdated like everything else in this country, and based upon figures from the 1950's. I've had cars that would do 70mph IN FIRST GEAR, nevermind the national speed limit, with brakes the size of dustbin lids and can stop in less than half the recommeded distance in the highway code. I've had cars that would do nigh on 200mph and would defy anyone who said it was dangerous to travel at 80mph

Good for you until you're 'safely' doing 80 and someone runs out in front of you so close you haven't even had time to react.

The moron behind the wheel hasn't changed since 1950. I support some changes like on motorway limits though, or roads people can't get on to easily.

[DaveB]

The argument is, is that the primary objective of a speed camera is to make money, and the safety aspect is a distant second. If the cameras were used outside schools then I'd agree with you wholeheartedly, but look at the list of the most dangerous roads in the UK and see how many of them have speed cameras. Not far from where I live are Woodhead Pass, the Snake Pass and the Cat and Fiddle - probably 3 of the top 10 most dangerous driving roads in the UK and it would be money well spent to put one on here. But instead, they are cunningly hid on stretches of A roads or dual carriageways where it is perfectly safe to do that extra 10 mph when it's quiet, but when you do...you're fooked.

For the record, PLEASE don't put speed camers on the Cat and Fiddle.....

Woodhead, Snake and C&F are dangerous roads largely because they are narrow, twisty and heavily, plusthey become ice rinks in the winter. You can kill yourself or someone else quite easily on any of them without breaking the speed limit. The plod regularly put mobile units out on all three as well.

The stretch of the A1 where I live was a black spot for years, averageing 3 fatalities a year.

Since they put in speed restrictions backed by camera's there have been 2 fatalities in 10 years.

Put in the right place, they work.

[scooterscot]

On a similar theme

I've generally avoided defence work, it's taken me the best part of 3-4 years now but manage quite well with commercial employment.

I think the peak for me came when working with a short range missile manufacturer and seeing what I was helping them achieve.

No thanks.