'Hypocrisy' of speeding middle-class motorists

[L00b]

If you really want a surefire way of reducing speeding and casualties, get rid of Day-Glo fixed cameras, bring back traffic officers hiding in bushes, and overhaul the legislative context to favour acceptance of penalties over contesting (pay now = less £/points, contest unsuccessfully = double £ and increased points/'sentence').

 

It's worked well in France in the past few years, in terms of reducing road casualties. It really feels a totally different country when I drive over there these days, compared to my younger years. Nearly cows me into sticking to speed limits over there

 

But then, there's a lot more moaning about it being a Police State these days, too.

 

Can't have you cake and eating it, as usual

 

For my £0.02, the OP (topic, not poster) is entirely wrong, most people caught speeding will try and talk their way out of it regardless of class. Just watch any of the innumerable cop shows on Sky, ITV and the like if you don't believe me

[spindrift]

the cost of a road fatality is put at around £1m.

Since cameras save 100 lives a year, they cannot possibly be making a loss unless running costs were more than a hundred million pounds!

 

Since loads of them don't have film in them I can't see how they can make a loss, they're terrific money spinners, exactly what we need, criminals end up paying to make the roads safer and get more cops policing the roads.

[mj.scuba]

DfT sexed up effectivness of speed cameras:

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/07/29/dft_speed_cam_incorrectness/

[Greybeard]

The point Julie Spence is making is that the middle classes are quick to condemn the anti-social behaviour of feral, working class youth and football supporters etc. but seem blind to the fact that their own behaviour behind the wheel of a car is often anti-social. Not just a disregard for speed limits but dumping their SUVs any old how when delivering and picking up their little darlings to and from school regardless of the inconvenience caused to other road users.

[willman]

the cost of a road fatality is put at around £1m.

Since cameras save 100 lives a year, they cannot possibly be making a loss unless running costs were more than a hundred million pounds!

 

Since loads of them don't have film in them I can't see how they can make a loss, they're terrific money spinners, exactly what we need, criminals end up paying to make the roads safer and get more cops policing the roads.

 

If any of that was true i'd be happy.

[Magilla]

Since cameras save 100 lives a year, they cannot possibly be making a loss unless running costs were more than a hundred million pounds!

 

Unless of course, the stated figures for lives saved are "pie in the sky".

 

If it's anything like the "one third" figure touted for speeding by the TRL back in the 80's & 90's it almost certainly bears no relation to reality.

[willman]

The point Julie Spence is making is that the middle classes are quick to condemn the anti-social behaviour of feral, working class youth and football supporters etc. but seem blind to the fact that their own behaviour behind the wheel of a car is often anti-social. Not just a disregard for speed limits but dumping their SUVs any old how when delivering and picking up their little darlings to and from school regardless of the inconvenience caused to other road users.

 

Unlike the middle class non speeders who take recreational drugs or who drop litter or who drink drive or who have garden parties and disturb the neighbours, or generally behave in an anti social manner.As i'm not middle class(like most on here tbh) it's not point i can defend really.

[barrywhite]

I speed everywhere, and where I can't I like to tailgate to move the slow drivers out of the way

[Dogs Of War]

Well, to some extent she has a point. There are several people on this forum, for example, who rail continually that people who break the law should be punished most harshly, and also go out of their way to argue that they should be allowed to exceed speed limits, and even make special threads warning everyone where the enforcement teams are so that offenders can avoid getting caught.

 

So warning other motorists of a hazard further up the road is wrong ?

[mj.scuba]

The point Julie Spence is making is that the middle classes are quick to condemn the anti-social behaviour of feral, working class youth and football supporters etc. but seem blind to the fact that their own behaviour behind the wheel of a car is often anti-social. Not just a disregard for speed limits but dumping their SUVs any old how when delivering and picking up their little darlings to and from school regardless of the inconvenience caused to other road users.

 

How did this woman ever make Chief Constable? The people most affected by anti-social behavior are not the middle class at all, it is the poor who live in rough areas/sink estates. And why shouldn't any body condemn the chav scum blighting streets, regardless of class?