Speed camera warners can be prosecuted.

[spindrift]

Hence why slightly exceeding the speed limit is not a major cause of accidents or deaths.

.

 

 

Wrong I'm afraid.

 

TRL 421:

 

the faster the traffic moves on average, the more crashes there are (and crash frequency increases approximately with the square of average traffic speed)

the larger the spread of speeds around the average, the more crashes there are.

 

The study confirmed what is described as a ‘robust general rule’ relating crash reductions to speed reductions: for every 1 mph reduction average speed, crashes are reduced by between 2-7%. More specifically, the crash reduction figure is around :

 

6% for urban roads with low average speeds

4% for medium speed urban roads and lower speed rural main roads

3% for higher speed urban roads and rural main roads

To put the dangerousness of speed into perspective, how many drivers care about or would notice a 2mph reduction in their average speed? Yet, averaged across the entire road network, a mere 2mph reduction in average speeds would prevent more than 200 deaths and 3,500 serious casualties a year.

[quisquose]

There's a road with a history of street muggings.

 

You see a man approach an old lady and warn him the cops are around. You have no idea if he's a mugger.

 

The police fine you for obstruction.

 

Would you complain?

 

Ah, I see now ... it's a total sense of perspective that you struggle with.

 

A small fine no, but if I was handed a punishment that was more severe than the punishment for mugging itself, then yes I would complain.

 

To continue with your analogy:

 

There's a road with a history of littering.

 

You see a man drop a chip wrapper and tell him to pick it up because the cops are around. He picks it up, but you have no idea if he was going to anyway.

 

The police fine you for obstruction.

 

Would you complain?

 

Of course you do. If however, they had simply said, "a word in your ear mate, we're covering this area at the moment to issue a few fines to discourage littering in this area, keep quiet will you", you would have thought that this was positive.

 

The problem with the vindictive police action against Mr Thompson is that he ended up with a criminal conviction in addition to the fine, in effect a punishment far in excess to the punishment that any, if there were any, speeding drivers would have got.

[spindrift]

Ah, I see now ... it's a total sense of perspective that you struggle with.

 

A small fine no, but if I was handed a punishment that was more severe than the punishment for mugging itself, then yes I would complain.

 

To continue with your analogy:

 

There's a road with a history of littering.

 

You see a man drop a chip wrapper and tell him to pick it up because the cops are around. He picks it up, but you have no idea if he was going to anyway.

 

The police fine you for obstruction.

 

Would you complain?

 

Of course you do. If however, they had simply said, "a word in your ear mate, we're covering this area at the moment to issue a few fines to discourage littering in this area, keep quiet will you", you would have thought that this was positive.

 

The problem with the vindictive police action against Mr Thompson is that he ended up with a criminal conviction in addition to the fine, in effect a punishment far in excess to the punishment that any, if there were any, speeding drivers would have got.

 

Speeding is a criminal conviction, read the thread.

[mj.scuba]

Wrong I'm afraid.

 

TRL 421:

 

the faster the traffic moves on average, the more crashes there are (and crash frequency increases approximately with the square of average traffic speed)

the larger the spread of speeds around the average, the more crashes there are.

 

The study confirmed what is described as a ‘robust general rule’ relating crash reductions to speed reductions: for every 1 mph reduction average speed, crashes are reduced by between 2-7%. More specifically, the crash reduction figure is around :

 

6% for urban roads with low average speeds

4% for medium speed urban roads and lower speed rural main roads

3% for higher speed urban roads and rural main roads

To put the dangerousness of speed into perspective, how many drivers care about or would notice a 2mph reduction in their average speed? Yet, averaged across the entire road network, a mere 2mph reduction in average speeds would prevent more than 200 deaths and 3,500 serious casualties a year.

 

So if speeding even over the limit by 2mph is sooooo dangerous, why are you against people trying to prevent death and destruction on our roads?

[dawny1970]

wow, how do all the Germans survive on those unrestricted autobahns??

[spindrift]

wow, how do all the Germans survive on those unrestricted autobahns??

 

No pedestrians on autobhans, but accidents are more severe and more common.

 

I'd also guess that those drivers who were speeding, but then slowed down briefly after being flashed, would likely put their foot down once past the radar gun, whereas those fined and given points on their license might (possibly) take the whole thing a bit more seriously.

[spindrift]

So if speeding even over the limit by 2mph is sooooo dangerous, why are you against people trying to prevent death and destruction on our roads?

 

Because the flashed drivers would merely speed up once past the speed trap.

 

A fine and points would focus their attention much more effectively.

[Cyclone]

Motorways have the most crashes then spindrift?

And you've attempted to conflate minor traffic accidents with pedestrian deaths, well done, but I'm not buying it.

[mj.scuba]

Because the flashed drivers would merely speed up once past the speed trap.

 

A fine and points would focus their attention much more effectively.

 

But they would be doing that anyway, giving them a flash at least brings them within the limit for a short stretch. If it really is so dangerous, they could crash and die or kill somebody, right where they're doing the speed check, so warning them about their speed prevents accidents and deaths, it's your civic duty!

[quisquose]

Speeding is a criminal conviction, read the thread.

 

Speeding is a criminal offence, it rarely results in a criminal conviction. Do you not understand the difference?

 

 

The implications of a criminal conviction can be far-reaching.