Why are people against CCTV and speed cameras on the roads?

[400bhp]

. I was substantially exceeding the limit, but only picked up the 3 points and £60 fine as whatever I was doing, he (as an expert witness in traffic matters) obviously didn't regard any of my actions to be that which was either reckless or dangerous (I didn't cause any risk to others, wasn't racing or running, and he had it on cam so would have been easy to substantiate either way)

Be very careful with that assumption. The police officer will have been given instruction (orders) to automatically send you to court if you are x%/ymph over the speed limit, regardless of whether they perceived your driving to be dangerous. I know this.

 

[Linford]

Be very careful with that assumption. The police officer will have been given instruction (orders) to automatically send you to court if you are x%/ymph over the speed limit, regardless of whether they perceived your driving to be dangerous. I know this.

He was accompanied by another officer so was also under scrutiny for the decision he made at that point to give me a FPN. He (as regarded as an expert in a court of law) did say that it would have been an automatic ban if it had gone to court, but he (as an expert who's job it is to monitor these things in the real world) made the call that what I did wasn't either worthy of the court time, or that it wasn't something which created a real danger to myself others around me.

 

[Inertia]

I think this thread may have jumped the shark

 

[400bhp]

He was accompanied by another officer so was also under scrutiny for the decision he made at that point to give me a FPN. He (as regarded as an expert in a court of law) did say that it would have been an automatic ban if it had gone to court, but he (as an expert who's job it is to monitor these things in the real world) made the call that what I did wasn't either worthy of the court time, or that it wasn't something which created a real danger to myself others around me.

He was playing you.

 

[Linford]

He was playing you.

How do you mean ?

 

[400bhp]

You beleived his story -for one there is no "automatic ban" - the mags would weigh up the circumstances and mitigation and may ban OR impose points (not both). It is more likely that the officer was under instruction, for a variety of reasons, not to send particular offences to court.

 

[400bhp]

Like a stradivarius

More likely an old piano

 

[Linford]

You beleived his story -for one there is no "automatic ban" - the mags would weigh up the circumstances and mitigation and may ban OR impose points (not both). It is more likely that the officer was under instruction, for a variety of reasons, not to send particular offences to court.

So what instruction would you say that is as I certainly wasn't hanging around ?. I personally know others who have lost their licenses for less than what he pulled me up for.

 

[GrasB]

Problem I have with speed cameras isn't that they're actually capturing people speeding, it's the fact they don't effectively police the real problem - dangerous driving. It's very easy to drive in a reckless/dangerous manner well within the speed limit & cameras don't catch this. Unfortunately at best they limit the impact of that dangerous driving, at worst provoke it.

Example of why I hate speed cameras this morning; doing 30mph in a 30mph limit, motorist overtakes me at 35-37mph just before a speed, after they cut me up pulling back into their normal road position they slam on the brakes down to about 20mph to go over the speed camera marks on the road & then accelerate aggressively away. It's not the camera that's the problem, its drivers reactions to them.

 

[Linford]

The application of law is not uniform.

If that were the case, and all should be judged by the same yardstick, then somebody's rush to hospital which had tripped a cam on the way and earned the driver a fine/points is far more valuable to society than the fact that their actions could have saved a life.

 

[Linford]

It is with static bloody speed cameras!!!

Touche

 

[GrasB]

No it isn't. I have triggered several but only ever had a letter on one occasion.

There may be problems with the photo or the camera wasn't loaded, etc. The fact you've 'triggered' many might be a suggestion to alter your driving.

 

[benb]

Example of why I hate speed cameras ... It's not the camera that's the problem, its drivers reactions to them.

So it should be stupid drivers you hate, not speed cameras.

 

[400bhp]

It might be, were they not all bar one on my bike.

Then your argument with Smegma falls down.

 

[benb]

1. This happens all the time (people exceeding the limits) - it doens't automatically make them dangerous it reverts to the judgment call stated in the highway code (it is a lazy argument to say otherwise IMO)
2. Ditto again - the fact that people do this and whilst risking getting caught do not put themselves in significant danger (it is all about risk assesment, and using the experience they have gained to make that call)
3. Once again we go back to risk assessment and application of experience gained (stop within the distance you see to be safe) If a driver is deemed competent enough to make that judgment call at 60 on a 50 limit, then what is the difference between them doing the same at 50 on a 40 limit ? This is what they are trained to do isn't it. Driving is all about making series of judgment calls throughout the journey isn't it. That is what keeps the vehicles apart at the end of the day.
4. I certainly wouldn't agree with the first part as I do feel that the lower limits are put there for a very good reason, but provided there are no others around, I've seen this done many times, and no kittens were harmed in the process.

Well you'll forgive me for not trusting drivers to make their own judgement as to when it's safe to speed.

You could make a similar argument that as people react to alcohol in different ways, we should give drivers the leeway to decide themselves whether it is safe to drive after a pint or two.

Many drivers have shown that they cannot be trusted to drive safely - they must be forced to do so. The fact that this inconveniences "safe" drivers who can safely exceed the posted limit is the price we must pay for having idiots in society!