Speed camera mega-thread ***Read first post before posting***

oconnpad

It's the section of m1 between airside exit and donabate that is 60kph while they are widening it.
I hate driving on it as at 60 you don't feel safe I'd tipper trucks and 40 foots closing on you very fast

JamesBond2010

Here is more Ammo for the Fire!! http://www.irishtimes.com/business/2-3m-profit-for-speed-van-consortium-1.1469638

AltAccount

JamesBond2010 wrote: »

Here is more Ammo for the Fire!! http://www.irishtimes.com/business/2-3m-profit-for-speed-van-consortium-1.1469638

What's the issue, that they priced the tender at a level where they could make a profit?

Do you think there was impropriety in the tender process?

ironclaw

JamesBond2010 wrote: »

Here is more Ammo for the Fire!! http://www.irishtimes.com/business/2-3m-profit-for-speed-van-consortium-1.1469638

If people thought they were going to do it for the good of their hearts, then they have another thing coming. It was always going to be a business and should have been State operated. I'd say €2.3 million is actually on the low end of reality. Are they not based in Kerry in a Gaeltacht? i.e. Tax free?

Iwannahurl

ironclaw wrote: »

It was always going to be a business and should have been State operated.

I'm finding it hard to make sense of that.

If GoSafe is a private company, then it's a business arrangement and the service providers expect to make a profit.

If it's state-run then it's not a "business", inasmuch as AGS would not be running a speed surveillance operation along commercial lines.

ironclaw

Iwannahurl wrote: »

I'm finding it hard to make sense of that.

If GoSafe is a private company, then it's a business arrangement and the service providers expect to make a profit.

If it's state-run then it's not a "business", inasmuch as AGS would not be running a speed surveillance operation along commercial lines.

I'd just personally prefer to see the jobs and the overall revenue generation (The profit) being kept in State hands especially for something as lucrative as speed detection.

Iwannahurl

ironclaw wrote: »

I'd just personally prefer to see the jobs and the overall revenue generation (The profit) being kept in State hands especially for something as lucrative as speed detection.

The state is already 'profiting' from GoSafe.

Firstly, privatising speed surveillance in this way counters the hoary old arguments about safety cameras being revenue generators whose sole purpose is filling government coffers and so on.

Secondly, road injuries and fatalities are an economic burden on society. By reducing the occurrence of road crashes, saving lives and preventing serious injuries, speed cameras more than pay for themselves. So even if GoSafe are making an awful lot of money (and I'm surprised at just how lucrative it is for them) it's still a cost-effective strategy.

blackwhite

Iwannahurl wrote: »

The state is already 'profiting' from GoSafe.

Firstly, privatising speed surveillance in this way counters the hoary old arguments about safety cameras being revenue generators whose sole purpose is filling government coffers and so on.

Secondly, road injuries and fatalities are an economic burden on society. By reducing the occurrence of road crashes, saving lives and preventing serious injuries, speed cameras more than pay for themselves. So even if GoSafe are making an awful lot of money (and I'm surprised at just how lucrative it is for them) it's still a cost-effective strategy.

Second part is spot on - but the the first argument is defeated by the way the Go-Safe vans operate.

They are instructed daily by the Gardai as to where they will set up traffic surveillance operations. As such, the state still dictates the timing and location of the cameras.
All fines issues still go into the State coffers (Go-Safe earn a fixed fee based on hours of monitoring performed) - and so there is still plenty of incentive and opportunity for the State to instruct Go-Safe to place these vans in spots where they will have minimal impact on road safety but will try to maximise revenues.

I'm not saying that this actually happens, but claiming that using a private operator suddenly means that revenue-maximisation can no longer be a motivation is either naive, or blinkered agenda-pushing.

blackwhite

ironclaw wrote: »

I'd just personally prefer to see the jobs and the overall revenue generation (The profit) being kept in State hands especially for something as lucrative as speed detection.

I think outsourcing it for a fixed fee is a good way to do it, IF done properly.

However, it's plain to see that the fee agreed with the Go Safe operators was on the generous side :rolleyes:

It would be interesting to see if there was a corresponding increase in income from speeding fines received into the State coffers.....

My big hope with the Go Safe vans was that it would mean the guards who had previously spent their time permanently parked up with a "hairdryer" would be freed up to actually patrol the roads and enforce all of the other aspects of our RTAs.
Instead, the situation remains where most gardai will only pull someone over for an offence that their superintendent/sergeant has specifically instructed them to go out and look for :rolleyes:

rovoagho

I _don't_ agree with outsourcing of policing, in any way, however that aside, it's plain from the many examples of bad placements that have been given here and on other forums that there is either still a revenue element to the GoSafe setup, or there is an incompetent in charge.

There are two zones on my route home, one of which was added recently, and both were added because of single crashes. One of these was definitely a drink-driving incident, I'm not sure about the other. There is also an accident black spot that has been the scene of many accidentst that goes completely unpoliced.

Iwannahurl

blackwhite wrote: »

Second part is spot on - but the the first argument is defeated by the way the Go-Safe vans operate.

They are instructed daily by the Gardai as to where they will set up traffic surveillance operations. As such, the state still dictates the timing and location of the cameras.

All fines issues still go into the State coffers (Go-Safe earn a fixed fee based on hours of monitoring performed) - and so there is still plenty of incentive and opportunity for the State to instruct Go-Safe to place these vans in spots where they will have minimal impact on road safety but will try to maximise revenues.

I'm not saying that this actually happens, but claiming that using a private operator suddenly means that revenue-maximisation can no longer be a motivation is either naive, or blinkered agenda-pushing.

Interesting theory.

"During the 24 hours of Operation Slowdown from 07.00 Friday to 07.00 Saturday, GoSafe checked the speed of 53,469 vehicles, of these 321 were detected travelling in excess of the speed limit." Source: http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=11244

321 of 53469 vehicles. Would you say that's "revenue-maximisation" in action, or something else?

And with regard to "blinkered agenda-pushing", have you any insights regarding why I might be finding it so difficult to get speed surveillance in my neck of the woods, where speeding is so common that anyone primarily interested in "revenue-maximisation" would regard it as a gold-mine?

As an example of such speeding, incidentally, the driver of the taxi I was in last night, travelling from the bus station to my home, was doing 80 km/h on a 50 km/h collector road in a residential area. He's far from being an exception. Not a speed camera or Garda vehicle in sight, and never has been since I moved into the area over ten years ago.

Why is it so hard to motivate these guys to maximise their revenue? Do they want the dosh or not?

xabi

Saw a van today coming towards the end of the M7 heading to Dublin, man in high vis vest standing at the back with doors open and seemed to be working on the camera, i assume it wasn't operational if he had the door open and was standing in front of the camera?

ironclaw

xabi wrote: »

Saw a van today coming towards the end of the M7 heading to Dublin, man in high vis vest standing at the back with doors open and seemed to be working on the camera, i assume it wasn't operational if he had the door open and was standing in front of the camera?

Yeap. Not operational. There is a set up / calibration procedure.

Fred Swanson

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ironclaw

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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There's a section on the N11 from Fassaroe to Glen of the Downs, never seen one on it and I'd drive it daily at all times of day and night. In fact I always keep an eye out as I'm waiting to see where they will set up. Most of it is too dangerous to park up especially before Kilmac. My bet is before Kilmac Village and the 80km/h section (How convenient) as you enter the forest there. Then again, its a fairly blind bend with no where to park safely.

Iwannahurl

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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I'm beginning to get the feeling that GoSafe are getting paid too much are are not doing enough...

Fred Swanson

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HurtLocker

Fred Swanson wrote: »

I know of a zone on the N52 that has no where for them to set up as all the local people have denied them access to set up in their gateways. So that zone has had zero enforcement.

2 roads near me in the suburbs cork are both on the Go-Safe map but neither has ever had a gosafe camera on them ever. I presume the locals rejected them too. If they did set up a camera they'd be in the jackpot.

Iwannahurl

Fred Swanson wrote: »

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An utterly farcical situation, imo.

It's bizarre that the State cannot proceed with its road safety programme in certain areas because of private interests.

Only in Ireland?

endacl

Iwannahurl wrote: »

An utterly farcical situation, imo.

It's bizarre that the State cannot proceed with its road safety programme in certain areas because of private interests.

Only in Ireland?

There's a spot on the N81 as well that used to be a real 'fish in a barrel' spot. Until the daughter of the owner of the driveway was apparently done for expired tax.

ironclaw

Iwannahurl wrote: »

An utterly farcical situation, imo.

It's bizarre that the State cannot proceed with its road safety programme in certain areas because of private interests.

Only in Ireland?

Well to be fair, there are a good few stories of them blocking farm gates in more rural spots. I know of two first hand. Don't blame the farmer etc in that instance.

Iwannahurl

ironclaw wrote: »

Well to be fair, there are a good few stories of them blocking farm gates in more rural spots. I know of two first hand. Don't blame the farmer etc in that instance.

Farcical either way, imo. If the State can't identify suitable sites for speed cameras, then they should make them, by CPO or whatever means necessary.

It's daft to be parking GoSafe vans in private entrances. I'd love them to do speed checks in my locality, but I don't want them to park across people's driveways.

There is more than one way to skin a cat. Better organisation is needed perhaps. What particularly bugs me is the Garda get-out clause that a particular road is "too dangerous" for speed surveillance. Danger mandates greater effort -- it does not justify inaction.

SeanW

Iwannahurl wrote: »

An utterly farcical situation, imo.

It's bizarre that the State cannot proceed with its road safety programme in certain areas because of private interests.

Don't you mean "Private property rights?" Of course given my suspicions about your political persuasion, I doubt you give two figs about individuals' right or private property.

I too know of one place where there used to be occasional speed traps by a parked Garda car. Again, it was in a farmyard driveway. The farmer put a big metal gate across it.

brennarr

I was driving in the 3rd outside lane on the N4 yesterday on the stretch of road coming up to the undercarraige before the Spa hotel overtaking a car at around 90kph at about 18:30. Just as I overtook a car I seen a white speedvan on the side of the road. I'm wondering does it matter what lane you are in, it can still pick up you speeding across the 3 lanes of traffic? I didn't see a flash but I'm not sure that matters.

AugustusMinimus

Can someone please explain to me why there is a speed camera zone on the Cork South Ring Road.

According to the propaganda, these zones would only be on the most dangerous roads in Ireland. How is a 3 lane dual carriageway a particularly dangerous road ?

HurtLocker wrote: »

2 roads near me in the suburbs cork are both on the Go-Safe map but neither has ever had a gosafe camera on them ever. I presume the locals rejected them too. If they did set up a camera they'd be in the jackpot.

And where would these be exactly ?

ironclaw

brennarr wrote: »

I was driving in the 3rd outside lane on the N4 yesterday on the stretch of road coming up to the undercarraige before the Spa hotel overtaking a car at around 90kph at about 18:30. Just as I overtook a car I seen a white speedvan on the side of the road. I'm wondering does it matter what lane you are in, it can still pick up you speeding across the 3 lanes of traffic? I didn't see a flash but I'm not sure that matters.

Yeah the Garda van is often there alright. Two things in your favour:

• 90km/h on your speedo, your probably just over the 80km/h in reality. So your in good shape as you may not have been actually speeding. In reality you were probably closer to 81 - 84km/h true speed.
  
• It doesn't matter what lane you are in, however its a technicality if there is another car 'neck and neck' with you i.e. In the same photo. In that instance, and I have no proof other than reasonable information from those in the know, the picture is discarded. The reason being you could reasonably argue you cannot distinguish which car was actually speeding.

pa990

AugustusMinimus wrote: »

And where would these be exactly ?

Inbound on the south link and the Blackrock rd

Days 298

Guys, coming home today I left a National Road and when I got up the ramp, there were cameras everywhere. They were positioned like flood lights pointing down everywhere. All around the roundabout and pointing down the ramp and all other exits had multiple cameras directed at them. I literally had a camera pointed at me all the time and the next roundabout I meet when I went over the bridge over the N road to the next roundabout. Same story again. There was a van marked Data Collection something parked up near by.

Anybody know what they were doing? I presume they cant give out points.

ironclaw

Days 298 wrote: »

Guys, coming home today I left a National Road and when I got up the ramp, there were cameras everywhere. They were positioned like flood lights pointing down everywhere. All around the roundabout and pointing down the ramp and all other exits had multiple cameras directed at them. I literally had a camera pointed at me all the time and the next roundabout I meet when I went over the bridge over the N road to the next roundabout. Same story again. There was a van marked Data Collection something parked up near by.

Anybody know what they were doing? I presume they cant give out points.

Kinda answered your own question there.

Days 298

ironclaw wrote: »

Kinda answered your own question there.

Any idea what they can or will do with it?