Speed Cameras.. Do they work?

D!ve^Bomb!

Have to say i don't see what these cameras are for..

Was travelling through Blanch last night.. checked my speedometer, saw i was a little over 60(limit) so i slow down,, at this time i see that the speed limit sign at the side of the road with the symbol of the camera by it.. hence speed cameras in operation.. as i slowed to below 60.. i realise everyone is going considerably faster than me.. so whats the deal.. are all of these drivers gonna get a fine in a week or two or do they get away with it??

Do cameras work at all???

Shrimp

I'd say alot of the time those signs are just bluffing!

coweyed

It doesn't really matter if they work (take a pic) or not, most people will slow down just on seeing a sign for one anyway..

They should have a lot more cameras around, maybe 10% real and 90% duds and then every now and again swap them around..
This way you will never really know if a camera is going to be real or a fake so you'll slow down anyway, and the cost to install them is minimal.

Shrimp

Did you not just read what he wrote, He just said that most of the ppl didn't slow down.. ???

D!ve^Bomb!

none of em slowed down.. except me:D.. and i'm the one paying 4 grand insurance :rolleyes: :mad:

jesus_thats_gre

At the moment I don't see the point of them on Motorways as more often than not, people know they are coming and just slow down until they are passed them. People have also copped on that the majority of them do not contain camera's.

I read this weekend that 40% of the road death victims in Louth/Meath during 2002 and 2003 had consumed alcohol. Over the same period, I think it was that just 80 people were arrested for driving over the limit in the same district..

Granted, the statistic is quite vague (does victims include people who were not driving and were the 40% over the legal limit) but it is pretty obvious that the most dangerous time to drive is at night time.

Unfortunately there seems to be alot of people who seem to think drink driving is acceptable. Drink driving is also most common during the night. It is also no coincidence that there is very little Gardai available at night time to increase the number of random checks, any that are available are in the town centre's trying to keep the peace.

So what happens, the people who think drink driving are ok know that they it is unlikely they will get caught and take the risk.

In my opinion, the new Traffic Corp should be just as prevelent at night time as they are during the day, providing a presence that currently does not currently exist. The presence alone should have a positive effect on the numbers who drink and drive, thus eventually cutting the numbers who die at night. The would also reduce the numbers who speed at night on the assumption that the roads will be relatively quiet.


Until moves such as the above are made, I think that camera's and the Traffic Corp have only limited use, PR bonanza and money for the goverment.

Borzoi

Shrimp wrote:

Did you not just read what he wrote, He just said that most of the ppl didn't slow down.. ???

Most people on that stretch of road would be regular commuters, who would be well aware that despite the sign - there is no fixed camera installations there.

More useful than a sign would be - an actual camera :rolleyes:

Seth Brundle

There are loads of signs around but not a camera for miles. the problem with cameras is that they are really used as a punishment rather than a deterrent. If there were more cameras around Ireland on all types of road (not just straight stretches or dual carriageways) and these were brightly coloured then people would notice them and eventually people would adopt a legal approach. Look at the situation in Britain where there is a speed camera every 20 feet and many of these are quite obvious to oncoming traffic. Traffic generally sticks to the limit as they know it is not worth their while speeding. In Dublin a 30mph zone means drive at 50mph (e.g. the quays). In London it would mean drive under 30mph! Britain has also introduced the SPECS which records average speed over a given distance. It is too easy to get caught there. However, this combined with other factors including a proper traffic corps means that the UK has one of the lowest (if not the lowest) road fatality rates in Europe. Our lack of proper enforcement means that we have the highest (see the thread Law enforcement - does it exist? - nobody was able to supply a properly enforced motoring law in this country!)

ktoal

The best speed camera I've seen on the N3 from Navan to Dublin. Someone must have been flashed by the camera, reversed the car, poured petol over it and set it alight.... It's all burnt out and it's been like that for months.

Drivers 1 / Cameras Nil......................

Seth Brundle

That is just outside Dalgan Park near Navan. Co-incidentally I was heading out that way on Sunday and just before I drove past it the Ash song 'Burn Baby Burn' came on the radio - had to laugh!

Boggle

www.safespeed.org

Have a read...

elexes

kbannon wrote:

However, this combined with other factors including a proper traffic corps means that the UK has one of the lowest (if not the lowest) road fatality rates in Europe.

thought they dubbled the ammount of camera's this year but they have 500 more road deaths compaired to last

D!ve^Bomb!

elexes wrote:

thought they dubbled the ammount of camera's this year but they have 500 more road deaths compaired to last

everyone's being blinded by the flashing lights:D

sharkman

Does anyone know if the camera on the Lucan road heading back into Dublin is operational .

I got flashed by it last night doing 54 in the 50 zone

Seth Brundle

They rotate the cameras so unless you are working for the force, you won't know if it was working until something arrives in a few weeks/months/years.

However, it was working a few months ago as some dozy young one from leixlip found out when she got six notifications shortly after starting to use the road. Still, we are better off without the likes of her on the roads!

MrPudding

There seems to be a problem in the UK with coppers on the road being replaced by cameras. This is though to be the cause of increase road fatalities. There is one police force, not sure which, that is not using cameras, they actullay removed cameras. Instead they are increase police presence on the roads. This area has seen a dramatic drop in fatalites and I think now has one of the lowest rates in the UK.

MrP

Kersh

Also, most cameras are in Dublin and surrounding area, afaik most people killed on the roads last year were killed on normal winding roads in the countryside, or so I seemed to hear on the news, anyone got county by county stats...
But why are there no speed cameras on these roads????

Seth Brundle

AFAIK, Gatsos are used in Counties Dublin, Meath & Louth.
Mobile Patrols (transit van jobbies and also the unmarked vascar (sp?)) are used nationwide.
The garda speed traps (hairdryer) come in two types - the legal one which gives a printout of the offence (used only in Louth) and the illegal ones used all over the country.
My info may be incorrect but it was told to me by someone in the business!

Our man in Havana

The garda speed traps (hairdryer) come in two types - the legal one which gives a printout of the offence (used only in Louth) and the illegal ones used all over the country.

What do these alledged devices look like?

joolsveer

sharkman wrote:

Does anyone know if the camera on the Lucan road heading back into Dublin is operational .

I got flashed by it last night doing 54 in the 50 zone

I don't know if it's working now but it certainly was last March when I was caught doing 59mph. I paid the fine as soon as I got the notice but the points were added in June!!

Brenner

I got flashed by that one (near the Spa hotel) a few months ago, doing about 15mph over the limit, no ticket (luck me )

I was overtaking someone though, which may have confused it

sharkman

Ahhh ****E , 4 pionts , Thats 1 per MPH over the limit ... Lucky Me :mad:

Seth Brundle

Bond-007 wrote:

What do these alledged devices look like?

they are the ones where muldoon stands at the side of the road. Some have a suitcase beside the tripod which stores photos.
See www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk

Brenner wrote:

I was overtaking someone though, which may have confused it

There are markings on the road which prevent confusion. It is more than likely that there was no camera in it.

kenmc

Brenner wrote:

I got flashed by that one (near the Spa hotel) a few months ago, doing about 15mph over the limit, no ticket (luck me )

I was overtaking someone though, which may have confused it

Yeah I always wondered about that. there's one camera. there's 2 lanes. it's at least theoretically possible that the inside car will block the reg of the outside car, which is the one doing the speed, and the one which triggered the camera in the first place..... who gets fined??? the one on the inside can argue "he was overtaking me - he was faster" but that may not necessarily be true..... one of those odd ones i guess.....

kenmc

sharkman wrote:

Does anyone know if the camera on the Lucan road heading back into Dublin is operational .

I got flashed by it last night doing 54 in the 50 zone

yeah - thats the one that all the furore was about a few months back when some woman got caught 6 days in a row and got her 12 points before she got the first notice about it..... nasty