Random Irritations

[Golfmmad]

Embarrassingly for the safety camera team in my old Force area, when I asked them about some of their chosen locations they tried to justify their camera placement on the basis of previous serious or fatal collisions, totally neglecting the fact that I knew they were talking cobblers, as I had been working in collision investigation long enough to know their sites, more often than not, were not collision hotspots!

Not having a go here Billy but surely safety cameras are there to slow traffic down. Not necessarily at accident hotpots.
My last 9 years of working before I retired was similar to what you do now. Delivering courtesy cars to non fault accident victims and then collecting them when their car had been repaired.

The job covered a large part of the south east and up to J12 of the M25. During that time what I noticed most of all was the impatience and speed of the traffic on motorways.
And especially at roadworks with an average speed check. The amount of drivers that disregarded the signs and not realising why they were there. To protect the workforce as well as the motorist.
Some lorry drivers are poor at this. I could be driving on cruise control at 52mph and the amount of lorries that would trundle up right behind, and then pull in and undertake - reckless!

Traffic just needs to slow down and consider the possible consequences!

 

[RichA]

Not having a go here Billy but surely safety cameras are there to slow traffic down. Not necessarily at accident hotpots.
My last 9 years of working before I retired was similar to what you do now. Delivering courtesy cars to non fault accident victims and then collecting them when their car had been repaired.

The job covered a large part of the south east and up to J12 of the M25. During that time what I noticed most of all was the impatience and speed of the traffic on motorways.
And especially at roadworks with an average speed check. The amount of drivers that disregarded the signs and not realising why they were there. To protect the workforce as well as the motorist.
Some lorry drivers are poor at this. I could be driving on cruise control at 52mph and the amount of lorries that would trundle up right behind, and then pull in and undertake - reckless!

Traffic just needs to slow down and consider the possible consequences!

Undertaking is poor, but if a lorry was undertaking you then you were in the wrong lane. Highway Code innit!

 

[Golfmmad]

No

Undertaking is poor, but if a lorry was undertaking you then you were in the wrong lane. Highway Code innit!

No, in a 50mph average speed, changing lanes is not encouraged.
In some cases I might increase speed slightly and pull in further along, depending on the amount of traffic.

 

[Piece]

Another insurance moan. This time, home insurance. Renewal quote came in a whopping 387% more than my original! No change, no claims, just a MASSIVE hike. They were told to Foxtrot Oscar immediately.

Went to a market comparison site and a few reasonable options came in. Selected one and went ahead and paid. Then email comes through and says what I paid for doesn't reflect what I specified. Phone up and get told, sorry about that, but to cover what you need it's an extra £70 notes. Another FO. I went somewhere else. What a faff.

Insurance market is as flaky as an Everton accountant.

 

[Robster59]

Monday night Quiz night on BBC 2 has finished.

 

[RichA]

No

No, in a 50mph average speed, changing lanes is not encouraged.
In some cases I might increase speed slightly and pull in further along, depending on the amount of traffic.

You must be using a different version of the Highway Code to the one that I'm familiar with. Discouraging normal lane discipline in average speed areas but allowing a bit of speeding at the driver's discretion is a new one on me.

 

[Golfmmad]

You must be using a different version of the Highway Code to the one that I'm familiar with. Discouraging normal lane discipline in average speed areas but allowing a bit of speeding at the driver's discretion is a new one on me.

No again. On roadworks with average speed the lanes are narrower so changing lanes is not encouraged.
Average speed means just that. Going slightly over 50mph in certain circumstances as in some places where you are driving at less than 50 is not speeding.

Changing lanes or undertaking on a normal running motorway is as you say, "Discouraged".
Not the same in roadworks running at 50mph.

 

[Neilds]

No again. On roadworks with average speed the lanes are narrower so changing lanes is not encouraged.
Average speed means just that. Going slightly over 50mph in certain circumstances as in some places where you are driving at less than 50 is not speeding.

Changing lanes or undertaking on a normal running motorway is as you say, "Discouraged".
Not the same in roadworks running at 50mph.

The average speed refers to the type of cameras and how they monitor your speed as opposed to 'standard' cameras which take an instant speed check. The speed limit is still (usually) 50mph in roadworks

 

[Golfmmad]

The average speed refers to the type of cameras and how they monitor your speed as opposed to 'standard' cameras which take an instant speed check. The speed limit is still (usually) 50mph in roadworks

Don't want to get into an argument here but as I understand it: Average speed cameras are placed at the start of roadworks and are at intervals and at the end of works. Then the average speed is calculated. So effectively you could do 60 in some parts and 40 in others (not sure of the maths) meaning an average speed of 50.
Happy to be corrected if that's wrong.

 

[Billysboots]

Not having a go here Billy but surely safety cameras are there to slow traffic down.

That’s exactly my point. The sole purpose of speed cameras should be to reduce speed, and therefore collisions. The official line from the police has always been that they are not about raising revenue.

By effectively concealing a safety camera van in amongst a number of road maintenance vehicles I would suggest that the vast majority of drivers didn’t even see it. That cannot be a deployment aimed at encouraging drivers to moderate their speed in such circumstances. It’s all about catching people unawares.

Whilst I absolutely agree that those who flout the law deserve what they get, such tactics are downright sneaky. It’s akin to a uniform cop not wearing a high viz and leaping out from behind a bush with a speed gun.

 

[Neilds]

Don't want to get into an argument here but as I understand it: Average speed cameras are placed at the start of roadworks and are at intervals and at the end of works. Then the average speed is calculated. So effectively you could do 60 in some parts and 40 in others (not sure of the maths) meaning an average speed of 50.
Happy to be corrected if that's wrong.

Very wrong! This is a copy of the AA website which states average speed cameras are to stop exactly what you mention - which is quite dangerous.

Average speed cameras work by recording your speed at two different points. They don't capture your speed in a single flash. Instead, they'll monitor your speed over a length of road.

This is so people don't slow down just before they see a camera and then speed up again afterwards. They help to keep the traffic flowing steadily instead of stopping and starting.

 

[Orikoru]

Don't want to get into an argument here but as I understand it: Average speed cameras are placed at the start of roadworks and are at intervals and at the end of works. Then the average speed is calculated. So effectively you could do 60 in some parts and 40 in others (not sure of the maths) meaning an average speed of 50.
Happy to be corrected if that's wrong.

You can do that. You'll still be speeding during the time you're doing 60 though, you just won't get caught.

 

[RichA]

Don't want to get into an argument here but as I understand it: Average speed cameras are placed at the start of roadworks and are at intervals and at the end of works. Then the average speed is calculated. So effectively you could do 60 in some parts and 40 in others (not sure of the maths) meaning an average speed of 50.
Happy to be corrected if that's wrong.

If you do that then you are getting away with breaking the speed limit, not complying with it.

 

[Hobbit]

No water.

We usually lose water about every 4-6 weeks. It rarely extends beyond 4 hours - think it’s only happened about twice in 6 years. Today is that second time. It went off around 9pm last night and it’s now past 4pm.

Knowing that it goes off occasionally we have about 6x 8 litre plastic containers with water in for flushing the toilet & washing. But there’s a world of a difference between a good shower and using the sink. We bowled this morning and both are in need of a shower.

Then there’s a couple more for drinking water and cooking.

You don’t realise how much you take for granted the ability to turn on a tap or flush the loo in the U.K.

Enough! We need water!!

 

[Hobbit]

That’s exactly my point. The sole purpose of speed cameras should be to reduce speed, and therefore collisions. The official line from the police has always been that they are not about raising revenue.

By effectively concealing a safety camera van in amongst a number of road maintenance vehicles I would suggest that the vast majority of drivers didn’t even see it. That cannot be a deployment aimed at encouraging drivers to moderate their speed in such circumstances. It’s all about catching people unawares.

Whilst I absolutely agree that those who flout the law deserve what they get, such tactics are downright sneaky. It’s akin to a uniform cop not wearing a high viz and leaping out from behind a bush with a speed gun.

Can I be devil’s advocate? If someone sees a speed camera, they’ll slow down but speed up later. If someone has copped a fine or two, they’re more likely to slow down on a more permanent basis, irrespective of a camera being there.

I don’t know what the right answer is but I have no problem with concealed and obvious cameras both being deployed.

 

[Golfmmad]

If you do that then you are getting away with breaking the speed limit, not complying with it.

No I don't do that, just trying to make the point of average speed cameras.
Believe me, when you have a massive articulated lorry trying to get in your boot it's scary. So I'm guilty of momentarily speeding for less than 10seconds to get out of his way. When I got past him and another car I resumed to 52mph on the cruise control and he didn't bother me again.

 

[Billysboots]

Can I be devil’s advocate? If someone sees a speed camera, they’ll slow down but speed up later. If someone has copped a fine or two, they’re more likely to slow down on a more permanent basis, irrespective of a camera being there.

I don’t know what the right answer is but I have no problem with concealed and obvious cameras both being deployed.

Just to clarify, Bri, I wouldn’t have a problem with either if those deploying them were candid about their intentions. They’re not, and that’s my issue.

If road safety teams are seeking revenue, just come out and say it. It’s the fact they try and take the public for fools which really grinds my gears. “But this is all for the good of the motoring public” they claim. No, the majority of placements are nothing of the sort.

I can think of any number of mobile camera sites in my county where there has never been a single serious or fatal collision. Not one. The most notorious one is a downhill section of dual carriageway where there is a 40mph limit, and the camera van site is just after the exit from a sweeping bend. It generates tens of thousands in revenue every year at a location where there has never been a single KSI (killed or seriously injured) collision. So just come out and say it. That location is all about money. Everyone knows it, but they still bang the casualty reduction drum.

As a cop it infuriated me because it made any genuine attempts at casualty reduction schemes really difficult to justify. All I ever heard was “you’re just trying to pay for the office Christmas do” and such like. Honest, genuine efforts are constantly undermined by sneaky tactics.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

£15k a month now for my MIL care come.

 

[RichA]

No I don't do that, just trying to make the point of average speed cameras.
Believe me, when you have a massive articulated lorry trying to get in your boot it's scary. So I'm guilty of momentarily speeding for less than 10seconds to get out of his way. When I got past him and another car I resumed to 52mph on the cruise control and he didn't bother me again.

You're saying that you don't do that then describing the precise mechanism by which you do do that.
I'm not being deliberately argumentative and couldn't really care less what you do or did, but you began this strand of a conversation by criticising other road users for exceeding motorway roadworks speed limits and finished it by describing how you justify doing it yourself.

 

[jim8flog]

Do we need an home improvements thread?………

That's a good ikea.