Speeding fines up by 350%
Tuesday 5th August 2008, 11:49AM BST.
Cash raised from speeding fines has rocketed four-fold across West Mercia in a decade to almost £3 million a year, writes Sunita Patel.
Official figures show that in 1997, some £615,680 was collected from motorists caught on camera or stopped by officers in the police force area – which also covers Shropshire.
This compares with the £2,772,780 raised in 2006 – an increase of 350 per cent.
Tory police reform minister David Ruffley, who obtained the data, accused ministers of treating motorists like “cash cows”.
The figures also show 25,000 more tickets are being slapped on speeding motorists in the area – an increase from 15,382 to 40,213.
Nationally, the figures show a million more tickets are being issued every year than a decade ago. A total of £106.4 million was raised from 1,773,412 fixed penalty notices in 2006, almost quadruple the £28.5 million generated from 712,753 tickets in 1997.
Mr Ruffley said: “Ministers need to tell us what they are doing with this £100 million a year taken from motorists. How much is actually put back into practical road safety that does not involve speed cameras?
“Ministers’ failure to answer that question confirms the view that for this government the British motorist is ‘a nice little earner’.”
A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: “Safety cameras are there to save lives, not make money.”
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i’d rather they took income through this route than my income tax – tax the bads (ie speeding) not the goods (ie working) that would be my economic manifesto
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It would be interesting to know the statistic for serious accidents over the same period – not just at speed camera sites, but across the whole area. I bet the accident rate isn’t down at all.
Speed cameras save lives – in the few square metres that they cover.
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Couldn’t agree more. The police could be self funded if the letter of the law was applied. About one in twenty cars on the A49 at rush hour has the driver talking on the phone. That’s a lot of idiots offering to help fund the police.
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good for the environment, good for road safety, good for the treasury to support public services without taxing us too much, as someone who totally sticks to the speed limit and has a full clean licence, it is genius I say, fine them more, helping keep the roads safe and out taxes low, good stuff
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Speed cameras are just a means of creating and income and hammering the motorist again, don’t be mislead into thinking different.
Better driver education is the way to reduce road traffic accidents.
Better watch out. Maybe someday we’ll have a GPS device fitted to our cars. which will automatically control our speed. Big brother is out there and ready to invade our lives in the future
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Good for the environment and road safety – clearly not if they have gone up 350% – they obviously don’t work.
Perhaps education would be better?
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So the number of “dangerous criminals” on our roads has gone up by 350%. Does that mean that serious accidents have gone up 350%….I think not so clearly somethings wrong…..
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has the accident rate been reduced or just the coffers filled?
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Always bemuses me how whenever a ‘speed camera’ article is published, someone on here will try to take the moral high ground claiming to be ‘someone who totally sticks to the speedlimit’. As someone who drives over 30,000 miles a year, I am constantly amazed that even ‘little old ladies’ who drive along at 35mph holding up the traffic always continue at the same speed as they enter a village, thus technically breaking the law.
Our speed limits are a joke, and everyone breaks them (including Chiefs of Police). Anyone who believes they never breaks the speed limit either doesnt drive, or isnt paying attention to their speedo at all times. I would rather walk into the road in front of a speeding motorist than one who isnt paying adequate attention to their driving !
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Itsallajoke, I would suggest anything other than speed cameras would be better.
If speeding fines have gone up 350% in 10 years, one would expect road deaths to fall by a huge margin over the corresponding period, as the increased number of drivers ticketed would surely affect their driving speeds, and the adherance of posted limits. Yet road deaths have decreased by no more than 10% in the same period.
Scamera supporters would now, probably, state that if that is the case then drivers are still speeding, and killing people, and therefore more cameras are needed.
Not so, if you consider that exceeding a speed limit is (according to DfT stats) a clear causative factor in 3% of all road deaths in the over 25 age group. Note the word “causative”, as that is very important. “Contributory” is completely different as “speed” is more than likely “contributory” in ALL road accidents as any speed above 0mph can be dangerous.
More to the point, if accidents are falling at a healthy rate at camera sites – as is claimed – then why aren’t the overall number of accidents on our roads falling at the same rate? Because scameras are moving the accidents elsewhere.
Brian, how long do think it’ll be before either piccolo or The Right Rev. Green…….sorry, Mr. Peach, drops in here for a chat? ;-)
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Speed Cameras – Just another thing to distract me from driving. I wonder if i can stand up in court after killing someone with my car and say, sorry i was concentrating on the camera.
There is a Speed Camera that was installed next to a school in Ketley around the corner from Farmfoods which i’m all for as it’s a safety camera. the school has since closed, so why is it still there as there is no safety issue now??
I mean talk about a busy road, from the Shell garage to tesco you go through 4 sets of traffic lights, 4 roundabouts, 2 speed cameras and then 2 sets of speed bumps, i mean that journey is barely over a mile!
No offence, but i’m legal, my car is legal yet i still go all to pot when a police car is behind me. I have nothing to worry about as i’ve done nothing wrong, but i still somehow get highly distracted and feel asthough i have done something wrong…same with camera’s you spend so much time concentrating on your speed, you don’t look at the road…they are a danger in my book, thankfully the car i have now has cruise so i can ignore the camera’s and cops when it comes to speed!
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a good soruce of revenue??? That is a tax, how can you say any fine is not a tax, its just more tax of my money, just because i want to dirve fast, i should be allowed, i hate the government taxing me so much for little things like this
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its simple mr leeman – a tax you have to pay, you’re lagally obliged to give the government your money, a fine, you can avoid, by not commiting the criminal offence of speeding, they are totally different because one is voluntary, ie you choose to pay it by conciously breaking the law, and one you are obliged to pay to fund social services and publically benefitial / communal activities.
Ultimately you dont need to speed, so if you cant pay the fine dont do the crime!
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whether they are an easy touch for income generation, or a true public safety measure is of course debatable. what isn’t is the fairness of like myself, getting caught for 35mph in Much Wenlock (fair cop)and all those using mobile phones especially on motorways, at roundabouts and junctions who know they are flouting the law and arrogantly continue.
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nothing to do with the high ground the limit is the limit you break it and get cought tough britain is now full of ways of getting cash of joe public drop a fag end , parkright, over filling your bin , etc etc etc nothing can be done about it becouse joe public do not stand by each other, i some times wonder when you here this the brits pulled together during the war?? did they??? or were we just lucky, back at home while the soldiers and our allies were keeping the wolf from the door.
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Speed cameras work and save lives and only jeremy clarkson and a handful of arrogant petrol heads, mostly the ones who speed and get caught, complain about them, they are not milking the motorist, it is entirely possible that they could sit there and raise Zero income all year if people drive properly past them, as I say before, I’ll say again, cant pay the fine THEN DONT DO THE CRIME!!!
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its all helping to keep the roads safer which must be a good thing, well done west mercia police
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No doubt Mark. you are the perfect motorist who never speeds, never holds other people up by doing a ridiculously low speed when not neccessary, always indicates and gets in the right lanes at roundabouts, always pulls to the right of the lane when turning right etc etc…or maybe you just don’t drive…
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if you don’t want speed cameras then don’t drive fast, when these things start makeing a loss then they will be removed from our roads.
they are only profitable because people drive outside the speed limit…..duuuuuuhhh
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spencers point is bang on, says it all, end of debate
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Its very easy (and plain dumb) to say ‘dont do the crime’ when it comes to breaking the speed limit. Any motorist who drives a lot on unfamiliar roads during the week knows full well how difficult it is to concentrate on the road adequately AND ensure you do not exceed the speed limit whilst also driving considerately and not holding up other traffic.
Any motorist who does not drive a lot, traversing unfamiliar roads, during the week, has very little chance of getting caught speeding unless they are exceedingly stupid. Clearly, given some of the above posts, their total lack of knowledge and experience on the subject does not stop them from vociferously voicing their opinions.
Speed cameras are placed in built up areas where there are many other things requiring the drivers attention. They are placed on downhill stretches of road where the car will accelerate over the limit unless the driver is carefully monitoring it. These placings are deliberate, it means they make more money. Most often the driver exceeds the speed limit by accident, he is hardly going to deliberately speed past a camera. So to crow ‘Dont do the crime’ is just arrogant stupidity, akin to telling someone who has just fallen down the stairs not to trip !
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Mark.
I really must comment on your posts.
You cannot have driven much in your life, or if you have, you must have driven excessively slowly, thus aggravating 100′s of motorists stuck behind you, or just been plain lucky.
As Brian(2) points out, you of course, are the perfect driver, that NEVER puts a foot wrong, (especially on the accelerator). (I think probably Not)
Now, as a motorist of over 40 years experience, and well over 800,000 + miles travelled over most of the UK, and in other countries, I can tell you that, if you drive regularly, and particlularly over large distances in unfarmiliar territory, then it takes a GREAT deal of concentration. and observation just to take account of cameras, never mind anything else.
It’s all very well you saying “if you dont want the fine, dont do the crime”, but …very often, cameras (as I say, in unfamiliar territory) are often placed at sites where the speed limit is NOT clearly identified, and so the only recourse of action is to drive at the “lowest common” denominator” “legal” speed, which is usually 30Mph in most relevant instances.
NOW… this is NOT driving with proper skill, and awareness, it is simply driving with “intent” to avoid the cameras”, and …..
As an above average experience driver (in terms of time and distance travelled), I will tell you that this does NOT make you a safer driver.
As I’ve said before in these columns, if the authorities are not going to listen to people
like me who have experience on their side, (and fine free I might add) who are they going to listen to?
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And Mark..
Just to add to what David says..
I KNOW where many of the “fixed” cameras are in Shropshire, (and many “mobile sites”)becuase I drive a lot in the county. – So ….I’d be just plain DAFT to get “nicked” by one of those… BUT… does that make me a better/safer driver???? – or just adept at slowing down in the right places??
(and that does NOT imply that I drive recklessly elswhere)
And so it follows……. for those of you that DON’T drive a lot, and only in familiar local terroitory – which – probably, by the laws of statistics (normal distrubtion curve) means 90-95 of drivers in the area,…..
Then:
IF we ARE seeing a rise in fines, then I’ll wager its Drivers like YOU that are in fact “doing the crime”!!!! -
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speeding fines up, road deaths down, income tax reduced , well done that government for success on three fronts
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mick,
A simplistic response to a complex subject.
Well done !
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Everyone who drives a car at sometime will have broken the speed limit.That is a fact Im sure of.However, I am lucky enough not to have been caught, If I do get caught, I will be annoyed, but I will pay the fine for breaking the law. Its no good coming on these websites complaining, and saying “if the authorities are not going to listen to people
like me who have experience on their side, (and fine free I might add) who are they going to listen to?” because these sites are just for ranting. If you genuinly want to make a difference, get involved in politics, and stand up for your beiliefs! The simple reason that accident numbers have increased is purley down to the increase in cars on the roads. How do all you complainers intend bringing speds down and making roads safer ? I await your answers
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And Laura,
Same comments apply to you as per Mark.
If your measured response to:
“driving skill and speed limits” is by siding with Mark’s comment “duuuuhhh, don’t drive so fast”, then I really despair at where the general motoring public’s skill base is going.
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Slightly bizarre that anyone can feel the Government should be congratulated because road deaths are down. Surely this is almost completely due to the progress made by car manufacturers who have introduced driver and passenger airbags as well as side air bags, improved crumple zones, reactive head restraints etc etc etc.
Mind you its even more bizarre that anyone can consider congratulating this current Government on reducing taxation !!!!!
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If you speed and get caught it’s tough! Don’t do it if you don’t want a fine. How can they be a bad think. And i don’t care if they’ve been put there to make money.
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Mick, i’m lost.
Speeding fines up…ok.
Road deaths down…since when? where are the facts? note to be an accurate ballpark figure the amount of deaths and cars on road percentage needs to be taken into account.
As obviously less cars one year may make figures look like the got better.
Income tax reduced? to some yes. but everything else has gone up, so really a con don’t you think
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Mick, as I stated in my earlier post a 350% increase in speeding fines has effected a 20,000 miles per year on all roads; and have a clean licence.
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Dont speed, dont pay any fines, simple
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excellent news, the more fines the better, plough it all back into our bank the northern rock.
our motto double the dividend with dick dastardlys
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I would rather the govt took money of those who use services or those who abuse them or break laws etc rather than just blanket tax our income, as such the low income tax we enjoy under labour is a good thing, as the so called stealth taxes and such, well I dont really pay many of them because I dont drive and I dont use presciptions and other chargable services
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Askeric dotcom
if the authorities are not going to listen to people
like me who have experience on their side
What makes you assume that your experience is worth more than younger people’s experience.
Just because you are old does not mean people have to listen to you.
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Stop bleating. If you speed you should be fined. If you cannot drive within the limit and be fully aware of the road conditions then you shouldn’t be driving. I have been driving for 20 years, yes I have driven over the speed limit. Sometimes this has been through choice but quite often I have been forced to drive faster than the limit because of impatient(and I would say arrogent) drivers behind me. And before people start saying I am talking rubbish then think on the fact that earlier this year my 16 year old niece was knocked down and killed and since then I have NEVER knowingly exceeded the limit.
And one other point if you are driving in a 40mph zone that does not mean you HAVE to go at 40…..if more peole started thinking about their driving then there would be fewer fines. It isn’t hard to look for speed limit signs, use you rearview mirror and check you speedo.
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stop speeding, it save lives, and you wont get fined then
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Andrew, 20 years driving experience obviously hasn’t taught you much if you let people behind you dictate your speed, an experienced driver would never exceed the speed limit just because of someone behind him.
What some of the more experienced drivers on here are saying is that speed isn’t the main issue when it comes to road accidents and casualties although the present government and many local authorities seem to think that by jumping on the “speed kills” bandwagon that everything will be put right by reducing speed limits drastically and doing nothing else. I live within yards of a 40 mph limited road where people are getting injured regularly (2 last week and someone in april) but it isn’t down to speed but poor road markings and bad maintenance. The road markings including filter lanes are unrecognisable.
If the authorities spent less money on reducing speed limits on roads that have been ok for decades and concentrated on maintaining the roads better then I believe casualties would come down.Most acccidents are the result of lack of concentration, observation and poor road skills. Many people think that sticking to the speed limit with their eye constantly on the speedo is all they need to do to stay safe but unfortunately that isn’t true but it does give a false sense of security to less experienced drivers and until the authorities hammer home the message that poor driving kills then we will be getting no where.
One final point, you say you don’t have to drive at 40 in a 40MPH limit. That’s true but an experienced driver will drive within the limits and conditions for the road without holding up traffic un neccessarily. On your driving test it was classed something along the lines of “Making good progress for the road and conditions” and failing to do so could result in a fail, especially so on an Advanced Driving Test.
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Y Mab Darogan,
Your arrogant response clearly identifies that you have NOT read my post.
I said ” Above average experience in terms of longevity and distance travelled”.
I DID NOT SAY ” Better than anyone else” – And I would not be so stupid as to claim that.
However…. I’m sorry, but the inescapable fact is I , as you put it “am old”, that is probably a lot older that you, and that simply means that I HAVE HAD MORE EXPERERIENCE of driving, AND life, than you.
THAT IS A FACT, no matter how much you may dislike it, and … I’m sorry, but I’m going to quote a well known phrase “Listen to your elders”.
Again. however much YOU may dislike it, older people like me have got experience of “life” on our side, and have, as a result, something worthwhile to offer society, which in this case is upon the subject of driving, and related safety issues.
That is NOT to say the younger persons view is not important, (as you mention) but the great university of life is a great teacher.
Perhaps one day, when you have reached a more graceful age, you will have different views, and be more moderate, and sympathetic in your attitude.
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Andrew, sorry to pick.
Let me start off by saying sorry for your loss, i have lost friends for simular reasons.
I will add though, Speed is not a killer, you can kill someone at 30mph in a 60mph zone. Some people drive 40mph in a 30mph, doesn’t make them dangerous. it’s all down to competance in driving and respect for other road users and pedestrians but most importantly, concentration. driving recklessly is dangerous, or driving while on the phone, drunk, smoking (people say this isn’t dangerous, but i bet if that hot end drops into your lap, the road will be your last consideration). These people are the life takers not that person innocently doing 35mph in 30mph zone.
Also you say about being forced to speed by the car behind… because they pressed the pedal for you…hmm, i’ve never increased my speed to please someone behind especially if i’m doing the limit, i slow down, or tap the brake to show my brake lights a couple of times, the sight of my towbar usually makes them back off. As the law states, they go into the back of me, their insurance suffers. as even if I brake hard, the person behind should have been a SAFE distance behind. I don’t mind benefiting from someone elses misery due to their arrogance
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im glad to hear they are making more use of speed cameras – its the only way to stop some yobs speeding and enforce the sensible speeding laws
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Let us not forget the dangerous idiots who have been taken off the road through points and court appearance, thanks to these cameras.
Also members of the speed limit does not apply to me because I`m a perfect driver club, Who are on 9 points and mind focused
There you are not all bad.
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askeric dotcom – The problem is that many older people are unable to grasp new technology.
ie Ipods, IT etc
In these days when cars are becoming more advanced and new levels of technology introduced each day, its the under 30′s who should be listened to, not the over 40′s.
Its a new world out there and only the young can make the decisions and have the experience of new technology to push us forward
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astericks you are plain wrong, just slow down, if it werent for people like you we wouldnt need the cameras in the first place
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speed kills…..
its all about the physics. the faster you go, the more potential energy the vehicle has. In an accident some of this energy is exchanged, the greater the exchange of energy the greater the damage.
Therefore there is nothing inocent about someone inocently doing 35mph in a 30mph zone, that additional 5mph could be the difference between life and death. As for doing 40 in a 30 zone I am sorry Andy (Gnosall) but that does make someone dangerous because if they feel they can speed what else do they think they can do at the same time as driving.
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It is interesting to note that – on a related subject – the Bristol Evening Post revealed this week that between 1997 and 2007, fines at fixed scamera sites rose from £290,000 in 1997 to £3.15 million in 2007. Yet in 1997, there were 148 accidents logged at the scam sites and 150 in 2007.
I know there are lies, damned lies, and statistics, but it is telling.
As far as I am concerned, everything relating to these roadside piggy banks reeks to high heaven.
Guidelines for the placement of scameras dictate that they can be placed within a 1 mile raduis of an accident blackspot. How is that a good thing?
Fines from these things have skyrocketed since 1996, yet road deaths have decreased by no more than 10% in the corresponding period. And I suspect much of that 10% can be attributed to improvements in roadside medical care, improvements in active car safety systems, and improvements in road engineering.
To put it into perspective, say – for example – that in one year there are 4 accidents on a particular stretch of road. I then put a garden gnome at the side of said road. The following year there are no accidents on the road in question. Garden gnomes save lives.
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Greg werberg,
Can you PLEASE tell me ANYWHERE in my posts where I said I was either travelling too fast, or execeeding the speed limit?????
IF YOU read my post .. you will see that I saids, “fine free”, AND over 800,000 miles of motoring experience. – So JUST WHERE do you get “if it weren’t for people like me etc … we wouldn’t need cameras” from????
As I’ve never been “flashed” by one… I think that rather excludes me don’t you think???
YOU are jumping to incorrect conclusions.
PLEASE, lets have some sensible contributions !
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In terms of years driving and miles travelled I suspect that I would also count as one of the more experienced drivers commenting here. I have no problem whatsoever with speed cameras. Yes, safe driving is obviously about more than looking at the speedometer. But appropriate speed is part of safe driving. Most speed restricted areas are residential or have poor conditions such as blind bends. The faster you are driving the more likely you are to kill somebody that you hit, so slowing down in areas where there is a greater risk of hitting somebody makes sense to me. There are a lot of very bad drivers out there but all of us, regardless of experience, run the risk of losing concentration for a second, during which an accident could happen. Ultimately, cameras may help to force drivers to slow down in areas of high risk. What is so wrong with that?
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Andrew !!
Come on!!!!..
If you are going to bring physics into the debate, then you would (or should) know that POTENTIAL energy is that energy which is “stored” by a “mass” being raised in height.
The energy “stored” or imparted to a mass having a velocity is KINETIC energy.
And I’m sure you will remeber the formula:
Ke = 1/2 *m * V(squared)
And so , you COULD have made a valid point that the energy stored in the vehicle goes up according to the SQUARE of the Velocity (or speed… for the non physicists)
However, your argument is also flawed becuase a vehicle travelling at ANY speed will ONLY stop as a result of an impending hazard ONCE the driver has acknowledged that hazard!
Therefore, there is a strong argument here for maximising the ability of a driver to be “aware” constantly of the road ahead, and the hazards as they appear.
The argument as to driving slower obviously has some sense, but, it is NOT the ONLY parameter in the equation.
Following that logic, we would find that the safest speed is in fact zero, when of course nothing moves, so nothing can collide. (and of course the relevant mass(es) would have zero KINETIC energy)
And so…
Driving is not just about physics, but … being aware of what is around you, and NOTHING coming as a surprise, and you can’t put that into a mathematical formula!!
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Y
Good grief!!!!,
And I’m the MD of an internet service provider company, and professional qualifications in IT and electronics, and I don’t understand modern technology ??????
WHAT is IT with younger people??
Please don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the modern technology, (which I was largely involved in the development of, having Worked in design and development for the BBC, BT , and others ) can ONLY be understood by you!!
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Y, My car must be really dangerous, it doesn’t have an i pod, sat nav, dvd, play station, ESP, airbags and I’m well over 40. I had better watch out because my 35 years driving experience with an average of over 25,000 miles per year isn’t going to help me much without my I Pod…… ;-) I’m suprised I’m still alive….
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Age and experience have a place, but please please don’t assume just because you are older you are wiser. Yes as we get older we do get wiser, but as some stage we also get more cynical, and blinkered.
The simple fact is a motor vehicle is a very dangerous weapon if driven at speed by a poor driver, however old or experienced they are. Asteric, as you have mentioned age and experience and how govement should listen to people like you, how would you reduce death and speed on the roads if you arent going to use speed cameras ?
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It doesn’t matter how old you are, there could be a fault with your vehicle, or a drunken pedestrian in the road. no matter how old you are or how good a driver you are surely no one can argue that it is easier to take evasive action the slower you travel.
It scares me that while i drive my children places in my car some loon is heading towards me thinking they’re the best driver in the world..
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I have been campaigning for speed restrictions on Bank Farm Rd for over 20 years, where traffic regularly goes at 40+mph in a 30mph area. But to no avail. A speed camera would make a mint outside my house. Just because nobody has been killed, but two houses have had cars ending up in their front rooms on this road. Where’s the logic, or the fairness?
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Happy days, et al.
I am becoming tired of this debate now.
I never said becuase I’m older, I’m wiser.
All I am saying is that, experience counts. That is all.
You, happy days, … contradict yourself where you say:
” a motor vehicle is a very dangerous weapon if driven at speed by a poor driver, however old or experienced”
Now, how does poor = experienced ??
experience definition:
knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed, encountered, or undergone
And,
as far as being listened to, NO ONE has ever asked me, or anyone else I know in the motoring fraternity, what WE (as “older/ experienced) think about road safety issues.
And I’m sorry, bit I genuinely feel that I, and others like me, have a lot ot offer, and ALL i’m saying is …. why not ask our opinion?
Is THAT really TOO much to ask????
And …
(interestingly … Where is the intsitute of Advanced Motorists in all this ??)
And, as for increasing road safety, …
Far better driver training, progressive testing (like that used for flying private aircraft), better roads, less clutter on the roads i.e far less unecessary road surface and roadside signage (to facilitate driver observation of the road ahead) , more road side “speed indicators” better road engineering, more police presence in vehicles like there used to be …… shall I go on ??
And Finally,
Speed cameras aren’t the answer.
They will only ever address one element in the equation, at one precise roadside spot.
They do nothing to improve driver skill, competence, and do nothing to encourage drivers to enhance their skills.
A very good day to you all,
Askeric dotcom
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HAPPY DAYS you fall into the same old trap of believing everyone killed on the road is down to speeding when in fact LESS THAN 5% of deaths are due to excessive speed so how are YOU SUGGESTING WE ARE GOING TO STOP the other 95% of deaths??? Speed cameras aren’t going to stop bad driving you could easily be killed in a 30 MPH area by someone doing 25MPH so don’t feel too smug and safe when you are only doing 30MPH.
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Spencer. The times when people have driven into me, I have either been stationery or driving very slowly so your theory doesn’t hold out there because if you are at the limit of your theory i.e stationary it is very difficult to avoid something coming towards you but if you are moving at say 30 mph you can swerve , brake or accelerate out of danger, you have more options. Also people travelling too slow have a poor attention span but as you get faster your attention span becomes more focused this is why more accidents happen in urban situations than rural and in fact motorways are some of the safest roads because of the speeds involved and although many cars are travelling fast in a close knit environment, drivers are having to concentrate to their limit more.Lack of concentration is a very big killer.
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oh dear,, Mr Asteric, someone challenges you, and you struggle, you define experienced “knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what one has observed, encountered, or undergone ” very good. However, if you don’t learn form this the experience is worth nothing. I passed my test many years ago, I like im sure many of you, if your honest, probably wouldnt pass now, this is simply because people are taught to pass the test now not to drive. I do listen to what you say about making the roads safer, however, in my street their is a boy race aged about 20 , and an oldish chap aged about 60. In my opinon, very few of your suggestions would make them a better drive, Both drive far to fast, and with little regard for other drivers.
Brian, I have no idea how to stop deaths on roads.Unfortunatly you cant control some irresponsible drivers, however, if speed cameras stop a few deaths, to me that makes the worth it.
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that’s correcti never speed. it burns fuel and could kill some one, get me points on my licence, or a speeding fine, so be green and be sensible and ease off on the right pedal hey
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As there are so many of you that are Pro-Camera.
Can i highlight that cameras DO NOT catch drivers that are: DRUNK, HIGH ON DRUGS, NO INSURANCE, NO MOT, NOT TAX or even STOLEN CARS.
The end of the day i’m sure we all agree on one thing. lose the camera’s bring back the officers!
The people a listed above are the true dangers, there is no denying that!
ANDREW, so as i said earlier, who is more dangerous, the driver doing 35 in a 30, or the driver doing 25 in a 30 but drunk?
CHAS – you say you have been campaining for years. people driving 40 in a 30 but no deaths have occured, so surely this proves speed does not kill and these drivers although driving over the speed limit, ARE paying attention
as for the two cars, it’s called HUMAN ERROR, NO CAMERA OR SPEED CHANGE WOULD HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE.
Unfortunately humans make mistake, you will never stop this, you can only try and limit it.
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Another tax nothing more and nothing less! as for the holy than thou I never break the speed anoraks out there hope you get nicked for being slow and holding up people trying to get on!
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Oh, Happy days (reminds me of a song…)
Well, I can tell you that I don’t struggle if I get challenged!
My whole life, as a professionally qualifed IT and electronics design engineer has been a REAL intellectual challenge , so I’m more than used to that!
Anyway, I really don’t see where you get the idea “challenged and I struggle” from
I most certainly am not feeling challenged in any way, and as for the idea of re-taking a test, I can tell you that I helped ALL of my family to learn to drive, up and until quite recently, and ALL (including myself) passed FIRST TIME. (please NOTE .. I DIDN’T TEACH them to drive – I felt that was better left to a professional)
What I did do was to assist with many extended practice runs, and my discussions regarding test requirements and techniques, during those times, with the professional instructor, whom I knew well, were always VERY positive.
I also have regular conversations with professional drivers, and others who are members of the Institute of Advanced motorists (I am NOT a member ) …. and from those conversations, I find that my driving techniques, and general knowledge on the subject of driving, ranks highly.
For that reason, I would not have any fear of taking the test again.
So you see, happy days, I maintain a keen interest in the subject of driving, I drive regularly over large distances, and don’t have any problems.
Like I said before in another post, Experience counts, that is all I’m trying to establish here.
You mention two drivers, one aged 20, and one aged 60, both of whom you say drive ** “to” fast
I don’t see how that refutes my “suggestions”.
If both drivers were to be subjected to the ideas I proposed, I’m sure both would improve.
And, you see, there is some psychology here, … because the idea of “progressive testing” as I proposed, is that:
One becomes Proud of what one does, and that encourages you to maintain a standard once it is achieved.
** (please note that your use of the word “to” in this case should be “too” – there are “others” too in your post – I hope your driving is better than your spelling! )
Oh, and finally, my nickname isn’t asteric, as you mention, but askeric dotcom.
Kind regards
askeric dotcom
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One thing that would certainly cut down accidents is if the people who want to drive along more slowly would pull over and allow the queue of traffic to pass them now and then. As they are driving more slowly, clearly they are not in a hurry, wheras that ‘aggresive’ driver behind might just be desperately trying to get somewhere. Why do the slower drivers have to be so ignorant and selfish, stubornly refusing to let others pass, even though a glance in their rear view mirror shows them the a large line of vehicles that they are holding up.
Tractors are required by law to pull over and allow traffic to pass when there are a certain number of vehicles behind them. Surely this should be extended to all vehicles, and should be more rigorously enforced. Lets start seeing some of the ‘holier than thou’ getting heavy fines for ‘obstructing the traffic’, then see how they start bleating !!!
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I have to agree with David that some drivers who knowingly hold up large queues by driving at 40 MPH in sixty limits, when there is no obvious need to, are just as antisocial as people who speed through housing estates and in fact causing a queue of traffic behind you causes frustration which could lead to dangerous overtaking and death.
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Happy Days,
It doesn’t seem to me that Askeric.com is struggling with this debate because every thing he has said makes sense to any experienced driver. You say you have been driving for twenty years but I would guess from your statements that you don’t have much “mileage experience” with some of the things you suggest. I agree with AD that drivers should be progressively tested on a regular basis, that way some of the drivers who have passed their test many years ago but who are no better drivers now than they were all those years ago would have to improve or go back to school. I see many “older” drivers who may not do much driving and frankly they are terrible so just because you passed your test 20 years ago doesn’t make you a safe driver.
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Can I nominate comment #59 for the annual Shropshire Star “Darwin Comment of the Year”?
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