Viewing: Community speed watch schemes

***waynne*** · 17-03-2009, 10:10 AM

What are your thoughts on community speed watch schemes? Are these better than speed cameras or just another pain in the neck?

1) Old gits with nothing better to do tittle tattling to the police

or
2) A sensible move by a community to make its streets safer?

No penalties are issued by these community members. A list is provided to the police and they send out letters. Get 3 letters and you recieve a visit from a police officer!

They have to stand in pre agreed areas wearing hi visibility jackets and record the Reg number driver sex and ethnic group time and speed.

***herb*** · 17-03-2009, 10:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynne

What are your thoughts on community speed watch schemes? Are these better than speed cameras or just another pain in the neck?

1) Old gits with nothing better to do tittle tattling to the police

or
2) A sensible move by a community to make its streets safer?

No penalties are issued by these community members. A list is provided to the police and they send out letters. Get 3 letters and you recieve a visit from a police officer!

They have to stand in pre agreed areas wearing hi visibility jackets and record the Reg number driver sex and ethnic group time and speed.

well i say let them do it they obviously have nothing better to do and believe they are making a difference.
its only the same as the people who spot eddie stobart lorrys and trains it gets them out the house i suppose

***herb*** · 17-03-2009, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynne

What are your thoughts on community speed watch schemes? Are these better than speed cameras or just another pain in the neck?

1) Old gits with nothing better to do tittle tattling to the police

or
2) A sensible move by a community to make its streets safer?

No penalties are issued by these community members. A list is provided to the police and they send out letters. Get 3 letters and you recieve a visit from a police officer!

They have to stand in pre agreed areas wearing hi visibility jackets and record the Reg number driver sex and ethnic group time and speed.

well i say let them do it they obviously have nothing better to do and believe they are making a difference.
its only the same as the people who spot eddie stobart lorrys and trains it gets them out the house i suppose

***HDi fun*** · 17-03-2009, 12:11 PM

I think it's a very bad idea and will lead to animosity within hitherto settled communities.

**pgarner** · 17-03-2009, 12:12 PM

where do they get the training from?
they could just turn round and say so and so drives like an idiot through here all the time when in fact s/he may only be doing the speed limit.

***HDi fun*** · 17-03-2009, 01:06 PM

If a Police Officer uses eith mobile or static speed measuring equipment he may ONLY use it to confirm his own opinion that he thought the target vehicle to have been speeding.

Presumably the same will apply here. I also presume that some form of monitoring or recording equipment will need to be provided.

Now, were I to be reported to the police by the operators of such a scheme I would come down very heavily upon my rights to privacy amd the fact that a civilian has compromised those.

These people will not be serving police officers and in my opinion any recording made of any anyone at all, speeding or not would quite possibly be in contravention of that person's human rights under (the currently very fashionable) European Law.

The best way to reduce speed in 30mph limits would be to change the Road Traffic Act and make it a requirement that 30mph repeater signs MUST be used in 30mph zones. The current law actually FORBIDS their use and instead relies upon street light spacing.

If I were to stop my car on a double yellow line and retrieve my highly calibrated reference tape measure (for which I would have to hold a Home Office Type Approval Certificate and a Certificate of my competence to operate the tape measure in accordance with both its own and Home Office guidelines) from the boot and the proceed to determine the exact spacing of the street lamps I would be causing an obstruction and potentially also receive a fix penalty parking notice.

I wonder if the community speed bunch will have full training in the operation of the equipment?

**UtK** · 17-03-2009, 01:58 PM

It will never work and if they brought this load of c*** to my area i wont allow it to work. If the sad car spotters have to stand in a designated area then you will know about it and whenever you go past you slow down which is a major flaw in the scheme. Whoever came up with this idea should be shot.

***HDi fun*** · 17-03-2009, 02:43 PM

If it makes people slow down to a safe speed then it's working perfectly. But I still think it's a stupid scheme.

**pgarner** · 17-03-2009, 02:43 PM

same as fixed speed cameras then, but look at the amount o folk that get caught out by them.
Bright yellow, posistions avalible on the Net, roadmaps, satnavs

***HDi fun*** · 17-03-2009, 04:36 PM

My greater concern is that this type of operation will be socially damaging.

**Chris Green** · 17-03-2009, 11:30 PM

I suppose the only consolation, unlike cameras, is that they might read your plates wrong. In fact come to think of it, the faster you go........

**pgarner** · 17-03-2009, 11:39 PM

but the problem is that they cant do anything, woo you get a vist from the police but they cant prove anything and as HDi said they, the civvi watchers, cant record you without your permission as it breaches your human rights. even better if you have a kid in the car with you

**dpsubaru** · 18-03-2009, 05:43 AM

think that this is a bad idea - the police visited one of my mates before for supposedly driving at 60mph through a housing estate in his standard punto. this is very near my house so we tried it in a lowered car with much better handling (at night in the dry when no one was around) and exceeding 30 was impossible. Many people over exaggerate what they see and are more inclinded to make mountains out of molehills esp if they see the driver is someone they have already formed a dislike for.

***waynne*** · 18-03-2009, 07:04 PM

Isn't it preferbable from the instant penalty Gatso cameras.

***HDi fun*** · 18-03-2009, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waynne

Isn't it preferbable from the instant penalty Gatso cameras.

It's an alternative, that's all.

It will lead to a lot of assumptions being made and aspersions being cast. I think the police will suddenly decline to support these schemes the minute somebody raises (publically) the right to privacy issue.

I also think that it would be reasonable to suggest that the police officer who visits you to discuss your driving might well find himself (and the police service itself) on the receiving end of a police harrassment complaint. This neatly leads to discrimination claims and at that point the police forces will end their support for such neighbourhood schemes.

**wezzel98765** · 19-03-2009, 02:11 AM

It annoys me already when old biddies wave me down when I have my foot to the floor as I pull out of a junction and my induction roars, they think I am speeding just because they hear a roaring sound, this could be a night mare

!

***waynne*** · 19-03-2009, 10:17 AM

I've not heard you around Deal for a while. You ok?

***HDi fun*** · 19-03-2009, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wezzel98765

It annoys me already when old biddies wave me down when I have my foot to the floor as I pull out of a junction and my induction roars, they think I am speeding just because they hear a roaring sound, this could be a night mare

!

Village of Whittlebury near here has vehicle activated signs that are wildy out of calibration. Approach at 18mph and they flash "30mph SLOW DOWN!!" warning. I did once change right down to first gear and scream through the village at exactly 30mph. 5000rpm is LOUD!

***waynne*** · 19-03-2009, 11:15 AM

Even in a Diesel!

***HDi fun*** · 19-03-2009, 01:16 PM

That's the whole point. 5000rpm in a four cylinder diesel makes horrific racket outslide. And it does actually rev to 5200!!!!!! Pointlessly though.

**Twamgl3** · 23-03-2009, 02:30 PM

Not picking on you HDi, just playing Devil's Advocate...

"The best way to reduce speed in 30mph limits would be to change the Road Traffic Act and make it a requirement that 30mph repeater signs MUST be used in 30mph zones. The current law actually FORBIDS their use and instead relies upon street light spacing."

I hope most people know they are in a 30MPH speed restriction when there's street lights about without needing to measure that the system of street lighting (three or more lamps) are no further than 183 metres apart each, 185 metres in Scotland!

Also, there's a 30MPH sign at the beginning of the restriction.

People are ignorant, and no amount of signs will fix that. And all those signs are around £100 a pop!

"If I were to stop my car on a double yellow line and retrieve my highly calibrated reference tape measure (for which I would have to hold a Home Office Type Approval Certificate and a Certificate of my competence to operate the tape measure in accordance with both its own and Home Office guidelines) from the boot and the proceed to determine the exact spacing of the street lamps I would be causing an obstruction and potentially also receive a fix penalty parking notice."

You're just being silly now, you'd need a measuring wheel!

**RobBentley** · 23-03-2009, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wezzel98765

It annoys me already when old biddies wave me down when I have my foot to the floor as I pull out of a junction and my induction roars, they think I am speeding just because they hear a roaring sound, this could be a night mare

!

There is an old bloke who seems to love doing this around here. Despite the fact he lives on a country lane which is national speed limit - he firmly believes it should be a 30 I think. Waves his cane at my pretty much everytime the W8 roars past.

I take great pleasure in dropping it to 2nd at 60 and letting the magnaflows roar at him. At the end of the day, im not speeding!!

**2fast2catch** · 23-03-2009, 03:07 PM

No No No No No! i think its a stupid idea, would lead to victimisation (sp) of certain people (which would be me if it was taken up in my street - and you all know im a little angel)

people with loud exhausts and modified cars would be targeted cos alot of people dont like them.

its bad enough having beat coppas giving you the evils as you drive past (doing the speed limit) just because your not driving something 'quiet'..... nothing better than giving them a huge loud POP and a few revs, smiling as you drive past after watching then jump hee hee hee

***HDi fun*** · 23-03-2009, 03:40 PM

Good answer Twamgl3. Of course the measuring wheel will have to comply with current statutory noise abatement requirements.

2fast, yes your point mirrors mine, the oldies will become stereotyped as will those of us who choose to drive cars with more than 3bhp

**2fast2catch** · 23-03-2009, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDi fun

2fast, yes your point mirrors mine, the oldies will become stereotyped as will those of us who choose to drive cars with more than 3bhp

Lol, i just cant wait for the day i move out of this street, gonna make as much noise as possible and have as many 'noisy' cars attend a couple of farewell drive throughs............. some people dont like anything that is different from their little stupid bubble they live in