Check out this video - the best they could come up with is people having accidents AS A RESULT of the speed camera!
I dont care what you say - 30mph may be safe if you hit someone on urban roads - but on the motorway it should be increased. The 70mph limit was introduced at a time when cars and bikes had drum brakes and crappy tyres - we can stop in half the distance now etc etc.
You know - theres a reason why in Germany they have fewer accidents on their motorways.
Im ready to be shot down now:satisfied:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7358372.stm
There’s already another thread on this topic… http://londonbikers.com/forums/Topic346897-43-1.aspxBut whatever the arguements about the use of speed cameras, the people having these accidents in the film are just very very bad drivers. If the arrival of a speed camera van in their view causes them to react like that, what do you think they will do if a car/child/cyclist or even a motorcycle suprises them by their prescence on the road?
And MCN suggested that the last shot of the person in the high viz jacket on the gixxer was in fact staged, and the rider was one of Norfolk’s finest on an unmarked police bike…although MCN are a bit sensationalist so I’ve taken it with a piece of salt
Motorways are far to busy to have a higher speed limit. Remember reading an article from the local paper in derby, the M1 there was design to carry 50K vehicles a day but was carrying 115K vehicles.
Having watched Police, Camera, Action, Traffic Cops, & Road wars the majority of accidents seems to be done to drive carelessness.
Speed cameras don’t help, more traffic cops policing the roads would be far better.
Ditto Kevsta. I agree fully with this. You need more policemen on the roads to catch people driving carelessly. Only way to have a proper clampdown. Cameras just do not see the whole picture.
Oooops, apologies if there’s already a thread on the matter - i recall someone posting something about the police rider but not the other stuff and the actual video.I take your point on board - but I reckon speed camera, child, dog etc etc the aim of an emergency brake is to not hit the thing your’e heading towards and to stop the vehicle.
We could even go down the road of - the drivers were fine but their tyres were not at the correct pressure hence why under braking they pulled left or right. Truth is…we’ll never know. I just thought it interesting that despite all the footage that they must have acquired in all these years and the only accidents they were able to show are the ones caused by the camera.
I personally would love to see the motorway speed limit increased to 85-90mph. The CBR just seems to potter on nicely at that speed.
and ditto to having more cops ON the road and not the hard shoulder sneaking a peek!
Totally agree that we should have more coppers out and about, rather than throwing endless amounts of money at a camera system which is flawed at most levels! 
I think that you’ll find that this is also the sentement of most police forces across the country. Every officer I’ve talked to on the subject has been of the same sentiment, usually having been caught out themselves, sometimes on the job! 
Ref: Raising the speed limit… In some ways I agree, some I don’t. I agree that the majority of vehicles on the road can now stop in half the distance, have better technology for dealing with staying on the road and in control in the instance of an average driver etc… However, it’s not always the speed of a driver that causes most of these accidents, just bad driving skills, observation, handling etc… As an advanced driver, I know the difference between driving fast and driving fast safely!!! Anybody can jump behind the wheel of a car and push it past the 100mph point, but few can do it safely!
I also spent five years based in Germany with the Army, during which time I got to know the autobahn very well. In those five years, I saw about half a dozen crashes on the autobahn. A few of them were the international long haul lorry drivers, high as a kite on schnaaps and speed-bombs! :w00t: Other than that, they looked quite tame compared to the ones we see in the uk. But, there are major differences between the autobahn and our motorways! The autobahn is designed to be speed friendly, with the roads cambered steeply when you go into corners, long sweeping bends etc… Also, another common mistake is that people think there is no speed limit on parts of it. There is! It’s just that in some area’s it is only recommended. If you choose to exceed the limit and have an accident (you fault or not!), your insurance is viewed as being void by the authorities! And the police will still pull you over for a little chat without the tea and buscuits, if you drive like a lunatic or are driving outside of the capabilities of yourself or your vehicle.:P:D
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but it doesn’t always tast the same!
RR
Just watched the video clip, and if that biker was doing 130mph+, then I’m a 8st supermodel!!!:w00t::w00t::P:P
His cornering and road position were all wrong, and the car behind him was on the verge of catching him up!!! Very much a staged video I think!
Speeding is rarely a factor in collisions, it’s people too busy watching their speedo to see all the cars slamming on their brakes ahead of them or similar. I’ve seen it happen, cars going into the back of each other. Same is true on the motorways, especially around road works, some group did a study of it and there were more accidents when they had those cameras in. Granted the fault is usually with the driver not paying attention to the road, and keeping a decent distance but still. Speed cameras are just too much of a distraction, it just makes the government too much money to admit it.
http://www.carbibles.com/speeding_facts.html
Some rather interesting stuff on that site about it. (Some interesting stuff about a lot of things actually…)
I actually read in MCN that a number of people mentioned it is a police officer :ermm:
I think the point is that once you are driving fast, it makes any collision much more likely to be fatal. I don’t care whether people think speed contributes to accidents or not, or whether people have a particular axe to grind. Take stopping distances, by the time you’ve thought about braking at 100mph you’ve already travelled over 30m. Advanced rider or not, you’d better have fast reactions when the person in front slams their anchors on.
Attitude to speed and learning are the most important factors IMHO. Most people seem to think they are beyond reproach once they’ve passed the minimum standard of a driving or riding test. And they don’t think about the consequences of an accident until the risk is imminent and they’re already in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives.
Here in Texas, where the only cameras you need to worry about are at red lights, they find that accidents get worse, due to SHORTENING the yellow (to keep the ticket income up). The more things change the more they stay the same, eh?
Never mind that speeds are supposed to be set by seeing what speed 80% of drivers are going, and the yellow light limit is supposed to be proportional to speed, they change them willy-nilly, and dare you to challenge the limits in court.
I absolutely agree with that, but a lot of the trouble is bad driving. Driving at 100mph on a motorway for example should be fine if people would pay attention and keep a distance. I’ll admit to doing it all the time on the roads I know, when it’s quiet and I have enough view of the road ahead. On a motorway you can often see a great distance ahead, it’s all straight, and if you’re keeping a big enough gap between traffic and paying attention to everything that’s happening then there’s no more risk than driving at 70. It’s people who get up your arse when you’re travelling at speed that causes collisions, or when they’re doing everything BUT driving.
And as for increasing the speed limit on motorways, I’d love to see it but I wouldn’t trust most people to do drive at that speed, technology such as the brakes may have vastly improved, but reaction times and people’s attitudes haven’t…
what really gets me is people in the outside lane for no chuffing reason
You sit behind them nicely for 30 seconds then go inside
As soon as they see you come in so do they.
And they look bemused when they get a rev or a blast on the horn.
Speed on an open road with little traffic is fine but there are still too many idiots around to safely hit 100+
nice when you can give it a little blast though
variable speed limits are the right way…try to do 150 mph on the m25 at 8.30 and you will be in trouble…but at 3 in the morning or at times when its empty…what does it matter…
Training is the way to go and regular tests to improve peoples skills…
A bit of food for thought…
…at 70 mph on the motorway you will be hurt badly if you come off and hit a stationary object, at 60mph on a single carriage way road you could hit a car coming the other way…a potential closing speed of 120mph and sudden stop…same result…so whats wrong with at least 120 on motorways and some dual carriageways…
We could and should have higher limits and some roads, at certains times, could and should be unlimited…especialy where there are no junctions, animals or low flying hypocrites…people should be warned about the risks and then let loose.
It is sad, nah very sad when someone goes needlessly especially for all those associated with that person but that is the nature of life, death always follows once you have a birth…
That is a stunningly good idea, maybe not a test but a regular assessment every 5 or 10 years. And a retest if your driving skills & behaviour are poor.
The government could make a lot more money from offering people extra training which would then give them licence to do say…90mph or 100mph. I for one would be the first in line in that queue and would gladly pay a yearly fee for it.
I hate the way its black and white at the moment. If you get done for speeding the circumstances SHOULD be taken into account - i.e what you were driving/riding, the condition its in, what your skills are, time of day, traffic etc etc and the fine should reflect this.
Like someone said before - there is A WORLD of difference between doing 100mph in London rush hour and 100mph at 3am on the M1.
Its ALL about revenue - always was…always will be.
i also like the idea of dual speeds dependent on the conditions
In France you get a speed limit for dry conditions and another for wet
+1… not to mention that in Germany the motor vehicle inspections are MUCH MUCH harder to pass. If you have a spot of rust on your vehicle that is larger than a 10p coin FAIL. If they pop the hood and find any fluid leaks FAIL, and these are just good examples of what I have seen on the UK roads!
Also the police are FAR more serious there than in the UK. Eight lane autobahn, you are in lane 3 and car comes up behind you in your lane and YOU dont move over - ticket for impeding traffic. Watched my father get one doing 130MPH and because he didnt move over into lane 2 or 1, he was going too slow - ticketed. Back then (1982) was a 300DM ticket - at the time roughly 150quid (if memory serves correctly).
Lived there for nine years and was the best road training/driving experience I have ever had. Am I a better rider/driver because of driving and living in Germany - heck yes. Do I wish more countries followed suit in their laws HECK YES.
Germany has one of the lowest per capita accident rates in the world and there is reasons for that, one PENALTIES are SEVERE, two not just any POS is allowed on the roads three if your vehicle is NOT capable of traveling at safe speeds on the higher rated roads you are forbidden to take it on them (Citroen 2CV for example) and four PENALTIES are SEVERE.