More Scruby BS

[csv8]

A proposal to introduce undercover speed vans in NSW has failed to win the support of the state government and the opposition.


A proposal to introduce undercover speed vans in NSW has failed to win the support of the state government or the opposition.

The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) is considering whether covert surveillance would be an effective way of reducing speeding on the state's roads.

But Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal said on Tuesday he preferred high-visibility measures such as highway police and visible cameras.

"We would need to see overwhelming evidence of a real community benefit before we changed our current strategy," Mr Roozendaal said.

"My personal view is I don't think it's appropriate to go to covert cameras."

He said the secret vans were just one of a number of possible options being examined to discourage speeding.

"Speed remains the number one cause of accidents on our roads and we need to look at ways of encouraging people to slow down."

The NSW opposition slammed the proposal and called instead for more highway patrol officers on the roads.

"If you want to do something substantial about changing driver behaviour and bring down the road toll, that's the way to go," opposition police spokesman Mike Gallacher said.

Mr Gallacher said "sneaky" measures like covert speed cameras were a means to raise revenue and confusing for drivers, who might be unsure which family member had been at the wheel at the time they were caught.

NRMA spokesman Brett Gale said covert surveillance did nothing to change the speeding culture.

He agreed that increased police numbers were the best deterrent.

"Getting down the road toll is about changing driver behaviour, and the best way to (do that) is for people to see police out there, be afraid of being caught by police," Mr Gale said.

Research showed that fines imposed after the event had little impact on the road toll, he said.

However, the Pedestrian Council of Australia (PCA) backed the plans.

"Covert speed-camera and red-light camera enforcement saves lives," PCA chairman Harold Scruby said.

"This proposal is not revenue-raising. It's life-saving."

[Polyal]

Covert as in like what Tasmania has? Ive never seen something like it before but when I was driving through there was a white van, with tinted windows on the side of the road, it wasn't until I got close enough you can see the camera in the back.

In Vic they would just have the camera out side the car, at the front or on the nudge bar; and they are normal cars, not vans.

Very sneaky, but its the same white vans all the time so you know its them anyway.

[Quasi]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Covert as in like what Tasmania has? Ive never seen something like it before but when I was driving through there was a white van, with tinted windows on the side of the road, it wasn't until I got close enough you can see the camera in the back.

That's precisely what we have in the ACT, as well. It's not only a fun way to spend copiuos amounts of tax money, but is also a wonderful revenue raiser....as to thier effectiveness, well, a lot of the 'small white car' brigade (or meathead tradies) don't seem to be hindered by the possibility there may be one around the next bend.

[Pedro]

In 2005, Australia Ranked 7th best out of 15 nations (OECD nations) for road deaths per 100 million vehicle kilometres travelled (0.8 deaths). That might sound good, but in 2004 Australia ranked 4th and in 2003 it was 3rd.

Never mind ... speed cameras, hidden cameras, radars, etc., will lower the road toll.
It must be true ... the filthy politicians keep telling us it's true, even though every intelligent road user and knowledgeable commentator suggests that driver education is the key.

[[Tonko]]

Its funny how both Vic and NSW have a completely different approach to ''saving lives'' when it comes to speed cameras, both states blindly believe their way is better...
How anyone gets caught speeding in NSW is beyond me, with all of your warning signs...
The latest deal here is:
Long stretch of straight residential street
Copper sits in side street with radar gun
2nd man in blue sits in next side street and gets radioed who to pull over..
sneaky sneaky...

[King Nothing]

Yeah I've seen that done here as well. Getting caught by a sign posted camera is pretty stupid, but the coppers can hide in some tricky spots. The other morning I didn't see him until I was right in front of him, he was pointing the hairdryer right at me. Good thing I don't speed!

If they are so concerned about stopping speeding they should actualy stop the speeder, not take a photo then send the ticket like a week later,imagine how many more times the person could have been speeding during that time to get the ticket,as opposed to getting pulled over straght away, fined on the spot and learning the lesson.

Just a side note to this.I was in Canada this time 2 years ago and I watched on TV a report about removing speed cameras from service in the provence of Alberta.They were privately run and only lasted about a year as drivers would attack the vans with baseball bats, piant bombs , smash the windows ,slash tires and abuse the operators.Now they dont have them anymore.But this in in Canada where people are more "Americanised" so the dont put up with as much stuff as Australians do.

[pb02]

Originally Posted by Fastfalc

If they are so concerned about stopping speeding they should actualy stop the speeder, not take a photo then send the ticket like a week later,imagine how many more times the person could have been speeding during that time to get the ticket,as opposed to getting pulled over straght away, fined on the spot and learning the lesson.

This has been a strong point of mine for a long time. I've often seen people doing well above the limit and driving recklessly. By the time they get the fine in the mail it may be too late and they have caused an accident.

NOTHING beats have Police presence and actually being able to stop someone in the act.

[Force6]

Originally Posted by pb02

This has been a strong point of mine for a long time. I've often seen people doing well above the limit and driving recklessly. By the time they get the fine in the mail it may be too late and they have caused an accident.

NOTHING beats have Police presence and actually being able to stop someone in the act.

I don't think speed camera's were ever intended to 'beat' the police presence, but to be a substitute for the fact that the police can't be everywhere at once. A fine in the mail is better than none at all.

[Hunter]

Hahaha all of you Mexicans are obsessed with speeding... seriously. I was down in Newcastle last weekend and um, I was quite disturbed with all of the "ZOMGS ARE YOU SPEEDING!?!?!" signs. Far out do they have mechanical arms that come out of the stop lights and wipe your **** for you too?

In QLD we have it so much better - no fixed speed cameras only a handful of mobiles and the cops are lazy so they like to use the same spot over and over (easy to remember). We do have red light cameras but I believe a lot of them no longer work/have been decommissioned.

I promise I won't complain about QLD police anymore, not after seeing what it's like in NSW and especially after hearing all the horror story from Nazitoria.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by Hunter

Hahaha all of you Mexicans are obsessed with speeding... seriously. I was down in Newcastle last weekend and um, I was quite disturbed with all of the "ZOMGS ARE YOU SPEEDING!?!?!" signs. Far out do they have mechanical arms that come out of the stop lights and wipe your **** for you too?

In QLD we have it so much better - no fixed speed cameras only a handful of mobiles and the cops are lazy so they like to use the same spot over and over (easy to remember). We do have red light cameras but I believe a lot of them no longer work/have been decommissioned.

I promise I won't complain about QLD police anymore, not after seeing what it's like in NSW and especially after hearing all the horror story from Nazitoria.

Mate dont hold your breathe, its only a matter of time. Im off to Tassie soon so I look forward to some freedom!

[Green X]

Originally Posted by csv8

However, the Pedestrian Council of Australia (PCA) backed the plans.

"Covert speed-camera and red-light camera enforcement saves lives," PCA chairman Harold Scruby said.

"This proposal is not revenue-raising. It's life-saving."

PCA So stick to Footpaths dick head.

[devilcv8]

Originally Posted by Green X

PCA So stick to Footpaths dick head.

thats only safe if scruby isn't driving his car over the pedestrian riddled footpath.

don't forget, scruby has run a pedestrian over. all this pca is obviously scruby trying to make himself feel better

[Pedro]

Extract from British research :

After 15 years of speed cameras on British roads, neither road deaths nor hospitalisations have fallen as expected.

Drivers know as if by instinct that speed cameras are the wrong road safety policy. The extensive research and analysis conducted by the Safe Speed road safety campaign confirms that drivers have been right all along. Far from making our roads safer, speed cameras have replaced genuine life saving policies and distracted everyone from more important safety factors.

Instead...

- We must have road safety policies based on skills, attitudes and responsibilities

- We must have effective roads policing especially to deal with 'rogue drivers'

- We must avoid needlessly prosecuting skilled and responsible drivers driving safely

- We must measure what is important, not make important that which is easily measured - and you can't measure safe driving in miles per hour

[GT-E]

Harold Scruby suffers from severe NFI.
This moron should just run out infront of a B double and STFU permenantly.
I have met the guy when he was a Mosman councilour and even then he had no idea.
Pity the media gives him airtime, I guess they need a crackpot's point of view.

[Squalo]

Originally Posted by ZapXR6T

Harold Scruby suffers from severe NFI.
This moron should just run out infront of a B double and STFU permenantly.
I have met the guy when he was a Mosman councilour and even then he had no idea.
Pity the media gives him airtime, I guess they need a crackpot's point of view.

Completely agree. The 'Pedestrian Council of Australia' basically consists of Scruby, and daylight. Why he gets the profile he does is just way beyond my comprehension :

Funny, looking up 'pedestrian' in an online thesaurus gave:

1. lacking wit or imagination
a pedestrian movie plot

[Flouro_Joe]

People behave when they see MARKED highway patrol cars, to state the bleeding obvious.