ACT - Expansion of mobile speed camera sites

[data_mine]

The speed limits are obviously low if 'everyone' (there's the few exceptions that dangerously insist on doing the speed limit in the right hand lane) can do 20+ happily, and on the whole safely.

You are right on the lack of police presence, except on Friday night, where they're out to get everyone. One Friday night I got breathalysed three times, on a circuit of civic looking for a park. Now good on the coppers for being there (enforcing drink driving), but where are they on other days/nights and at other locations.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by Gimmers55

. . . and I don't know why anyone in the ACT should complain about 'low' speed limits. The most common limit is 80kph on the major arterials and ring roads- what's the problem. That's a luxury that Melbourne and Sydney drivers only dream about.

Yeah it is better than what others have but seriously you can't tell me that the majority of our 80km/h roads aren't good for 100 easy.

As data_mine said the majority already does 20+ so it can obviously be done safely.

Civic is beyond a joke. 60km/h on a 3 lane road (Northbourne Av) _

[XRQTR]

Speed combined with driver inattention is one of the biggest killers of
drivers on Australian roads.

That's the funniest bit, as peoples attention is automatically taken away from the road when speed cameras are introduced like this, they are more likely to be looking at parked cars and there speedos rather than the road in front of them.

I think in another post their was some information on a study done in Vic in regard to the effect that speed cameras have had on accidents and the nunber was actually up. Proving that people are not concentrating on the roads and that speed is not the major cause of accidents rather the lack of concentration and attention to what is going on right in front of you.

And if you think the coroners report will make a difference think again, Herr Bracks was actually installing the new cameras in the weeks before the election, even though so many are so opposed they still voted him back.

What I;m waiting for is when they start to use your GPS locater to fine you, this was discussed in many magazines at around the time they were first being trialled for the public many years ago. The fear was that there would be no need for either police or cameras as the unit can measure your speed, the worst part is that even if you're overtaking you're still technically speeding. It would just send the info straight back and you would just get a letter in the mail, which if you think about it is not too dissimilar to the current way things are run lol.

1984 it seems was not so far from the truth after all.

[Gimmers55]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Civic is beyond a joke. 60km/h on a 3 lane road (Northbourne Av) _

But Civic has pedestrians, cars parked on the side of the road, lots of traffic lights and relatively heavy vehicle traffic. Speed limits are set to take into account more than just the number of lanes on the road.

Look at the number of people cleaned up on Northbourne over the last year. 80kph would be absurd in that area.

[data_mine]

People should be less stupid. Surely the vast majority of those incidents were because of someone jaywalking.

But really, no point arguing. Until the governments of Australia wake up to the fact that driver licensing is a joke, far to easy to attain. And start implementing tough licensing tests, compulsory driver training (not the here's how you 3-point turn and parallel park). Speed limits are going to keep dropping because of the general publics gross stupidity and lack of skills and the whole lack of responsibility that is becoming prevalent in Australia (we're closing following the US and it's NOT a good thing).

</rant off>