Useful speed prevention or annoying busy-bodies?

[Housey]

In my experience the nation and these people in particular think noise is the same as speed. I try not to speed through any country village, certainly never carry excessive speed in built up areas but have often caught the wrath of said people in yellow coats with clip boards and speed guns when not exceeding speed limits but by simply having a quick and sometimes loud car. I did confront one group some years ago in Abbots Bromley who waved at me, pointed and shouted even. I pulled up, got out and confronted them with a simple question.

What did I do wrong?

They had nothing, zero, but remained angry and restored with "you should slow down". The debate went on but we got to the point where it became silly and I walked off (and passed on my views to d'feds in due course). This I have an issue with, people who have anger and use these things as an outpouring for that anger, their agenda clouds them. To them I had a fast car, their mindset was "well he must be going fast and if he isn't he sure will be" and they are probably right....but that is not their job and in said circumstance an irrelevance. Speeding in built up areas is bad, it's dangerous and should be avoided but I can't help and think that these people do little if anything to fix that problem so no, to me a waste of time and place for angry old men to feel powerful once again....which is odd as often they are pretty powerless.

 

[Hades]

Indeed, but none of that is insurmountable.



It's not one person's word against another when you have them measured using approved equipment, trained to the required standard and evidenced properly. If done as trained, this is not a difficult task.

Yes thats why I said the evidence was important. But securing evidence requires more than just training the person to use a speed camera. They would, I imagine, need a lot more training about evidence procedures too.

To be fair, prosecutions from volunteers holding speed guns happen all the time very successfully from Special Constables.

A special constable is not just another volunteer. They are a constable first and foremost. I would expect a judge to give far more weight to any evidence from a special constable than they would to a random person such as a volunteer retired estate agent (for example), assuming equal training was given. If that were not the case then why do we have special constables? Instead we could just train up random volunteers in whatever speciality we needed, whether that were speeding, traffic control, disturbances of the leaves, theft, etc.

 

[Burnsy2023]

Yes thats why I said the evidence was important. But securing evidence requires more than just training the person to use a speed camera. They would, I imagine, need a lot more training about evidence procedures too.

The evidence procedures aren't all that complicated. It's essentially statement writing.

A special constable is not just another volunteer. They are a constable first and foremost. I would expect a judge to give far more weight to any evidence from a special constable than they would to a random person such as a volunteer retired estate agent (for example), assuming equal training was given.

Maybe, but you're assuming there's much to challenge.

If that were not the case then why do we have special constables? Instead we could just train up random volunteers in whatever speciality we needed, whether that were speeding, traffic control, disturbances of the leaves, theft, etc.

Funny enough, there's a big push to get volunteers involved in all aspects of policing, be that as volunteer PCSOs, Cyber Volunteers, or Police support volunteers that help workshops or indeed anything else.

 

[Resident]

Seems like a waste of resources to me. Rather than have one guy in a van they now have two community support officers wages to pay and all they're doing is writing down registrations. Surely considering they go through (what I assume) expensive training this is a complete waste of their time. I find it silly that there's been such a huge focus on speeding, when other bad driving practices seem to be getting completely ignored.

In bold.

You're exactly right.

The most common offence I witness multiple times in my daily commute is red light jumping. From private vehicles, buses and HGVs. Although the worst offenders are taxi drivers.

I've even witnessed several marked police units IGNORE a traffic offence happening right in front of them, usually on the way back to the station (which is at the end of my road)

 

[Skillmister]

I would agree, but the only place they tend to sit locally, is at the end of a 30 that's about to change to NSL, literally stood just after the last property, where all the empty fields begin. Oh noes they might catch someone who got on the throttle 20 yards early, won't someone please think of the sheep.

Put these outside of schools, nursing homes, shopping centres, sure, no issues from me, infact I'd applaud their efforts to safety and awareness. Put them 5 yards before an NSL sign, and no, they are just busy-bodies looking for some kind of power trip or high horse.

We have a van that does this, except it also parks on a private driveway tucked behind a tree

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/another-hidden-speed-camera-van-11539332

 

[Nasher]

Double post

 

[Nasher]

Didn't think they were allowed to operate off private land.

 

[grudas]

A few around the areas I drive, often they don't bother pointing it at my lexus but my loud mk1 mx5 always grabs their attention..

 

[Skillmister]

Didn't think they were allowed to operate off private land.

Doesn't seem to stop them

 

[kindai]

when other bad driving practices seem to be getting completely ignored.

This.

Nail. Head.

I often think I could make an absolute fortunate driving down the motorway with a camera attached to the top of the car, and send speculative invoices out to every middle lane hogger. Even going from Junction1 to junction 3 of the M40 you'll pass 10 cars sat in the middle lane with a clear lane to the left.