Spate of destroying speed cameras in villages

[dave28]

One thing I wonder is whether the people doing this will ultimately succeed.

If we will simply given up because replacing the cameras is too expensive and we don't have the means to catch these people.

Here in Cornwall, the police put out several statements asking if they would please stop, because it's awfully mean, and it costs the public purse money to repair them. I would have though the desperate tone of their messaging would simply encourage people, knowing that they have no real answer to the people doing the damage.

Hard to say how it will pan out long term, there is only so much the public will put up with before they start smashing or painting cameras and signs in the middle of the night.
And i think if the Wales example is rolled out UK wide then it wont go down well, 20mph is awkward. Im forever having to look at the dash since lower gears are very sensitive to light changes in pressure.

 

[throwaway4372]

20mph and ulez deserve it imo

 

[FoxEye]

Hard to say how it will pan out long term, there is only so much the public will put up with before they start smashing or painting cameras and signs in the middle of the night.
And i think if the Wales example is rolled out UK wide then it wont go down well, 20mph is awkward. Im forever having to look at the dash since lower gears are very sensitive to light changes in pressure.

It's worth bearing in mind that some of these cameras only exist because the locals petitioned for them in the first place.

So it's a question of whose will should take priority, the villagers or the motorists (who don't like the limit).

 

[NvidiaDan]

Last year my town was given basically a full 20mph restriction with the exception of 2 roads, luckily most residents think this is ridiculous and I'd say a good portion of drivers I follow are still sticking to around 30 on the main routes. But the speed cameras we have from the 30mph era can't even operate at 20mph apparently

 

[SpellowHouse]

Here in sunny* Cornwall, we are having an ongoing epidemic of speed cameras being cut down or otherwise rendered non-functional.

As reported in our local online rag (adblocker strongly advised), the readers' comments are somewhat evenly split, with many choosing to congratulate the perps. Often it is claimed that this is the "British spirit" (of defiance?) at work. The "war on motorists" is regularly invoked.

Just interested to see what people's opinions are, here. Whether you view these people as "heroes" or idiots.

Personally I tend to religiously do 20mph in residential areas whilst at the same time holding that 85 is fine for motorways (or dual carriageways as we have no motorways in Cornwall).

It just so happens that the speed cameras being targeted for destruction are in those 20 or 30 zones. And often were installed at the request of residents due to feeling unsafe as a pedestrian in their own villages. Obviously these same residents are upset when the cameras are destroyed.

So what is the solution? It's clear that many motorists view residential speed limits as an affront. They don't want them, and will actively ignore them.

In a related move, we're going to adopt 20mph for urban zones similar to Wales. There is a large outcry from people down here claiming they will simply ignore the changes and continue at 30mph (or whatever speed they prefer given that 30 is already too slow for some).

*Blatant lies, it's always overcast and raining down here

Good idea. Please cut down more.

I don't have a problem with speed cameras, but I do have a problem with councils making huge profits out of them. By all means give people points, but the charges should be for camera maintenance only.

 

[Blackjack Davy]

Its a direct result of ULEZ people have got it into their heads thats people have a god given right to drive at whatever speed where and whenever they like and sod anyone or anything that gets in their way and that attitude was deliberately encouraged by Sunak and this govt there was even Rees-Mogg on on GB News going on about war on motorists and how dare Khan restrict the right of motorists to drive at full speed anywhere in whatever they like thru London (just shows how out of touch this statement is when you consider when has anyone driven through london at anything less than a snails pace in snarled up traffic). But yes this govt and the conservative party have effectively declared war on traffic restrictions and given carte blanche to destroy speed cameras and any other symbols of "oppression" its repusively selfish and boorish most of the rural cameras are in narrow roads in villages and the like where traffic regularly speeds until the camera when they slam on the brakes and speed up when out of sight of it

 

[katy81]

Just get rid of speed cameras and increase fuel duty and road tax to make up the shortfall in revenue

 

[Bear]

If I was at the council, I would call their bluff and divert the money to repair the cameras and stop repairing roads, go to rubbish collection to once a month etc. People would be up in arms and you could put the blame squarely on the vandals.

 

[lordrobs]

Many moons ago when shopping for our first house we looked at a place on the main road through a village with a speed camera opposite. I just mentioned it in conversation with the vendor, I was going to say that it was a good thing otherwise the road would end up like a race track. He jumped straight in with a big grin on his face "Yeah, that gets vandalised every few weeks. Last time someone shot it with a shotgun. LOL". I subsequently found out that the shotgun story was in fact true.

I honestly couldn't understand the mentality of the guy. Even if you personally choose to speed everywhere, surely you don't want people tearing past your house?!

Personally, there are a few that really bug me, like at the bottom of steep hills where you could genuinely be nicked for just running down the hill in gear with zero throttle, but ultimately there isn't really any justification for vandalism of them which ultimately comes out of everyone's pockets.

 

[Abraxaz1]

This is so short sighted and retarded…

The reason why fixed cameras are used is cost/ per time vs paying someone to sit in a van.

All this will do is force the police into vans that can park up anywhere, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthen have pretty much removed the majority of their fixed speed cameras for vans.

Should be interesting if the government goes forth with its plan to allow councils to enforce speed limits/ issue fines

 

[Conscript]

Its a direct result of ULEZ people have got it into their heads thats people have a god given right to drive at whatever speed where and whenever they like and sod anyone or anything that gets in their way and that attitude was deliberately encouraged by Sunak and this govt there was even Rees-Mogg on on GB News going on about war on motorists and how dare Khan restrict the right of motorists to drive at full speed anywhere in whatever they like thru London (just shows how out of touch this statement is when you consider when has anyone driven through london at anything less than a snails pace in snarled up traffic). But yes this govt and the conservative party have effectively declared war on traffic restrictions and given carte blanche to destroy speed cameras and any other symbols of "oppression" its repusively selfish and boorish most of the rural cameras are in narrow roads in villages and the like where traffic regularly speeds until the camera when they slam on the brakes and speed up when out of sight of it

I'm certainly not going to defend the attitude of the Conservatives, nor the implementation of ULEZ, but I don't think this is something you can say is a direct result of either. I've been hearing the phrase "war on the motorist" for years before the current administration was in power, and vandalism of speed cameras is definitely not a new phenomenon. However, it's much more visible now on social media, as there's definitely been a very public backlash against ULEZ with a lot of coverage of groups hacking the cameras down.

 

[BUDFORCE]

20mph and ulez deserve it imo

Yea i agree.

It's not about safety or the environment, it's about rinsing the British public even further.

 

[Abraxaz1]

Yea i agree.

It's not about safety or the environment, it's about rinsing the British public even further.

Yeah **** people wanting to breathe in clean air…

Let’s get rid of all emissions testing while we’re at it, ******* government rinsing people..

 

[lordrobs]

Yeah **** people wanting to breathe in clean air…

Let’s get rid of all emissions testing while we’re at it, ******* government rinsing people..

ULEZ was a very big sledgehammer to crack that particular egg though.

I'd much rather people with knackered smoke spewing ULEZ compliant diesels who 'fix' them by removing the DPF were tackled rather than people with impeccably maintained cars that were forced to get rid of them 'because ULEZ'.

 

[Nasher]

This always happened to speed cameras in rural areas.

I don't think it's because people want to speed. It's more motorists don't like being taken advantage of, which is what most of these cameras are for TBH.

 

[200sols]

This always happened to speed cameras in rural areas.

I don't think it's because people want to speed. It's more motorists don't like being taken advantage of, which is what most of these cameras are for TBH.

If they don't like to speed then they have no risk of being 'taken advantage of' because the consequences only happen if they are speeding.

 

[Nasher]

If they don't like to speed then they have no risk of being 'taken advantage of' because the consequences only happen if they are speeding.

When they place cameras behind blind bends where it goes from NSL to 30, it's not for safety (it probably makes it more dangerous actually), it's clearly for money generation.

Cameras are a lazy play to try and police the country. Those sets of average speed cameras popping up in villages cost millions to install. There are far more important things the council needs to spend money on. Someone takes an angle grinder to one of them and it's ruined.

 

[***F1ZZY***]

Speed cameras in 30 zones make sense. Especially rural areas where there is a transition from 60 to 30 through villages.

The worse drivers tend to drive at 40-45 in both scenarios. Completely oblivious to speed limits and the associated hazards.

 

[b0rn2sk8]

When they place cameras behind blind bends where it goes from NSL to 30, it's not for safety (it probably makes it more dangerous actually), it's clearly for money generation.

Cameras are a lazy play to try and police the country. Those sets of average speed cameras popping up in villages cost millions to install. There are far more important things the council needs to spend money on. Someone takes an angle grinder to one of them and it's ruined.

Except the law requires you to change your speed BEFORE you pass the sign. If you are still doing more than 30mph past the 30mph sign, your fair game.

Also irony of complaining about a speed camera round a blind corner given you should be able to stop in the distance that you can see if you are driving at an appropriate speed for the road and conditions.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

I’ll say it again, keep to the speed limits, you don’t get fined and when it’s realised that the cameras are just a cost, they’ll be retired.

It’s really not difficult logic and is far more sensible than wondering why your council tax is going up.