General: England > Reviews > REDUCE SPEED, CAMERAS KILL

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Advantages:	Police get more and more of are dosh
Disadvantages:	Cause acidents

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no

Full review

Speed kills, but you will find it kills much less than the cameras trying to control it.

Speed cameras are becoming more and more of a problem in are modern motorised society.

Up until recently all speed cameras were based on an analogue system, meaning that photos of speeding drivers had to be taken on film. These films had to be regularly changed, and proved very expensive and time consuming for the police, and so very few were about. They were only used in very necessary circumstances.

Now you will find that all cameras have been changed to a digital type of system, being linked to a central monitoring station. The cameras have no need for any king of un-replaceable film. All photos of offenders are sent through a link to a computer system in the central traffic station. The officers watching can print off photo’s that have caught offenders going at a value of 10% +2 over the speed limit. This means that if you are in a 30 miles an hour (MPH) speed limit then you should be able to get away with going no more that 35 miles an hour. I would not count on this too much; don’t be doing the maths in you head as you are going along, this will intern cause accidents.

Digital cameras have led to more and more of these speed camera’s being placed across the country. Computers can print of a photograph and the necessary documentation, and drop it in a bag ready for postage. It really is that easy for the police, getting more and more inexpensive all the time for the police.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE MODERN MOTORIST?

Driving your car is becoming less and less of an enjoyment; it is getting even more stressful by the day. This is not to do with poor divers or even road rage but down to the dreaded speed cameras.

Diving you car anywhere now involves not just the needed concentration of driving, but you also need to be able to drive and constantly look over you shoulder for the trusty speed camera. They are paced everywhere, it’s just not on.

One very worrying thing is that divers are concentrating less and less on the road ahead, yes speed kills, but also does the looking for cameras.

To make thing worse is that they also like placing fake camera signs virtually everywhere, in which you cannot be sure that there are cameras or not. This ploy also deters you from driving; we don’t need the added stress.

Who actually sticks ‘spot on’ to the speed limit, the answer is nobody. We all don’t just stare at the speed counter; we all differentiate above and below the speed limit. We all have good breaks on our cars; we wouldn’t have passed the M.O.T without them.

A very worrying aspect of the speed cameras is that people will be going 50 MPH on a 40 MPH road, will see the speed camera and the instantly recognisable lines on the road and will break harshly for the speed camera. They will often break from the initial 50-MPH to about 35 MPH in just a few seconds, which can be very dangerous. How often have wee all see people jumping on the brakes at the sight of a parked police car? Where is the sense in it?

WHERE PEOPLE MOSTLY LOOK FOR THE CAMERA’S

Your first hint of the speed camera is that the area will be a signposted; a white sign with the black camera on it. This does not guarantee you a camera but there is a small possibility, you will find yourself instantly on the lookout.

Speed cameras are becoming more and more common. They are instantly recognised able as quite big bulky cameras about 2 to 3 metres of the ground. They are the modern motorist’s nightmare.

To be sure that there is a camera, if you can’t physically see it, are the white painted markings on the road. These markings aid the camera in determining what speed that you are doing. The camera knows the length of the markings on the road and can time how long it took you to travel from start to finish. The camera will use the trusty high school equation “Speed = Distance (Divided) by Time”. Once it has calculated this is will determine if the value is over the speed limit value, which is set by the camera operators. I am not sure if the speed limit is set exactly to the value of the speed limit sign, or if they allow you a little extra. I have heard many say on motorist television programs that the value is the speed limit with 10% of it plus to 2.

Whenever you have the feeling that there is a speed camera, you will find yourself naturally yon the lookout. My point is, wouldn’t it be better concentrating on your driving rather than looking for the big grey box?