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Eighty per cent of motorists caught speeding on A369 in and out of Bristol

https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/local-news/eighty-per-cent-motorists-caught-3408345

I don't understand why there aren't more speeding fines handed out - it's not difficult to set up a speed camera, automated number plate reader and a system for sending out a fine to the registered keeper.

Maybe the government just has too much money and doesn't want to be collecting any more money from the beleagured law breaking motorist?

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19 comments

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billymansell | 4 years ago
3 likes

Bring on the day when all vehicles have telematic boxes, not necessarily to catch speeders and the like but rather the immediate impact it will have on insurance premiums for each breach.

Hit people in their pocket immediately rather than hoping on the off chance for them to be caught by the police is where real change could happen.

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d10brp | 4 years ago
1 like

Here is a map of the village and the placement of the speed detector. The red circle is the detector, the blue line is where the limit changes from 30 to 50. I cycle through here most days and normally hit about 35 going past the sign as it is at the very end of the village. They do have a speeding problem in that village, but they should be doing the checking in a more sensible location and not just trying to get a headline.

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brooksby | 4 years ago
2 likes

It's downhill all the way from the George in the middle of Abbots Leigh down to Blackmoor Lane.  There's Sandy Lane and Dennyview Road on your left (going toward Portishead) - and lots of entrances to driveways - and then the lane for Leigh Court and Brackenwood Garden Centre (and Paradise Bottom, of course ) on your right.

If you are driving in a car at below the 30mph speed limit through Abbots Leigh, once you get onto that hill you can very easily get above 30mph just through the effect of gravity.  You do have to actively brake to stay under the limit.  However, I don't entirely see why so many people seem to either dislike this or find it so difficult to do.

The argument that it's going downhill and you're approaching an increased speed limit area anyway so it's just another part of the War on Motorists (used in the Post article), is rubbish.

That seems to be a bit like saying that there's no problem with accelerating up to 70 mph in a road that's approaching or near a motorway, and I don't think anyone would agree with that (?).

The whole 50 mph section is shortly to be lowered to 40 mph anyway.  Of course, whether anyone will bother sticking to that is another matter entirely.

Articles like this one, though a bit clickbaity and I'm sure the Post was just hoping we'd get the usual "But cyclists jump read lights and break speed limits, so why have a go at hard-pressed motorists?" type comments, miss the point that they are demonstrating just how many people will quite happily break the law (yes, speeding is breaking the law  ) without some sort of enforcement.

And unless the Govt starts throwing more money at the police or encouraging Arthur and Ethel to stand by the side of every road in hi-viz with a borrowed speed camera, then automatic speed cameras are the way to go.

Basically, IMO, I have no problem with speed cameras or with a police car sitting in a layby speed-checking the oncoming motor traffic.  At least it means that more than 20% of the cars being driven will be at or below the posted speed limit.  And that has to be safer, surely?

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Bmblbzzz | 4 years ago
0 likes

I'm sure there's some ironic link to be made with the continued absence after 10 years or so of the Portishead railway. 

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brooksby replied to Bmblbzzz | 4 years ago
2 likes

Bmblbzzz wrote:

I'm sure there's some ironic link to be made with the continued absence after 10 years or so of the Portishead railway. 

Or with the council which allowed massive housebuilding in Portishead without tying planning permission to paying for an equivalent amount of transport infrastructure.

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grumpyoldcyclist | 4 years ago
6 likes

Drivers have a choice, obey the law or not. If they choose not to obey the law they should face the consequences. We all know, however, that as this country is stuck in 'self entitled driver' mode we will never ever do anything to upset those self entitled drivers, who just happen to be law breaking scum.

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brooksby | 4 years ago
1 like

This does not surprise me in the least.

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ktache | 4 years ago
3 likes

The quaint and lovely oxfordshire village of Kidmore End has a blanket 20mph speed limit, yet some of the entrance/exit roads are national speed limit.  Google maps is out of date, it shows 30mph to NSL.  No real differnce in road quality of course.  It now makes up part of my all weather off/on road hour ride.

At what point, if I were to be driving my massively overpowered and oversized motor vehicle, should I be accelerating from 20mph to 60mph?  Should I at least wait until after the village primary school?  I mean I would hate not to be doing 60mph at the point when I am actually legally allowed to.

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ktache | 4 years ago
3 likes

There is no money being made.

And that's not really how speed limits work.

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muhasib replied to ktache | 4 years ago
0 likes
ktache wrote:

There is no money being made.

And that's not really how speed limits work.

The money may not be made by the councils but AA Drivetech seem to be profitable.

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Boatsie replied to ktache | 4 years ago
0 likes
ktache wrote:

There is no money being made.

And that's not really how speed limits work.

I agree. Not money making, that's what mints and bank interests do.. Blooming money collectors though.

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Hirsute | 4 years ago
0 likes

BUT it "is immediately before a 50MPH limit stretch of road, so motorists starting to increase speed above the 30 MPH by a few miles an hour, does not justify the grumpy face on the sign or a criminal offence or deploying our PC Revenue Generators in force as real crimes are escalating out of control."

Money making scheme !

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brooksby replied to Hirsute | 4 years ago
2 likes

hirsute wrote:

BUT it "is immediately before a 50MPH limit stretch of road, so motorists starting to increase speed above the 30 MPH by a few miles an hour, does not justify the grumpy face on the sign or a criminal offence or deploying our PC Revenue Generators in force as real crimes are escalating out of control." Money making scheme !

The hill to which they refer is about a half mile before the change in speed limit.

How far before a speed limit change should the authorities just say, "Yeah, fine, whatever..."?

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Hirsute replied to brooksby | 4 years ago
5 likes

brooksby wrote:

hirsute wrote:

BUT it "is immediately before a 50MPH limit stretch of road, so motorists starting to increase speed above the 30 MPH by a few miles an hour, does not justify the grumpy face on the sign or a criminal offence or deploying our PC Revenue Generators in force as real crimes are escalating out of control." Money making scheme !

The hill to which they refer is about a half mile before the change in speed limit.

How far before a speed limit change should the authorities just say, "Yeah, fine, whatever..."?

About 0m. Otherwise you just constantly change the distance because 'it's only a few m more'.

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fukawitribe replied to Hirsute | 4 years ago
3 likes

hirsute wrote:

brooksby wrote:

hirsute wrote:

BUT it "is immediately before a 50MPH limit stretch of road, so motorists starting to increase speed above the 30 MPH by a few miles an hour, does not justify the grumpy face on the sign or a criminal offence or deploying our PC Revenue Generators in force as real crimes are escalating out of control." Money making scheme !

The hill to which they refer is about a half mile before the change in speed limit.

How far before a speed limit change should the authorities just say, "Yeah, fine, whatever..."?

About 0m. Otherwise you just constantly change the distance because 'it's only a few m more'.

Yeah, while you should just wait in this case I think it's all about context. The 'hill' bit they're talking about is a dip about 100m before the speed monitor, about 8-10% according to the Garmin last time I went up, itself about 40m from the limit sign and leading onto a straight section of dual lane road with a 50mph limit with bugger all side-roads- apart form a lane about 300m on the right, that i've seen maybe 2 people enter or leave in a decade or so. If you're at or below the speed limit heading in that stretch you're probably actively breaking to remain so, even after the side-road.Just before the monitor is a garden centre, which often means that traffic is at a stand-still waiting for people to turn right. Since they've had the speed monitor there i've seen a whole bunch of triggers - can't say i've seen much if anything outside 33-35mph at the time i've been there (earlyish morning) - so while that might add to the stats, i'm not convinced it's a particular safety issue in the most part during that period - could be a nightmare at other times obviously.. or not. Problem with Deenyview Road  joining ? Not sure what that is, suspect it's pulling out of Leigh Court garden centre.. be interested to hear more. To be clear, i'm absolutely not excusing people speeding up to 'reach that limit !' - that's just wrong - but i'm curious as to why and where this testing is done given the many other issues with that road.

 

You do get some idiots on that road, but IME generally not there in that direction. The opposite direction is another story - going from 50-30 through that bit seems a tricky prospect for many.. The problems with that road appear much further down (North) towards the motorway with advisory markings, but no mandatory limit,  to slow down past some houses and a pub - there's been a number of incidents including  cyclist fatalities there - and where there is a 2+ lane where  there's a regular bunch of idiots solo, speeding or both when i've been there in the car or on the bike. Recent fataility there too. The proposed reduction in speed limits should hopefully help there.

 

Lots of things to improve around there, and definitely put enforced speed cameras there, but headlines seem to be more about clicks than safety though, IMO anyway.

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dobbo996 | 4 years ago
2 likes

My son lives in Bristol. I hate going over there as the car dominates every street. A city of ring roads and heavy, speeding traffic. MotorCity!

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ChasP | 4 years ago
4 likes

The councils won't enforce it because they have to hand over the money to central govt. They should get to keep it to use for repairing potholes, win-win (or is that too simple?)

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ChrisB200SX replied to ChasP | 4 years ago
1 like

ChasP wrote:

The councils won't enforce it because they have to hand over the money to central govt.

Who are constantly reducing the budgets they give to councils while dictating that councils sould do more! I don't blame the councils, most don't bother with cameras anymore.

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ktache | 4 years ago
12 likes

But how can this be?  Most of them are insured, registered, licenced and taxed.

 

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