New speed camera vans being deployed from today

Here is the problem, blah blah blah.
The problem is that if people did not exceed speed limits, no fines would be incurred. They are not stealth vans; clearly marked and clearly visible vans will now be on patrol.
And speed limits are limits, not orders to drive at that speed or a little above it. Instead of blaming government/gardai/anyone else, isn't it about time, drivers took some responsibility for safe driving. This means staying within limits and following the rules of the road not because rules exist or drivers are afraid of getting caught, but because it actually would mean a reduction in unsafe driving, injuries and deaths.
Perhaps if drivers took some responsibility, fewer traffic corps would be required.
Though I am probably living in dreamland, expecting people to be responsible.

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Source?

I'd love to see the research that backs up your claims.

tinkerbell said:

Local authorites set the speed limits, the gardai enforce them and the motorists who speed recklessly endanger lives. Most people caught speeding claim they never saw the speed zone signs. If they didnt see them because of excess speed what other errors could they make? Just look at traffic lights - how many cars speed through on red chancing their arm? If they saw a Garda at the lights they wouldn't do that? If its such a money making racket putting speed detectors vans out who can come up with the figures please? I for one would love to know how much is actually profit for the powers that be? And I agree - driving standards here are appalling but dont go blaming the Gardai for that!!

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As usual the Gardai are targeting the wrong people

Try cross-referencing the Garda and Courts Service tallies for penalty points with the National Roads Authority's, Road Accident Facts report.

A massive 27 per cent of all penalty points were awarded to Dublin drivers. Given the presence of so many dangerous drivers, one would expect Dublin to have a similar share of fatal accidents.

It doesn't. Just 13 per cent of fatal accidents were in Dublin.

It amply demonstrates the waste of manpower and uselessness of targeting so called "speeding"

It removes the assumed correlation between the dangerous driving that attracts penalty points and the fatal accidents

The vast bulk of penalty points are awarded for so called speeding. Thousands of people have been caught by speed cameras, or mobile Garda speed traps. The government's expensive road safety campaign revolves around the simple message that `speed kills'.

According to the NRA, in 80 per cent of all fatal crashes no one was speeding!

Not surprisingly as these are Revenue cameras, a large proportion of speed traps and cameras are on dual carriageways and motorways. But according to the NRA, a minuscule 0.3 per cent of fatal accidents occur on these roads.Some 86 per cent of fatal crashes happen on single carriageway roads.

The NRA reports that when cars collide and people die, "improper overtaking" or "went to wrong side of road" was responsible far more than any other factor.

And so when a motorist in low-accident Dublin does 45 miles an hour on a dual carriageway where the speed limit is 40, and gets a heavy fine and two points on the licence, he or she is absolutely correct in considering that what has happened is unfair, and perfectly right to feel resentful.

Worst of all the Gardai are failing to tackle the real causes of fatal accidents and just raising revenue instead.

Here are some of the useless areas that are targeted

Belfield Bridge, Dublin.The speed limit on the Stillorgan dual carriageway drops to a ridiculous 40 mph. Cars gather momentum as they go through the underpass, and gardai clock them as they emerge.

Speeding kills...utter tosh ! INAPPROPRIATE speed can cause premature death. I can easily drive at 90mph on a mothrway in a 1L Fiesta or Micra and not kill anyone. However, if you drive at 50mph on numerous roads around the country, you are taking a massive chance.

Engineering the danger spots out of the roads is a very long term approach and the majority of roads are not included in these plans.

Donegal has a massive proportion of fatal accidents per head of population and where are the enforcements being placed ? Motorways. Yeah, it's all about prevention...pish!

werner said:

As usual the Gardai are targeting the wrong people

Try cross-referencing the Garda and Courts Service tallies for penalty points with the National Roads Authority's, Road Accident Facts report.
...

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Well said.
A contender for post of the year, imho

great post werner.

got this from Boards.ie


Just Heads up for the GATSO parked behind roadwork sign just after the M50 slip and before the airport exit its in the 80K wouldn't you know. I spotted it and slowed alright but i can see a pile up happening....so much for road safety

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055387797

see pics above -

If only they'd this much enthusiasm and creativity catching real criminals.

Is it my imagination or are those posters who are most obsessed with speed cameras also the most likely to have accrued penalty points?

Caveat said:

Is it my imagination or are those posters who are most obsessed with speed cameras also the most likely to have accrued penalty points?

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reasoning????? - From what I can gather from the posts above, the "obsession" ( I would use the term "concern" ) is that these new vans would be used in areas which are relatively safe, (with regards to the amount of accidents in that stretch of road) rather than in true accident blackspots

Not necessarily directed at at the above posts, it was a general comment and this thread seemed as appropriate a place as any to make it.

I understand and accept that there are common sense issues regarding speed cameras and enforcement, but just do a search based on speed cameras and see who is objecting the most. Then do a search on penalty points and see who has them.

Are these all just 'concerned' citizens or maybe just habitual speeders who hate getting caught?

i would say mostly citizens who would like to see their tax money put to better use!

starlite68 said:

i would say mostly citizens who would like to see their tax money put to better use!

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I cant see any better method to improve road safety. Speed restrictions are there for a reason, stick to them and you ill have no problem with the cameras...

Advertisements on tv just dont cut the mustard!

Maybe we should have a declaration of penalty points on this thread?!!

LennyBriscoe said:

I cant see any better method to improve road safety. Speed restrictions are there for a reason, stick to them and you ill have no problem with the cameras...

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in an ideal world maybe...also speed cameras and vans dont really work for very long..people who are on the road every day just get to know where they are and spread the word

LennyBriscoe said:

I cant see any better method to improve road safety. Speed restrictions are there for a reason,

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If only. Some speed restrictions are highly debatable, for example the change of limit from 100kph to 80kph on the old N4 between Kilcock and Kinnegad, which many people suspect as being merely an "incentive" to use the M4 toll road. Another is the 50kph limit on the Ratoath-Kilbride-Hollystown road which miraculously increases to 60kph once once reaches the built-up area around Hollystown

LennyBriscoe said:

Advertisements on tv just dont cut the mustard!

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You're right there. I would go so far as to suggest that some of them even glamourise speeding in some people's eyes.

LennyBriscoe said:

Maybe we should have a declaration of penalty points on this thread?!!

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Fair enough. Zero in my case. What about yourself?

Zero also...

Then again I live in a rural area far from 40KM speed zones!!

A zero for me too BTW. Nor have I ever been stopped for speeding for that matter.

werner said:

The standard of driving in Ireland is absymal

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believe it or not..a report carried out about a year ago,i think by insurance companies...showed that we are no better or no worse that other countries in europe....so perhaps we should not be too hard on ourselves.
if you really want to see bad driveing go to italy!

werner said:

As usual the Gardai are targeting the wrong people

Try cross-referencing the Garda and Courts Service tallies for penalty points with the National Roads Authority's, Road Accident Facts report.

A massive 27 per cent of all penalty points were awarded to Dublin drivers. Given the presence of so many dangerous drivers, one would expect Dublin to have a similar share of fatal accidents.

It doesn't. Just 13 per cent of fatal accidents were in Dublin.

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Maybe the enforcement (and issuing of penalty points) is the REASON for the lower fatalities ????

Here's a thought .........................

There has to be 3 fatal accidents in the area for a fixed camera to be installed there, and its not a secret where the cameras are, you are supposed to see them so you will slow down in this dangerous area, although I would agree that you cant sometimes !!

There are also different departments within the police too, for those of you who suggest that the traffic cops catch real criminals instead of doing the job they're assigned to, there are actual police officers who deal with the real criminals so that the traffic corps can do their job and make the roads safer for everyone, including the drivers who seem to be in a hurry all the time.

I'm not a police officer or a civilian worker just some-one who has worked in this environment previously and seen the consequences of what reckess driving can do, the same old opinion of "it wont happen to me" is silly because although you may be in control of your own car and what you can do with it, you dont know what the car in front or beside you is or isnt capable of !!!!!

Just thought I's put the thought forward !!

Regards