Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Discussion
So I was heading in to Bristol this afternoon on the A4 (Portway) at "some " miles per hour when I saw a blue car heading towards me on the other carriage way. He was flashing his headlights.
I immediately slowed to a more respectable pace incase maybe there was a fallen tree or maybe some loose cattle in the road.
On rounding the gradual bend I noticed a police scamera van on the raised bit of road to the left running parallel to the Portway near the end of Roman Way IIRC. Barstewards!
So thanks to the driver of the blue car (didn't spot the make or a PH smiley) for warning me of potentially fallen trees or indeed loose cattle so I could adjust my velocity and save giving any of my hard earned cash to the local law enforcement numpties!
Thank you!
The above scenario may or may not have happened......
Allegedly.
I immediately slowed to a more respectable pace incase maybe there was a fallen tree or maybe some loose cattle in the road.
On rounding the gradual bend I noticed a police scamera van on the raised bit of road to the left running parallel to the Portway near the end of Roman Way IIRC. Barstewards!
So thanks to the driver of the blue car (didn't spot the make or a PH smiley) for warning me of potentially fallen trees or indeed loose cattle so I could adjust my velocity and save giving any of my hard earned cash to the local law enforcement numpties!
Thank you!
The above scenario may or may not have happened......
Allegedly.
You need a speed awareness course!!! (thought I'd never say that!!!) I was happy to tell everyone who got caught in 30/40mph built up zone that they shouldn't be given the chance to do the course when I was on it last week or so. Didn't go down terribly well, but I feel that in these areas there is no reason for speeding and the speed people were doing (most clocked doing 36ishmph, meaning most speedo's would be showing almost 40mph) I found excessive for those sort's of area's. If on a dual carriageway etc etc, a little different within the 30/40mph. But looking at that location here it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out why they are there.
I have to admit the course was a bit pants, but was very much focused on those doing these sorts of speeds in a built up area. One thing to bear in mind is where there is a scamera van in this sort of area there has been a death/serious accident recently, worth remembering.
You didn't get caught, happy-days!!!
One other point is its illegal to warn someone of a scamera van, I do it all the time, unless in a built up area!!!
I have to admit the course was a bit pants, but was very much focused on those doing these sorts of speeds in a built up area. One thing to bear in mind is where there is a scamera van in this sort of area there has been a death/serious accident recently, worth remembering.
You didn't get caught, happy-days!!!
One other point is its illegal to warn someone of a scamera van, I do it all the time, unless in a built up area!!!
Incidentally, there was another van on the outbound stretch tonight on my way home. Opposite the twin speed cameras mounted on the central reservation.
It's the first time I've ever seen one in the dark (5:10pm).
Do they actually work in the dark as I was under the impression they took a picture of the offending vehicle?
Is it infrared or some such technology? I would argue they are actually easier to spot as the fluorescent chevrons show up well in the headlights.
It's the first time I've ever seen one in the dark (5:10pm).
Do they actually work in the dark as I was under the impression they took a picture of the offending vehicle?
Is it infrared or some such technology? I would argue they are actually easier to spot as the fluorescent chevrons show up well in the headlights.
Think the whole speeding thing in built up areas depends on whether the speed limit is justified.
Far too often we'll see 30mph or 40mph limits put up for little or no justification apart from the fact that the local Parish councillor wants to cross the road from his house to the pub opposite and decides NSL it too much and gets his way to get it reduced to 40mph.
The whole speed kills things is somewhat annoying too. The perception being that people doing 5mph over the speed limit is somehow comparable to drink driving and they are the scum of the earth. It's not speed that is the major killer on our roads, it is people not concentrating on what they are supposed to do, i.e. driving.
Like you Paul, I'm not on a SAC. Doing 82 on a dual a carriageway, perfect viz, no junctions, bone dry conditions and was overtaking a lorry, hence didn't see the t
t in his van until I got past the lorry.
2 days earlier I had a girl not look, pull out on me as I was overtaking her on the A38 nr Saltash on the 2 lanes one way and 1 lane other way bit and force me into oncoming traffic coming the other way. Luckily I opted to move over and bank on the car breaking enough to let me swerve round her and no harm done. Pulled her over afterwards and she was doing below the speed limit but in her defence she didn't see me. That's ok then, as long as you were doing below the speed limit, then obviously you are not at fault. How fast was I going. about 60mph on the 50mph limit. Headlights on too.
The amount of times that happens to me on my bike over a summer is into double figures I'd say.
The people to be removed off the road, have points put on etc are the people that don't bother looking, text on their phone, read maps, blame kids in the back for mowing into stationary bikes and so on. You can easily exceed the limit and be 100 times safer than these people. But it's much easier to police and generate cash from people exceeding speed limits but it doesn't necessarily remove the most dangerous killers of our roads I'm afraid to say.
Rant over you'll be pleased to hear.....
Far too often we'll see 30mph or 40mph limits put up for little or no justification apart from the fact that the local Parish councillor wants to cross the road from his house to the pub opposite and decides NSL it too much and gets his way to get it reduced to 40mph.
The whole speed kills things is somewhat annoying too. The perception being that people doing 5mph over the speed limit is somehow comparable to drink driving and they are the scum of the earth. It's not speed that is the major killer on our roads, it is people not concentrating on what they are supposed to do, i.e. driving.
Like you Paul, I'm not on a SAC. Doing 82 on a dual a carriageway, perfect viz, no junctions, bone dry conditions and was overtaking a lorry, hence didn't see the t
t in his van until I got past the lorry.2 days earlier I had a girl not look, pull out on me as I was overtaking her on the A38 nr Saltash on the 2 lanes one way and 1 lane other way bit and force me into oncoming traffic coming the other way. Luckily I opted to move over and bank on the car breaking enough to let me swerve round her and no harm done. Pulled her over afterwards and she was doing below the speed limit but in her defence she didn't see me. That's ok then, as long as you were doing below the speed limit, then obviously you are not at fault. How fast was I going. about 60mph on the 50mph limit. Headlights on too.
The amount of times that happens to me on my bike over a summer is into double figures I'd say.
The people to be removed off the road, have points put on etc are the people that don't bother looking, text on their phone, read maps, blame kids in the back for mowing into stationary bikes and so on. You can easily exceed the limit and be 100 times safer than these people. But it's much easier to police and generate cash from people exceeding speed limits but it doesn't necessarily remove the most dangerous killers of our roads I'm afraid to say.
Rant over you'll be pleased to hear.....
Gassing Station | South West | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff