School speed cameras

[Happy]

From ABC, 3 Dec. 07
NSW SCHOOL SPEED CAMERAS CATCH THOUSANDS


Almost 20,000 vehicles - or 200 a day - have been snapped speeding in NSW school zones in the first half this year.
The speed cameras fines have cost motorists nearly $2.5 million, News Limited newspapers reports.
The top infringement zone snagged 3,384 vehicles on The Entrance Road at Bateau Bay, on the Central Coast.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed the cameras caught 19,995 vehicles during school zone times between January 29 and June 30, News Ltd says.
NRMA president Alan Evans said the behaviour of the speeding motorists was "pretty dumb".
Roads Minister Eric Roozendaal said speeding through a school zone was "reckless and stupid behaviour".

I have mixed feelings about school zones.
There are days when I have to drive my 40, which in my case is just under 40 to be safe, with every other car almost pushing me to go at least a little bit faster and not a soul around.
Not one kid not one adult, nobody.

I drive and think, shouldn’t it be discetionary? Shouldn’t I be in control of my speed?

This is responsibility shifting from responsible driving to automatic speed adjusting often for no real reason.

Must addmit, I drive even slower, sometimes I even stop as badly behaving kids or youngsters make it too dangerous for themselves and for me to drive.

 

[numbercruncher]

If people arnt slowing down obviously the fine is too low, double the fine, have those massive flashing signs showing the speed like they have outside some schools so no one can claim they didnt realise, and if it saves just one kids life in the next decade it was all worth it, extra revenue is just a bonus

 

[gavank]

If people arnt slowing down obviously the fine is too low, double the fine, have those massive flashing signs showing the speed like they have outside some schools so no one can claim they didnt realise, and if it saves just one kids life in the next decade it was all worth it, extra revenue is just a bonus

Fines only make the driver angrier.... our children are worth MUCH MUCH more than a few misserable hundred dollars.
SUSPEND THE LICENSE of anyone speeding in a school zone .... and USE the hoon laws of WA to confiscate the vehicle....... case solved

Merry Christmas to all
Gavan

 

[Junior]

If people arnt slowing down obviously the fine is too low, double the fine, have those massive flashing signs showing the speed like they have outside some schools so no one can claim they didnt realise, and if it saves just one kids life in the next decade it was all worth it, extra revenue is just a bonus

The problem with reducing speed limits is that you have to draw a line somewhere. If we reduced the speed limit to 25km/h in all built up areas we might save 200 lives a year. But it would cripple the economy and the transportation system would be f***ed so it's not going to happen.

40km/h zones are not always justified IMO. They should be implemented on a case by case basis.

 

[disarray]

thats a fantastic idea, smash people as hard as you can and maybe even take away their livelihood for speeding, all at a time society is pushing harder and expecting more productivity and effort to get ahead

how about teaching people to drive responsibly? stricter controls on getting your license and re-licensing tests at various intervals to help keep the retards off the road? a bad driver going too slow is just as dangerous as a bad driver going too fast.

i would like to see different classes of licenses - drivers who complete advanced driver programs and have excellent records have a buffer of +20 or something (so they can do 130km/h on the F3) while the semi-conscious braindead sheep who look only as far as their bonnet have a lower class that resticts them to certain speeds.

i am a habitual speeder and comfortably negotiate traffic in excess of the speed limit, this is because i have good hand / eye co-ordination, drive according to the traffic conditions, fix my focus several hundered metres ahead and am able to accurately judge speed, direction and time. on the other hand the roads are filled with muppets who have no concept of using their mirrors, drive in whatever lane they feel like with no situational awareness and have lousy judgement.

licensing is one of those "cater for the lowest common demoninator" things i would like to see reformed.

 

[Mumbank]

I am not against school zones but I think each one should be judged on merit. Here in Newcastle we have a school zone on a main road which is 3 blocks from the nearest school, I think that is unfair. We also have a high school on a major route that has fencing down the median strip but the kids still jump that fence to get to Maccas, ignore the crossing lights etc and motorists have to slow to 40ks!!! Perhaps some children should be taught to be responsible for their actions.

The case with regard to that school at Bateau Bay is that it is an irregular hours school zone. It commences at 7.30am instead of 8.00am and 2pm (I think) instead of the usual 2.30, so a lot of people get caught out because of the odd times. This zone also has no lights on the signs despite being on a main road. Personally I think they should all have flashing lights activated during the school zone times, this would alert people to the fact that the zone is active, particularly people who do not have school aged children.

I'm also not convinced for the need for school zones around high schools because the older kids just wander in front of traffic anyway, they cross wherever they like, whereas the younger kids are more likely to run out from between cars etc and get cleaned up.

 

[sails]

...have those massive flashing signs showing the speed like they have outside some schools so no one can claim they didnt realise, and if it saves just one kids life in the next decade it was all worth it, extra revenue is just a bonus

I sometimes help out with school runs and agree that those massive flashing signs that are set higher than normal are great. It's too easy for drivers not on school runs to forget the time or have something else block the lower, non flashing signs as they pass. Hopefully, the high flashing lights will be installed on every school eventually and help keep our kids safe.

 

[Happy]

I am more for re-designing the schools and changing their location rather than blindly installing 200 metres 40k zone.

I would put kiddies upstairs and live traffic at ground level.
I would separate pedestrian movement from traffic altogether, difficult but possible.

What we do not is use logic of knee-jerked quick fix brain dead pencil sharpening policy makers.

Also making kids more responsible for their actions would help them later in their life too.
Some cry already, that endless positive reinforcement does lead to disappointment later in life.

 

[Timmy]

In the meantime a few things to consider.

Its said 80% of drivers rate themselves in the top 30% of drivers...
Optimism bias.
Illusion of control.
Lake Wobegon effect.

Definitions:
Moron - anyone driving slower than you.
A**hole - anyone driving faster than you.

Yes, more obvious flashing signs please - helps everyone.

 

[Aargh!]

thats a fantastic idea, smash people as hard as you can and maybe even take away their livelihood for speeding, all at a time society is pushing harder and expecting more productivity and effort to get ahead

What is so hard about abiding by some rules? If you Dont break the rules you wont get penalised. Harsh/harsher penalties are required to deter people from unnecessarily endangering other peoples lives.

how about teaching people to drive responsibly? stricter controls on getting your license and re-licensing tests at various intervals to help keep the retards off the road? a bad driver going too slow is just as dangerous as a bad driver going too fast.

People do recieve training to get their license and have to pass a written and practical test. I agree that tests should be required throughout ones life. I driver going to slow can be dangerous but considering basic laws of physics a fast driver is much more dangerous.

i would like to see different classes of licenses - drivers who complete advanced driver programs and have excellent records have a buffer of +20 or something (so they can do 130km/h on the F3) while the semi-conscious braindead sheep who look only as far as their bonnet have a lower class that resticts them to certain speeds.

Are you serious? What do you think this will achieve? Who dictates who is a semi-conscious braindead sheep and who is a super talented driver like yourself?

i am a habitual speeder and comfortably negotiate traffic in excess of the speed limit, this is because i have good hand / eye co-ordination, drive according to the traffic conditions, fix my focus several hundered metres ahead and am able to accurately judge speed, direction and time. on the other hand the roads are filled with muppets who have no concept of using their mirrors, drive in whatever lane they feel like with no situational awareness and have lousy judgement.

Now this made me laugh and get angry at the same time. I gather you have never been in a serious unforseen accident. Accidents are accidents because you dont have enough time to avoid them. Driving faster exponentially reduces your ability to react, however if we all had super-human abilities like yourself all would be rosy.

You are a risk to yourself and all others in your community and quite frankly it worries me you have a license.

 

[flinders]

the fact people always refer to collisions as "accidents" shows that the whole attitude to driving is wrong,years ago came from Uk where driving standard is lot higher than here.took police advanced driving course.accidents are things that happen because of the unforseen.majority of time collisions are caused by driver error either speed or inattention.

 

[Timmy]

Also making kids more responsible for their actions would help them later in their life too.

Absolutely! Ohhh... that is, as long as an inattentive speeding driver doesn't cut short their life.

 

[Timmy]

Well, I am off to pick the kids up from school - if all those above average drivers who have the right to speed through school zones could just stay in front of their computers for the next half hour or so that would be great.

 

[Happy]

Well, I am off to pick the kids up from school - if all those above average drivers who have the right to speed through school zones could just stay in front of their computers for the next half hour or so that would be great.

Here I can see advantage of remote location, with school being 2-way radio in one of the rooms.

 

[disarray]

well the thing is if you aren't an idiot you don't need to be constantly told and nannied in how to behave. speed limit is 60 but theres kids running around? slow down to 50 or less. school times and near a school? slow down. on a 3 lane freeway in light traffic on a clear day? speed up. it's not rocket science, however government seems to have a continual need to tweak and change and tighten traffic controls making life harder while doing nothing to address fundamental issues about traffic. we see P platers have more and more restrictions placed upon them but they still keep causing more accidents.

signage is also a major problem on busy thoroughfares. the amount of billboard and instruction spam that is constantly in your field of vision is distracting and dangerous, yet more signs keep going up, more pointless roundabouts and humps going into every bloody street except the ones that really need it.

What is so hard about abiding by some rules? If you Dont break the rules you wont get penalised.

nothing to fear if you've nothing to hide huh? i break plenty of rules, and so do you. use your mobile while driving? drive too fast? if you don't agree with some rules don't follow them, and on the flipside don't complain if you get caught.

Are you serious? What do you think this will achieve? Who dictates who is a semi-conscious braindead sheep and who is a super talented driver like yourself?

uhhh testing? passing courses in defensive driving? computer games that simulate random events and conditions? driving a car is a fine motor skill which also places large demands on perception and judgement, and some people are just plain unco. just as lots of people can't play football or understand chess lots of people can't drive for peanuts. testing for this lets people who are capable of more control over a car have this reflected in how they are allowed to use it.

Now this made me laugh and get angry at the same time. I gather you have never been in a serious unforseen accident. Accidents are accidents because you dont have enough time to avoid them. Driving faster exponentially reduces your ability to react, however if we all had super-human abilities like yourself all would be rosy.

i dispute that. "unforseen" is the problem, because a good driver shouldn't come across "unforseen" things. now people who hop in their comfy cars and put on a CD and blab away on their mobile phone safely cocooned in a snug little airbagged 4wd - these people have serious unforseen accidents because they have their head up their ass and aren'y paying attention to the road. a switched on driver on the other hand who is concentrating on the task, reading the traffic conditions and driving appropriately doesn't have that whole "unforseen" thing going. they are aware and so far far far less likely to have an accident.

You are a risk to yourself and all others in your community and quite frankly it worries me you have a license.

nice judgement. i haven't had a crash in over 15 years though i pay my fair share of tickets. you are safer with me on the road that so many others.

anyway for the record i think school zones are a good idea, but its just sad people are such crap drivers they need to have the fact that there are kids running around bashed into their skulls with blazing flashing lights and threats of loss of license and scourging. lowest common denominator licensing.

 

[brickwalls]

Given that many teachers are complaining of the lack of discipline, manners, etc. etc these days why don't we just line up all the bad kiddies and their parents and mow them down. The others will get the message - don't be a brat and don't play on the road, and bring you kids up with a social conscious.

Is that a bit Harsh??? Ok maybe - lets just mow down the parents for now!

 

[Julia]

I think schools and the students themselves need to take some responsibility for their own safety.

In my area I'd say more than 70% of both junior and senior school students ride their bikes on the right hand side of the road rather than the left.
A motorist can be making a left hand turn into the street on which they are cycling and they're on the damn bumperbar before you've fully turned the corner. Ask the schools if they remind the kids that they are expected to obey the same road rules as motorists, and they just look vague.

 

[Happy]

we see P platers have more and more restrictions placed upon them but they still keep causing more accidents.

Problem is, restrictions rules and regulations are one thing, but P-platers driving is another.

Must admit I saw some P-platers driving, that if I could I would stop them to congratulate, but it doesn’t happen to me too often, maybe I am not lucky.

 

[coolcricket]

i dispute that. "unforseen" is the problem, because a good driver shouldn't come across "unforseen" things. now people who hop in their comfy cars and put on a CD and blab away on their mobile phone safely cocooned in a snug little airbagged 4wd - these people have serious unforseen accidents because they have their head up their ass and aren'y paying attention to the road. a switched on driver on the other hand who is concentrating on the task, reading the traffic conditions and driving appropriately doesn't have that whole "unforseen" thing going. they are aware and so far far far less likely to have an accident.

So, you are saying a "good" driver should see a brick being hurtled from an overpass at night, while going 100km/hr???

 

[SevenFX]

If people arnt slowing down obviously the fine is too low, double the fine,

Unquestionable Cause Indeed, BUT don't double the fines, double the POINTS ONLY, and put any money into the schools, roads, safety programs, BUT not the Goverments pockets..salaries, supperanuation, handshakes.

This is far to common a theme, where fines keep increasing, but points don't significantly which would hurt much more when they aren't on the Roads and have to catch the bus to work or a party... :


IMO this shouldn't be about the money, as people are very used to paying fines, and don't appreciate their freedon to drive or power to take a Life.

SevenFX