"Doki" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:
For christ's sake. Three times as many people die on the roads as are
murdered. 12% of deadly accidents are caused by exceeding the speed
limit - 17% are caused by the speed being too high for the conditions. In
other words, there are plenty of roads with a 60 limit that is perfectly
appropriate, but you can kill yourself and others doing less. Or to put
things another way, speed cameras miss 88% of the causes of road deaths.
Speed is easy to police in terms of law breaking. Murders aren't easy to
solve. Hence I have no problem with speed cameras being used to police those
who break speed limits as it frees officers to solve those difficult
murders, for example. And if you read my post again you'll see I've already
acknowledged that excessive speed is not the only problem, but it is one
part that can be easily covered in part by cameras. Again - another reaon I
have nada problem with speed cameras. You also seem to imply that it's only
breaking the speed limit is a proble. I'm well aware that the speed limit is
just that, a limit. Too many treat it as a target or a minimum speed. Speed
limits are a blunt object but there are the best tool we have at helping
stop it being a free-for-all out there. And yes, policing is not perfect,
but as I said in my original post, police resources are finite, yet another
reason I have no problem with speed cameras being used to catch some of
those breaking the limits. And let's face it, the reality is that it's a
tiny, tiny part of the road system that's covered by speed cameras, so
again, I have no time for those whinging if they are caught out.
Quoted message said:
People would be up in arms if Police forces decided to dissolve their
murder squads and replace them with gun spotting cameras when most murders
are committed by people with kitchen knives, but cutting traffic policing
and replacing it with cameras that miss most of the causes of road deaths
is fine and dandy.
No, speed cameras do not solve anything in total, but they are a tool in
policing part of the problem. Learning to drive within the speed limit is a
part of driving safely we all had to be able to demonstrate competence in
order to obtain our driving licences. This is not something new, it's been a
part of learning to drive safely and competently for a long time.
No where have I even suggested that I think all traffic police should be
replaced by cameras as it's only excessive speed which is a problem, just as
nowhere have I said that excessive speed is the only problem. What I have
said is that I have no problems with speed cameras. They are a tool, nothing
more, in part of policing. What I find laughable is the whinging of those
caught out by speed cameras and bleating on about how they are a stealth tax
on the law-abiding, put-upon, mailgned motorist. Bollox. The easiest way to
legally avoid paying the so-called tax is to drive competently and safely
and that's at a speed below the speed limit, amongst other things.
