161–170 of 186 posts
It's worth noting that French speed cameras may work a bit differently to what Americans expect. They're a revenue generation mechanism over here, not a safety measure. Imagine you're driving down a divided motorway at freeway speed, when for no evident reason there's a single 90kph speed sign visible for a couple seconds behind a bridge. That's the signal that 100 yards further on there will be a hidden speed camera…
"Some protesters feel speed cameras are solely a revenue-generating measure which takes money from the poor." This is also the case in Central and Eastern Europe. EDIT: Please read what I cited properly. The citation includes the "Some protesters feel ..." part, which is what I meant - that many people in central and eastern Europe feel the same, not that I feel they're right (what I think is irrelevant).
As much I hate speed cameras (and as much as I sympathize with the yellow vests), they are usually more than justified. As a car driver you experience much less of the negative side-effects of your reckless driving than the rule-abiding drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and people living next to the streets. Look at speed cameras as police's automation solution for the problem of what to do when road signs aren't workin…
It's worth noting that French speed cameras may work a bit differently to what Americans expect. They're a revenue generation mechanism over here, not a safety measure. Imagine you're driving down a divided motorway at freeway speed, when for no evident reason there's a single 90kph speed sign visible for a couple seconds behind a bridge. That's the signal that 100 yards further on there will be a hidden speed camera…
You've just described what being a safer driver is. You _have to_ be alert at all times, and you _have to_ be ready to brake if something suddenly happens.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
mind there's a significant difference between Wallonia and Flanders. (see article below, in Dutch) https://www.knack.be/nieuws/belgie/aantal-verkeersdoden-daal...
That's to be expected given the large difference between the regions, but the comparison still hold if you compare the more urbanised Nord département to Flanders. Nord is on paar with Noord-Brabant however, on the other side of Flanders. IMO there is no question that Flemish roads (I don't know Wallonia much) are less safe than French roads. Eurostat shows that quite well: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/RCI/#?v…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> And my god, the people who will go FAR over the limit right down your street where people are pushing prams, kids are walking along, etc. is astounding. 100%. However, the majority of cameras are placed on deserted countryside main roads and non-pedestrianised motorways/interstate type roads. More camera locations should be prioritised for protecting pedestrians.
Those cameras are not to protect pedestrians, they exist to enforce drivers to stick to the speed limit. Look at these charts. Speeding rural areas kill! Also, take a guess at what time SUVs became popular in urban areas. https://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/roadway-and-environment/f...
I used to dislike speed cameras. I thought they were part of an encroaching surveillance state and took judgment away from officers. Then (and sorry, I know it's a tired thing to say) I had a kid. And my god, the people who will go FAR over the limit right down your street where people are pushing prams, kids are walking along, etc. is astounding. It's enough to make you hate all drivers, though a moment of reflectio…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Teen drives his hot hatch with 3 friends as passengers into lamp post by showing off his high speed handbrake turns. Accident figures peak. Council installs "safety" camera and lowers speed limit. Next year figures revert to mean. Council: "Aha! The lower limit and camera has cut accidents, we'll make it permanent". Net result: speed camera in middle of nowhere, on a dual carriageway, in isolated section of 40mph lim…
"Goodbye 85th percentile rule " - is this bad? It's a flawed non-rule. In many places (including Ireland, where I live) the same roads where people drive are where you walk your dog or ride a bike - with no footpath. The 85th percentile guideline doesn't help them. Remember that roads were for walking (by humans, horses, etc) and drivers turned up and stole them.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> And my god, the people who will go FAR over the limit right down your street where people are pushing prams, kids are walking along, etc. is astounding. 100%. However, the majority of cameras are placed on deserted countryside main roads and non-pedestrianised motorways/interstate type roads. More camera locations should be prioritised for protecting pedestrians.
Those cameras are not to protect pedestrians, they exist to enforce drivers to stick to the speed limit. Look at these charts. Speeding rural areas kill! Also, take a guess at what time SUVs became popular in urban areas. https://www.iihs.org/iihs/topics/t/roadway-and-environment/f...
At best, they're a passive aggressive way of exerting government control over citizens. At worst, they're a revenue-increasing mafia-protection-like tool.
If you actually want to protect pedestrians, you build physical "traffic calming" obstacles like speed bumps or chicanes [1]. Switzerland is full of these, and they're very effective. There's really no good reason to have speed cameras (although red light cameras might be a better idea), especially on the motorway (Germany manages without motorway speed limits, so clearly they're not necessary to have a functioning society).
Why the hate for speed cameras? I love speed cameras because they make the roads safer for everyone. (And yes, once in a while I get a ticket as well, which is always a good reminder to drive safely.)
Its been proposed that Thatcher allowed the miners strike to occur but only during the Summer when the effects of lack of coal (power cuts) would be less.
There's some speculation that Occupy Wall Street collapsed in the bitter cold. Many UK riots seem to happen on warm summer nights.
Has anyone done an research or written about this? Can we expect the Yellow Vests to be less successful in this winter than in the summer?