Gendarmes out to increase their coffers

[Baz]

Travelling along A 26 Reims to Calais yesterday the Gendarmes were out with their speed cameras. Their clever trick was to catch people travelling back to Calais possible in a rush by firstly placing themselves in a lay by and when everyone had hopefully spotted them, having a second trap a few miles further on.

For those who know this autoroute, it is used mainly by UK cars and very few French cars, so their tactics were plainly directed to catch British cars. Whilst, I do not agree with speeding this appears to be another French way of getting money out of foreigners. If a French car is caught speeding in the UK it is unlikely they will be fined, but to see the Police waiting at the Calais toll booths to collect their fines seems a perfect way of printing money.

Baz

[Teamedup]

That'll make an expensive journey then. I find the autoroutes expensive enough and would take speed limits off them. I pay to get there fast.

[Alcazar]

I've said it before, I'll say it again: this whole "speed" thing is about revenue generation.

They've put up "Speed Kills" everywhere, so that all the muppets can parrot it, a bit like "1001 cleans a big big carpet..............." how many of us CAN'T complete that ? And the myth of the Volkswagen: "If only all things in life were built this way", but it comes pretty low in the reliability stakes really.

I had my suspicions of revenue generation confirmed when I saw a speed trap on the A26, catching returning holiday makers from all countries.

The Gendarmes had set it up in the outer lane, coned off. There was nothing else to cone off, but they had then put on a 110kph followed by a 90kph limit, ostensibly because part of the motorway was closed. It was: by their speed camera, their pursuit vehicles, and them..............plus about 6 people being fined when I passed Blatant theft.

Alcazar

[Nichthewood]

I don't understand.

Same in France as the UK. IF YOU DONT SPEED YOU WON'T GET FINED.

How can you complain, if you break the law in ant way, don't moan about the punishment

[RobS]

And as I always say to that response, Show me someone who's never broke a speed limit. You can probably count them on one hand.

[Alcazar]

IF YOU DONT SPEED YOU WON'T GET FINED

No arguments from me on that score, whatsoever

However, what I DO object to is , as I said, revenue generation, eg:

40 mph speed limits on motorway roadworks, enforced throughout the night when there is no-one around, and no-one working.

Artificially low limits, each with it's own camera.

Limits that don't make sense, with hidden cameras, eg: where a two lane 60mph limit becomes dual, and the limit is lowered to 50mph. WHY? And lo and behold, there's the camera, hidden behind a bridge abutment.

People prosecuted for 80mph on a clear dry motorway with little traffic, but able to pass a school at 30, as the kids are coming out, because that's the limit.

There are others, but it's boring me

Alcazar

[Andrewjspencer]

are our lives so hectic that we just must get to our destination 10 minutes earlier by driving above the limits?

Persoanlly although I like speed I find long journeys far less stressful if I keep to 110/130kph.

Non-UK drivers DO get prosecuted in the UK for traffic offences - one of the wonders of the EU and modern IT !!

[Teamedup]

AJS, for me 110kms on a motorway is soporific. 130 is not much better. I would be happy at 140-150, just fast enough to keep me very wide awake. 

Although I would prefer the autoroutes we pay for not to have any limits and then I could drive at say 110 or 130 if I wanted, as I would be completely focused  knowing that there would be very fast drivers flying past me. I believe that drivers need stimulation, rightly or wrongly.

[Andrewjspencer]

Teamedup

I agree some speeds can make you rather too relaxed but maybe thats the problem with the modern day car? They are often more comfortable places to be than your own lounge - lumbar support seats, climate control, CD autochanger, cool box in reach......

I can remember being much more wide awake doing 60mph in my 1971 Ford Escort than in my ohh so comfy Scenic!!

[Val50]

Good, I hope they catch as many as possible. As a nurse I just wish more people could spend a day in A&E and see the results of car accidents caused by people who reckon speed isn't a problem, and that they can handle their car. The worst part is telling a relative their loved one has died. Doesn't matter how many times you do it, it still affects you. I travel to and from the UK every week and watch in horror as the cars rush off the ferry here at Cherbourg. It's like watching a episode from Whacky Races, except it isn't funny! Yesterday, coming home from town with my daughter in the car, we watched with horror as a car (UK registered) took a corner too fast and the driver lost control. Luckily for him no one was coming the other way and he was uninjured. I know it is not just the British who think they are immune to injury when sitting behind the wheel of their car - my daughter has a couple of french friends who have suffered as a result of speeding, one died earlier this year. Just remember, a car can be as much a lethal weapon as a loaded gun - I know, I've picked up the pieces.

[Chief]

[quote user="Nichthewood"]

I don't understand.

Same in France as the UK. IF YOU DONT SPEED YOU WON'T GET FINED.

[/quote]

Actually you are wrong there.  Much of the equipment used is defective and uncalibrated.  Tests run in the UK have revealed a number of things which may interest some readers:

• Our cameras were NEVER tested or approved for use on motorbikes, and yet they are used on motorbikes, which is illegal
• Signals often bounce of other metallic objects giving false readings in the process. Under test conditions a stationary car was shown to be travelling in excess of 45mph by bouncing the signal off a moving bus
• The white lines painted on the floor to track the distance covered throughout the trap zone, and thus calculate speed have often been shown to be wrong.  Research has shown that over 10% of the lines in the UK are wrong!!
• AND THE KILLER BLOW...when using a handheld speed trap device, once you catch a speeding car and show the driver the reading, the officer can actually keep that reading on the screen and show it to any number of drivers he so chooses.  How do i know this, well me and a freind were stopped on our bikes, my friend was shown a reading of 82.4mph in a 70 zone. We know the reading was fixed, because we know what speed we were actually doing, so he just accepted the reading like you would!! The officer actually admitted in court that the readings could be set and left all day to show one speed.

 

[Matt]

I am unlucky enough to drive the western side of the M25 most days.Whilst the variable speed limit does help in the morning rush (that now starts at 5.30 am),I cannot see any other reason than revenue raising for speed limits set at 50 and 60 mph at 2 in the afternoon on a clear motorway.It is also dangerous because people see a clear road accelerate to 70 then see the sign and break hard.

[Iceni]

Taxes are 1 of the 2 certainties in life and someone has to pay them - why not the criminals ? Fortunately they do not learn from their mistakes and I perhaps pay a little less.

There are many laws with which I do not agree e.g. not being allowed to call a spade a spade, but the only thing that politicians are good at is ineffective interfering so it is senseless to expect any of it to make sense.

John

not

[steve]

how does anybody in their right mind come to the conclusion that speeding motorists are criminals. i have read the post over and it baffles me. am i missing something ?

[ali-cat]

Google the words "killed by speeding motorist" &  check out how many pages & pages of results you get - & then think about your question, again..

[chris pp]

Or try a criminal is someone who commits a crime Steve, breaking the speed limit is a criminal offence.

Chris

 

[steve]

for you that have never just a tiny little bit crept over the speed limit. be thankful you have not had to join the list of criminals. it is also a great feat that you have all achieved by having your speedo checked to ensure that it gives the correct reading. i am not personally affected

[Alcazar]

[quote]Google the words "killed by speeding motorist" &  check out how many pages & pages of results you get - & then think about your question, again.. [/quote]

Don't be silly.

Google the words " J F Kennedy"  and find out he was shot by the CIA

Google the words "Paul McCartney is dead" and see what comes up.

Google the words "Marylin Monroe is alive" and see what comes up

Google the words "American moon landing didn't happen", and see what comes up.

Doesn't make any of them true.

"Speed kills" or "killed by SPEEDING motorist" are modern myths.

Now go on and delete this one Quillan!

Alcazar

[Just Katie]

I must admit this is getting really upsetting now Alcazar.  Do you realise this forum may be read by people who have lost children to speeding motorists.  It is a serious issue and I really think you should be showing more respect other than shouting your mouth off in a one upmanship drama.  Please give it a rest now.

[Deimos]

From my perspective there are actually two issues that are not entirely (or always) related: “Dangers of speeding” and “Speed Cameras”.

 

In the UK:

I would doubt many would question the dangers of speeding, etc.  I think what is a justifiable question is that of speed cameras.  The Road Transport Lab (or some similar government organisation responsible for road safety) carried out a load of research last year and published a report (that was never actually published but leaked to the press instead).  They actually found that speed cameras cause more accidents than the prevent.  When they say more accidents, that is without consideration of the type of accident.  In fact they found that painting the backs of cameras yellow made things even worse.

 

Apparently what tends to happen is that drivers who know the road slow down as they approach a speed camera.  Person behind them who does not know the road is unaware that they will be slowing down when there is no apparent reason and there is an increased risk of a rear end shunt.  The probability is higher when there is somebody who does not know the road, sees the camera and immediately reacts by braking hard (often even though they were not speeding before – just an automatic reaction before they have time to check their speed) -> very much increased risk of a rear-end shunt (hence the yellow backs making the cameras more obvious caused more hard braking without “warning”).

 

Where the cameras are around shopping areas, hospitals, schools, etc., the risks above are not the same as people following are paying a lot of attention on the cars in front as there is every reason why they might brake quickly.  It is the “revenue generation” cameras on open roads where the cameras increase the accident likelihood as the roads are open and clear and thus the drivers do not expect the car in front to suddenly brake hard.

 

Ian

[Russethouse]

[quote user="KatieKopyKat"]I must admit this is getting really upsetting now Alcazar.  Do you realise this forum may be read by people who have lost children to speeding motorists.  It is a serious issue and I really think you should be showing more respect other than shouting your mouth off in a one upmanship drama.  Please give it a rest now.[/quote]

My god daughter wasn't killed, but her neck was broken and although she has made a good recovery she can not go back to her job, which involved using a computer all day, she can not pursue her hobby/fledgeling occupation as a stand up comedienne as her confidence has gone. She can not sleep without medication, its too painful, nor can she stand or sit for any period without discomfort. Its difficult to know what she can do, in the long term. She is in her twenties - so she has a grim outlook, all because some one thought they knew better than the people who decide on the speed limits for roads.

[chris pp]

I can't understand either why people think breaking the speed limit is OK, there may be places you know where you think the limit could be greater or lower, but it is the limit that has been set, and it is the limit not to be exceeded. Exceeded as I understand it in this case means the maximum, so if it's 30, then 27 or 28 would be OK.

I was driving once on a road with a 30mph limit which I was within. Other drivers frequently drove on this road at speeds of 50mph and more. On this day a child on a bike coming in the other direction, suddenly turned right across my path, I hit the brakes but still caught the child with my nearside front, he suffered a broken leg. Obviously the police were called, I was breath tested, measurements and witness statements taken - no problem. If I had been one of the cars that regularly exceeded the limit on that stretch of road his injuries would have been far worse and possibly life taking.

So why is it that when someone gets caught for speeding so many people say "Sorry to hear that" or "What a bummer getting caught" as if it's acceptable?

Chris

 

[Tresco]

I can't remember how many times I've had this same conversation here.

For those of you who haven't had to suffer it before, I'm an anti-speeder. Just so you know.

[Gardian]

Re the thread, the warning is timely for all who might be using that stretch of road this Summer, but it has been a 'happy hunting ground' for the Gendarmerie for years. Many's the time I've been heading for Calais and passed by people doing 170kph+ in a pele-mele dash for the port. If they get nicked, then they can have no complaint.

Re speeding in France, my limited experience suggests a healthy respect for town & village limits. Whether that's as a result of mobile radars, spot checks or whatever, I don't know. Also, motorway lane discipline is vastly better than the UK (hardly any middle lane hoggers) - OK, generally the traffic volume is lower, but still .....

Biggest safety problem here is that most drivers (tourists included) seem to think that the country lanes are one way streets and appear round a bend on your side.  Every day is a new experience.    

[Chief]

What was your position on speeding before the accident. Reason i ask, is that it always amazes me that i never hear of many who pontificate that this or that is bad and everyone but them is wrong before the accident, always after when they have had a bad experience. I am not being unsympathetic, or attacking you personally, but have you never sped in a car, or done anything wrong. Have you ever reported anyone for speeding, or are you one of those people who by their silence gives tacit approval to the actions of 'criminal road users'. If using the maxim "your either part of the solution or part of the problem" where does your silence leave you. For my partt, i speed everyday, and don't have a problem with it. If i am caught i won't complain, if i lose my licence i won't complain either. I enjoy driving fast. I personally think i drive reasonably well, i pick and choose my moments to put the foot right down, just like i know when to ease right off, and i don't need anyone to tell me how or when to do that. The only accident i ever had was at 15 mph when my motorbike clipped a kerb on a roundabout and flung me sideways onto a grass verge. I have never had a speeding ticket, which i see as some degree of testimony to my sense of awareness. I appreciate we are not all the same, but i object to being legislated against in a hammer and nut fashion, and i consciously choose to ignore any law i personally feel inappropriate. Not a position i advocate to others, my own personal choice for which i am happy to accept the good bad or ugly repercussions if any.