Semi-rant - speeding etc.
May. 6th, 2003 05:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gemfyreMost of Roe Hwy is a 100km/h limit, except at lights where it goes to 80 (this I learned the hard way). However there is one section where it is 80 for seemingly no reason at all. Anyway, I can't afford another fine so I slow down to 80. Today 6 cars passed me in the less than kilometre that was the 80 zone.
I got to thinking, these advertising campaigns don't work because people don't give a shit if they cause accidents or kill people. What people care about is their money. Telling people to slow down because it's safer won't work because everyone thinks they are the best driver in the world and an exception to the rule can be made for them. However stick cameras everywhere and tell 'em you'll be slugged $100 for each violation and see how driving habits change.
Ideally you would have sequences of cameras so you could see if the speeding was a brief slip up by the driver or if they are consistently speeding and breaking the rules. But of course this costs too much money. Bah.
I got to thinking, these advertising campaigns don't work because people don't give a shit if they cause accidents or kill people. What people care about is their money. Telling people to slow down because it's safer won't work because everyone thinks they are the best driver in the world and an exception to the rule can be made for them. However stick cameras everywhere and tell 'em you'll be slugged $100 for each violation and see how driving habits change.
Ideally you would have sequences of cameras so you could see if the speeding was a brief slip up by the driver or if they are consistently speeding and breaking the rules. But of course this costs too much money. Bah.
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no subject
I've never seen breaking the speed limit as beeing worth it, for avoiding safety issues or money/licence issues. So many people I know speed for very small reasons, like getting to someone's house 5 minutes earlier because they're already 15 minutes late.. unless there is an emergency, I don't think 5 minutes is worth an accident or a fine. I'd rather be half an hour late than 25 minutes late with $100 to pay or a dented car. Or dead.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-06 05:18 am (UTC)My pet peeve about the system is that they don't put speed cameras in the most dangerous areas, they put them in more highly trafficked areas so they can catch more people.
Personally, I think speed cameras should be like red light cameras: permanently placed in areas where there is a high incidence of accidents, etc, but in those boxes so you can't tell if it is active that day or not. That would be more effective than just using what they have and hiding them so it doesn't slow people down, only costs them money.
If you go through a speed camera, you can be fairly sure that there won't be another one for a while--so you know you can safely speed! So they're hardly going to do anything but raise revenue, are they?
no subject
Date: 2003-05-07 03:05 am (UTC)Basic road design prinicples state that the correct speed limit is the speed at which 90% of traffic travels at or below.. ie, by a natural process, 90% of traffic will find the safe speed for that road, 10% will drive faster... however, this does not mean that those 10% die instantly....
The solution to our problems is a long one, and expenisve too, we need to a) post correct speeds for roads, unexplained low limits don't help anyone, they just engourage people to speed and b) driver education is required, even our local cops are shocking drivers who need to start from scratch...
Re:
Date: 2003-05-07 03:11 am (UTC)I know of a road in the hills with a speed limit of 80. I don't dare do over 50 on that road, it's all hills and blind corners, I feel it's a death trap at 80.