Australian Politics Forum

jame-e

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Australian Politics

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Darwin (currently)
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Re: Speed Cameras
Reply #120 - Dec 13^th, 2010 at 9:20pm

The primary cause of road accidents is fatigue.

Fatigue, leads to speeding because of low concentration and reaction times that are comparable to intoxication which is not helped by poor education and training.

The road toll does not increase over the holiday period. The various state campaigns seem to continue because of established dogma and/or a lack of ideas.
The Darwin police are instructed to run similar scare campaigns around christmas time that i have experienced in other states. It was quite funny when it was revealed that NT police numbers and enforcement tactics do not actually change during these periods.
When i came to Darwin a few years ago they had one working speed camera and many that didn't work. Over the last year they have installed upwards of 6 new cameras and i think they fixed the old ones that didn't work. In that same period it was revealed by a former high ranking traffic cop that the number of officers on traffic duties has decreased (or maby there are none) and the bulk of traffic enforcement is done by general duty officers. Who apparently are not interested in speeding tickets and tail lights, surprisingly.

Road toll 2009 = 31

NT road toll as at 04 Dec 2010 = 46

As long as there are people driving cars people will die in cars. A fact that is seemingly neglected in our approach to road safety.

The road toll in the NT is around the same as it was ~thirty years ago, 1981 till now, according to government figures. As the population has doubled that would suggest that the road toll has halved. I would attribute the drop to the improvement in car safety technology and changes in traffic law and community awareness. The role that speed cameras have played would be minimal. They certainly have a place, but there current place is un-ethical and absurd. Almost as absurd as police quotas. They do nothing but contribute to the more alarming problem that is the dumbing down of society.

Don’t speed and you won’t get a ticket is like don’t speak and you won’t get a smack. ignorance of the issue.

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Equitist

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Australian Politics

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NSW

Re: Speed Cameras
Reply #121 - Dec 13^th, 2010 at 9:28pm

Quote:

The primary cause of road accidents is fatigue.

Actually, I would argue that the primary cause of road accidents is driving irrationally close to the vehicle in front...

The primary cause of fatal accidents may well be something else - be it fatigue, speed and/or alcohol - but educating people to keep their distance is important...

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Lamenting the shift in the Australian psyche, away from the egalitarian ideal of the fair-go - and the rise of short-sighted pollies, who worship the 'Growth Fairy' and seek to divide and conquer!

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buzzanddidj

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Australian Politics

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Eganstown, via Daylesford, VIC
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Re: Speed Cameras
Reply #122 - Dec 13^th, 2010 at 9:38pm

OPPOSITION Leader Ted Baillieu yesterday vowed to lift a ban on identifying locations of speed cameras if he wins power on Saturday.

"A Coalition government will allow the location of the next day's mobile speed cameras to be published in the Herald Sun," Mr Baillieu said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-reports/ted-baillieu-vows-to-lift-ban-o...

Perhaps he could publish the details of armed security at financial institutions, also

That way, bank robbers would know which banks to avoid

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'I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians.
Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.'

- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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jame-e Senior Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 426 Darwin (currently) Gender:	Re: Speed Cameras Reply #123 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 12:10am Equitist wrote on Dec 13^th, 2010 at 9:28pm: Quote: The primary cause of road accidents is fatigue. Actually, I would argue that the primary cause of road accidents is driving irrationally close to the vehicle in front... Yes, maby it should of said road fatality’s. But fatigue leads to all sorts of behaviours...
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Miss Anne Dryst

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Australian Politics

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Sydney
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Re: Speed Cameras
Reply #124 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 4:50am

buzzanddidj wrote on Dec 13^th, 2010 at 9:38pm:

OPPOSITION Leader Ted Baillieu yesterday vowed to lift a ban on identifying locations of speed cameras if he wins power on Saturday.

"A Coalition government will allow the location of the next day's mobile speed cameras to be published in the Herald Sun," Mr Baillieu said.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-reports/ted-baillieu-vows-to-lift-ban-o...

Perhaps he could publish the details of armed security at financial institutions, also

That way, bank robbers would know which banks to avoid

The champagne socialist fails to realise that the locations of speed cameras have been available for some time off the internet.
http://www.policespeedcameras.info/Speed_Camera_Locations_Victoria/speed_camera_locations_vic.html

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It's hard to soar like an eagle when conversing with turkeys

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Andrei.Hicks

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Australian Politics

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Carlsbad, CA
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Re: Speed Cameras
Reply #125 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 8:10am

Just general help if you get a speeding fine in Victoria -

1) They seldom check the driver if you declare it to be a driver with an overseas licence. Sometimes they have passed on the fine, other times they have cancelled the whole thing. They never pass on points.

2) Check the position of the camera unit. A mate of mine appealed for a 70+ km/hr ticket in a 60 km/hr zone and took a photo of the camera unit parked on the sidewalk directly obstructing the view of an adjoining street. The fine and points were cancelled.

3) Often you can appeal and declare things that are 'out of camera shot'. Such as speeding up to avoid a collision with a vehicle blocking the lane you were in, if you braked hard there was a vehicle behind etc. They rarely check that and if you have a reasonably clean record, they will probably let you off. This has happened to the odd work colleague.

The key thing is not to accept the fine and pay it without appealing and trying various angles.
I am yet to be given a single point on my licence in either the UK or Australia.

Remember the offices of these units are staffed by workers who couldn't really give that much of a toss and cancelling the notice is the stroke of a key on a PC.

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Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination - Oscar Wilde

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Andrei.Hicks Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 23818 Carlsbad, CA Gender:	Re: Speed Cameras Reply #126 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 8:16am I'm not declaring people should break the law though.
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longweekend58

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Australian Politics

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Re: Speed Cameras
Reply #127 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 11:18am

The worst placement of speed cameras is at redlight intersections. I have no problems with red light cameras and would happily see them at every interesection. Going thru a red light is unequivocably dangerous and stupid. But when speed cameras were introduced to intersections there was a curious INCREASE in accidents. the reason? Because just as they enter an intersection, drivers were looking at their speedos instead of the road. The last thing you want at an intersection - especially a busy one - is for drivers to be looking anywhere but the road. It was well-intentioned but ultimately dumb and sometimes FATALLY dumb idea. They actually contribute to an INCREASE in accidents. But they make money, so they stay.

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« Last Edit: Dec 14^th, 2010 at 11:29am by longweekend58 »

AUSSIE: "Speaking for myself, I could not care less about 298 human beings having their life snuffed out in a nano-second, or what impact that loss has on Members of their family, their parents..."

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Infarction Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 509	Re: Speed Cameras Reply #128 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 12:34pm Have you got a study that was done on this or is that conclusion your own?
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JC Denton

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Re: Speed Cameras
Reply #129 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 12:47pm

longweekend58 wrote on Dec 14^th, 2010 at 11:18am:

The worst placement of speed cameras is at redlight intersections. I have no problems with red light cameras and would happily see them at every interesection. Going thru a red light is unequivocably dangerous and stupid. But when speed cameras were introduced to intersections there was a curious INCREASE in accidents. the reason? Because just as they enter an intersection, drivers were looking at their speedos instead of the road. The last thing you want at an intersection - especially a busy one - is for drivers to be looking anywhere but the road. It was well-intentioned but ultimately dumb and sometimes FATALLY dumb idea. They actually contribute to an INCREASE in accidents. But they make money, so they stay.

The government are hypocrites. One of the big ways you can fail your driving test nowadays is if you're not checking both ways at intersections with green lighs. Before you enter the intersection after the green light turns on, you're meant to look both ways before going across. Don't do it in the driving test and you lose points. But if they're sticking their cameras there they're going to be creating the opposite effect from what they want.

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longweekend58 Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 45675 Gender:	Re: Speed Cameras Reply #130 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 1:41pm Infarction wrote on Dec 14^th, 2010 at 12:34pm: Have you got a study that was done on this or is that conclusion your own? The study was put in to the media several years ago. It isnt my problem that you have the memory of a goldfish. You could of course debate the study's conclusions... or you could just be a moron. You choice.
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Infarction Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 509	Re: Speed Cameras Reply #131 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 2:49pm Do you have a source/link? It's difficult to discuss a study that you haven't seen. Although, i could just resort to childish name calling as that seems to be a regular debating style for some around here.
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Aussie Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 39229 Gender:	Re: Speed Cameras Reply #132 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 4:24pm Andrei.Hicks wrote on Dec 14^th, 2010 at 8:16am: I'm not declaring people should break the law though. But you don't mind encouraging them to bull-shite!
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Amadd

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Re: Speed Cameras
Reply #133 - Dec 14^th, 2010 at 5:28pm

If the government was serious about cutting the road toll then all profits would go towards safer roads, driving programs, etc.

There are just too many interests for our governments, the most obvious being revenue.
It's also in their interest to take away a driver's license in an attempt to force them onto public transport. This will reduce road costs and pave the way for more future revenue for driving whilst disqualified.

http://www.aussiespeedingfines.com/pages/Vision-for-the-Future.html

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