Interesting speed check results

Trevor Barton said:

In the wake of the RAC, was it, saying that something like 50% of motorists
speed as a matter of course, I have some interesting results from a speed
check done in our village by the local county council.

....

Quoted message said:

The police (who attended the meeting where it was all discussed)
categorically ruled out speed cameras either fixed or mobile. I
guess we'll have to wait till one of our kids is killed before
anyone much will care.

Write to your local paper etc with this. Also write to your MP, asking
what the government is doing to tackle antisocial criminals.

If the police refuse to act, I would raise merry hell.

...d

in message <[email hidden]>, Trevor Barton

(') said:

In the wake of the RAC, was it, saying that something like 50% of
motorists speed as a matter of course, I have some interesting results
from a speed check done in our village by the local county council.

Measurements were done for a full week from which th following is a
summary of the data:

[snip: very scarey stuff]

Quoted message said:

The police (who attended the meeting where it was all discussed)
categorically ruled out speed cameras either fixed or mobile. I
guess we'll have to wait till one of our kids is killed before
anyone much will care.

Get your local varrrmuurrrs to drive through the village very slowly
each morning and evening, with plenty of good, richly manured loam on
their tyres, and the sharpest, pointiest implements they've got mounted
front and rear on their tractors. Have them park up on the blind bends
to nip into their shop for their morning paper and a bit of gossip.
It's amazing what a ploughshare or a bale spike through the windscreen
can do for the speeding motorist.

A couple of dozen of those and the average speeds will tumble. And
varrrmuurrrs have to do _something_ for the community in return for all
the subsidy we pay them.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Wannabe a Web designer?
<URL:http://userfriendly.org/cartoons/archives/97dec/19971206.html>

On 10/2/05 10:32 am, in article
[email hidden], "Simon Brooke"

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Trevor Barton

(') said:

In the wake of the RAC, was it, saying that something like 50% of
motorists speed as a matter of course, I have some interesting results
from a speed check done in our village by the local county council.

Measurements were done for a full week from which th following is a
summary of the data:

[snip: very scarey stuff]

Quoted message said:

The police (who attended the meeting where it was all discussed)
categorically ruled out speed cameras either fixed or mobile. I
guess we'll have to wait till one of our kids is killed before
anyone much will care.

Get your local varrrmuurrrs to drive through the village very slowly
each morning and evening, with plenty of good, richly manured loam on
their tyres, and the sharpest, pointiest implements they've got mounted
front and rear on their tractors. Have them park up on the blind bends
to nip into their shop for their morning paper and a bit of gossip.
It's amazing what a ploughshare or a bale spike through the windscreen
can do for the speeding motorist.

A couple of dozen of those and the average speeds will tumble. And
varrrmuurrrs have to do _something_ for the community in return for all
the subsidy we pay them.

You only need 4 and then you get a camera..

The other alternative is to do the Blue Peter approach. A cardboard box, bit
of sticky backed plastic etc. and set up a box just inside the 30 limit
sign.

Accidentally spill some paint on the road as well... in nice straight lines.

A hand written 'warning! speed trap ahead' sign can also work wonders in
slowing the traffic.

And it is probably legal-ish to do this.

...d

David Martin said:

On 10/2/05 10:32 am, in article
[email hidden], "Simon Brooke"

Quoted message said:

in message <[email hidden]>, Trevor Barton

(') said:

In the wake of the RAC, was it, saying that something like 50% of
motorists speed as a matter of course, I have some interesting results
from a speed check done in our village by the local county council.

Measurements were done for a full week from which th following is a
summary of the data:

[snip: very scarey stuff]

Quoted message said:

The police (who attended the meeting where it was all discussed)
categorically ruled out speed cameras either fixed or mobile. I
guess we'll have to wait till one of our kids is killed before
anyone much will care.

Get your local varrrmuurrrs to drive through the village very slowly
each morning and evening, with plenty of good, richly manured loam on
their tyres, and the sharpest, pointiest implements they've got mounted
front and rear on their tractors. Have them park up on the blind bends
to nip into their shop for their morning paper and a bit of gossip.
It's amazing what a ploughshare or a bale spike through the windscreen
can do for the speeding motorist.

A couple of dozen of those and the average speeds will tumble. And
varrrmuurrrs have to do _something_ for the community in return for all
the subsidy we pay them.

You only need 4 and then you get a camera..

The other alternative is to do the Blue Peter approach. A cardboard box, bit
of sticky backed plastic etc. and set up a box just inside the 30 limit
sign.

Accidentally spill some paint on the road as well... in nice straight lines.

A hand written 'warning! speed trap ahead' sign can also work wonders in
slowing the traffic.

And it is probably legal-ish to do this.

LOL. Sadly, someone around the Harrogate area was nicked for doing just that
a few months ago (the fake camera trick).

--
Trevor Barton

Quoted message said:

LOL. Sadly, someone around the Harrogate area was nicked for doing
just that a few months ago (the fake camera trick).

Have you got a reference for that? A quick google for 'fake speed cameras'
did bring up lots of examples of people doing things broadly within the
law.

I particularly like the 'scarecrow police' erected by the sides of roads,
although the one holding up a sign saying “Go as fast you like. The police
are never here to catch you!” maybe wasn't the best example.

Mark Thompson said:

Quoted message said:

LOL. Sadly, someone around the Harrogate area was nicked for doing
just that a few months ago (the fake camera trick).

Have you got a reference for that? A quick google for 'fake speed cameras'
did bring up lots of examples of people doing things broadly within the
law.

No, it was in the local rag (Harrogate Advertiser) a few months ago but
they don't have much of an on-line presence and I couldn't find an
archive in their website, or, as you found, anything on the web but
for some reason a lot of excort agencies??

Quoted message said:

I particularly like the 'scarecrow police' erected by the sides of roads,
although the one holding up a sign saying “Go as fast you like. The police
are never here to catch you!” maybe wasn't the best example.

LOL

--
Trevor Barton

"Trevor Barton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Mark Thompson said:

Quoted message said:

LOL. Sadly, someone around the Harrogate area was nicked for doing
just that a few months ago (the fake camera trick).

Have you got a reference for that? A quick google for 'fake speed

cameras'

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

did bring up lots of examples of people doing things broadly within the
law.

No, it was in the local rag (Harrogate Advertiser) a few months ago but
they don't have much of an on-line presence and I couldn't find an
archive in their website, or, as you found, anything on the web but
for some reason a lot of excort agencies??

Erecting signs which impersonate traffic signs is illegal.

IIRV the police have stated before that they don't consider fake cameras to
be in contravention of this law- but this is obviously a local thing.

Fake speed limit signs would be illegal, but again I think the police are
generally OK with this as long as they show the correct limit, and are
fairly obviously fake - which is fair enough IMV.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I particularly like the 'scarecrow police' erected by the sides of

roads,

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

although the one holding up a sign saying Go as fast you like. The

police

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

are never here to catch you! maybe wasn't the best example.

LOL

--
Trevor Barton

Trevor Barton <[email hidden]> whizzed past me shouting

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

It's amazing what a ploughshare or a bale spike through the windscreen
can do for the speeding motorist.

You only need 4 and then you get a camera..

Yurr. You need a certain number of accidents for a speed camera, though
I've never heard of a community going out and causing them!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A hand written 'warning! speed trap ahead' sign can also work wonders in
slowing the traffic.

And it is probably legal-ish to do this.

Lots of other stuff's legal or at least untraceable.

Is parking allowed? If so, why not create your own chicane with two
biggish vehicles? Place them so that someone doing the legal speed can
get past without too much trouble. You can leave them permanently so
long as they're licensed, but it's more effective to move them during
the day/night and put them back each rush hour.
If your commuters expect to find the road obstructed, they'll slow down
as a matter of course.

Why not ring the changes with some of the following:

Is there another route "your" commuters could take? If so, try a LONG
DELAYS sign at the junction. Reflective yellow is the only option, but
you can pinch one from roadworks elsewhere. Your sign will be stolen
again in about ten days.

Once a year when the clocks go back, place a roadside shrine with tatty
flowers and childishly-lettered placard "to Dad". There's no legal
requirement for Dad to have died at the place where you put the
memorial. Or to have died there yet.

When the road's quiet, get someone to sprawl on it and paint an outline
round them.

Paint lines parallel with the verge but a couple of feet in from it,
making the road look narrower so drivers go slower. This is a cheat but
works. You could even ask the highway authority to do it officially
with proper road paint that doesn't wear off.

Put up a gallows, hang a scarecrow from it, fix a large sign: SPEEDING
DRIVER.

Have a competition for more ideas.

--
Sue ];(🙂

What goes down must come up again - Confucius' Law of Mountain Biking

Sue White said:

Is there another route "your" commuters could take? If so, try a LONG
DELAYS sign at the junction. Reflective yellow is the only option, but
you can pinch one from roadworks elsewhere. Your sign will be stolen
again in about ten days.

Legally dodgy as it may be deemed to be an obstruction. Of course, if it
has the county councils name on it...

Or 'borrow' a 'Police speed check' portable sign..

Quoted message said:

Paint lines parallel with the verge but a couple of feet in from it,
making the road look narrower so drivers go slower. This is a cheat but
works. You could even ask the highway authority to do it officially
with proper road paint that doesn't wear off.

Great idea. Or just scatter a few traffic cones in the gutter.

Quoted message said:

Put up a gallows, hang a scarecrow from it, fix a large sign: SPEEDING
DRIVER.

And a second one further down 'DRIVER NOT WATCHING THE ROAD'.

...d

Trevor Barton said:

In the wake of the RAC, was it, saying that something like 50% of motorists
speed as a matter of course, I have some interesting results from a speed
check done in our village by the local county council.
Snip <
About 100yds into the village fro the check area
there is a bend in the road - probably a 50-60mph bend if there was no
other speed restriction - but blind nevertheless with a light controlled
crossing just around the bend.
Snip <
- Each day an average of 174 (one hundread and seventy four!!) vehicles
exceeded 71mph in the 30 zone!

Surely it wasn't a 50-60mph bend then?

druidh

On Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:42:13 +0000 someone who may be Sue White
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Once a year when the clocks go back, place a roadside shrine with tatty
flowers and childishly-lettered placard "to Dad". There's no legal
requirement for Dad to have died at the place where you put the
memorial. Or to have died there yet. [snip]

Quoted message said:

Put up a gallows, hang a scarecrow from it, fix a large sign: SPEEDING
DRIVER.

Those two were the best.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me by using the RIP Act 2000.

Sue White said:

Trevor Barton <[email hidden]> whizzed past me shouting

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>
> It's amazing what a ploughshare or a bale spike through the windscreen
> can do for the speeding motorist.

You only need 4 and then you get a camera..

Yurr. You need a certain number of accidents for a speed camera, though
I've never heard of a community going out and causing them!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A hand written 'warning! speed trap ahead' sign can also work wonders in
slowing the traffic.

And it is probably legal-ish to do this.

Lots of other stuff's legal or at least untraceable.

Is parking allowed? If so, why not create your own chicane with two
biggish vehicles? Place them so that someone doing the legal speed can
get past without too much trouble. You can leave them permanently so
long as they're licensed, but it's more effective to move them during
the day/night and put them back each rush hour.
If your commuters expect to find the road obstructed, they'll slow down
as a matter of course.

I find that cyclists make excellent sacrificial and mobile traffic
calming. There's a hill near me which has become a very popular rat run.
It's also the only E-W route that doesn't involve national limit dual
carriageways so has always been popular with cyclists. A single cyclist
riding in accordance with the HC has great effect. Three spread out up
the hill has a fantastic effect.

For even more dramatic traffic calming, get yourself run over as I did.
The road was closed for half and hour.

Quoted message said:

Why not ring the changes with some of the following:

Is there another route "your" commuters could take? If so, try a LONG
DELAYS sign at the junction. Reflective yellow is the only option, but
you can pinch one from roadworks elsewhere. Your sign will be stolen
again in about ten days.

Once a year when the clocks go back, place a roadside shrine with tatty
flowers and childishly-lettered placard "to Dad". There's no legal
requirement for Dad to have died at the place where you put the
memorial. Or to have died there yet.

When the road's quiet, get someone to sprawl on it and paint an outline
round them.

Paint lines parallel with the verge but a couple of feet in from it,
making the road look narrower so drivers go slower. This is a cheat but
works. You could even ask the highway authority to do it officially
with proper road paint that doesn't wear off.

Put up a gallows, hang a scarecrow from it, fix a large sign: SPEEDING
DRIVER.

Have a competition for more ideas.

Not Responding said:

For even more dramatic traffic calming, get yourself run over as I did.
The road was closed for half and hour.

The things you do for your constituents! Do they even appreciate you?

Jon

Jon Senior said:

Not Responding said:

For even more dramatic traffic calming, get yourself run over as I did.
The road was closed for half and hour.

The things you do for your constituents! Do they even appreciate you?

I thought everyone appreciated politicians being flattened ;-)

John B

Jon Senior said:

Not Responding said:

For even more dramatic traffic calming, get yourself run over as I
did. The road was closed for half and hour.

The things you do for your constituents! Do they even appreciate you?

They did re-elect him!

...d

druidh said:

Trevor Barton said:

About 100yds into the village fro the check area there is a bend in
the road - probably a 50-60mph bend if there was no
other speed restriction - but blind nevertheless with a light controlled
crossing just around the bend.
Snip <
- Each day an average of 174 (one hundread and seventy four!!)
vehicles exceeded 71mph in the 30 zone!

Surely it wasn't a 50-60mph bend then?

The maximum possible speed is determined by the adhesion
of the verhicles tyres, suspension etc.

The maximum safe speed includes consideration of visibility.

BugBear

bugbear said:

druidh said:

Trevor Barton said:

About 100yds into the village fro the check area there is a bend in
the road - probably a 50-60mph bend if there was no
other speed restriction - but blind nevertheless with a light controlled
crossing just around the bend.
Snip <
- Each day an average of 174 (one hundread and seventy four!!)
vehicles exceeded 71mph in the 30 zone!

Surely it wasn't a 50-60mph bend then?

The maximum possible speed is determined by the adhesion
of the verhicles tyres, suspension etc.

The maximum safe speed includes consideration of visibility.

Quite - what I meant by that is that's the speed I'd feel
comfortable taking the corner were the road at that point
still NSL. Also, the corner's a bit away from the position
of the monitor, so taking the charitable view they could
have been going a lot slower by the time they got there.

Another datum: On Friday I was tootling through the village
at 30 on the dot in my Mini when one of those huge great
tipper trucks came roaring up behind me, slowed only 4 feet
(yes, I do mean 4 feet) from my bumper, and started to flash
his lights and beep his horn at me in a hurry up manner.
Oddly enough, I passed the NSL signs at the end of the village
half a mile down the road at, oh, about 15mph. [censored].

--
Trevor Barton

Trevor Barton said:

Another datum: On Friday I was tootling through the village
at 30 on the dot in my Mini when one of those huge great
tipper trucks came roaring up behind me, slowed only 4 feet
(yes, I do mean 4 feet) from my bumper, and started to flash
his lights and beep his horn at me in a hurry up manner.
Oddly enough, I passed the NSL signs at the end of the village
half a mile down the road at, oh, about 15mph. [censored].

Might have been reportable? Perhaps if not to the police, to the "what
do you think of my driving" number, if there was one.

--
Joe * If I cannot be free I'll be cheap

JLB said:

Trevor Barton said:

Another datum: On Friday I was tootling through the village
at 30 on the dot in my Mini when one of those huge great
tipper trucks came roaring up behind me, slowed only 4 feet
(yes, I do mean 4 feet) from my bumper, and started to flash
his lights and beep his horn at me in a hurry up manner.
Oddly enough, I passed the NSL signs at the end of the village
half a mile down the road at, oh, about 15mph. [censored].

Might have been reportable? Perhaps if not to the police, to the "what
do you think of my driving" number, if there was one.

Sadly, it was too close to see the reg number anyway. I'd guess it
was an independant being paid per load, and with the manner of
driving I'd say they couldn't give a jumping [censored] about "How's
their driving" :-(

--
Trevor Barton