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Young speed demons face police blitz

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Published Date: 16 May 2008
YOUNG drivers who speed on rural roads in the Lothians are being targeted by police in a four-day campaign to help cut the number of road deaths.
Officers will be going after drivers speeding, failing to wear a seatbelt and using mobile phones behind the wheel in the crackdown.

Mobile speed cameras will also be deployed at various locations across the force area.

The blitz is part of the national Rural Roads Awareness Weekend.

There were 43 road fatalities in the force area last year, 18 of which involved drivers aged 17 to 25.

Superintendent Alan Duncan, from the force's road policing unit, said: "While this initiative is primarily geared towards warning all drivers to curb their speed on rural roads, we want to make sure that young and inexperienced drivers get this message loud and clear.

"Our statistics show that a large proportion of drivers between the ages of 17 and 25 are involved in fatalities, and that many of these have occurred on rural roads, where inappropriate speed for the road or road conditions has been a contributory factor."





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1

Hibernia,

16/05/2008 12:18:05
Are the rural roads on the outskirts of Edinburgh due to be dug up - that will stop speeding!!!
2

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 16/05/2008 12:19:13
If they're only targetting young drivers, I should be OK then!

Seriously though, if there is a problem with excessive speed on some roads (and by that I do not mean merely exceeding the speed limit) then how the hell is hiding a speed camera in a van going to solve the problem? It is not. The only way you solve the problem is by STOPPING people and having a high visibility presence.

This is mearly spin to justify the fact that the fine revenue from speeding has dropped off recently and they want to seek out more places where they are likely to be easy targets.

Lets face it, you would have to be a pretty competent driver to exceed 60mph on most rural roads---except of course on the straight bits where you finally have the chance to overtake the 35mph nugget in front of you who brakes for every corner and cannot control their car. That is of course where they will put their rediculous money-making device---where no danger is being caused but where people are most likely to be exceeding the speed limit by a few mph.
3

James (1),

16/05/2008 13:01:07
#2 in an effort to "try" to make you sound credible might I suggest you drop the bit about revenue being a reason the police are doing this?

That comment alone shows you up as not having a true grasp on reality.
4

Alternative (High Octane) Fuel Head,

Edinburgh 16/05/2008 13:17:52
I can see where your are coming from James, but have you seen how much money they make out of this scam? It's obscene and needs bringing to people's attention.
5

Padraig,

16/05/2008 19:14:27
Alternative is absolutely right - otherwise why would the camera placement rules have stipulated that (1) there had to be two or more "serious injury" (i.e. involving transfer to hospital but not necessarily admission) accidents in th elast three years (2) AT LEAST 50% OF DRIVERS EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT AT THE LOCATION OVER A MEASURED PERIOD and (3) the request of the local authority.

SafeSpeed argued that the second condition meant that cameras could be placed only where it was safe to exceed the limit - otherwise accidents would have been almost daily!

And this incidence was needed to maintain fine income.

So speed cameras are there to make money. QED.
6

Padraig,

16/05/2008 19:16:25
And because very few people exceeded the speed limit in really dangerous locations (such as through narrow village streets), they COULD NOT place cameras there!

So speed cameras COULD NOT make the roads safer!
7

Euan,

Edinburgh 16/05/2008 23:33:17
#2, Fuel Head

Could not have said it better myself.

These cameras exist for one reason, and one reason only - revenue gathering.
8

Biker,

Ayr 17/05/2008 12:05:42
Pity the rules did not apply to the tw@t who got away with 122 MPH eh?
I do agree however that the speed camera partnerships and police have made a lot of money peddling the untruths and reasons why these cameras are needed. Glad to see the static ones are slowly going .
9

Incandescent,

28/05/2008 12:40:46
#3 I think perhaps it is you that requires a reality check.
10

Incandescent,

28/05/2008 12:43:22
Cue Jenny blethering some hyperbole about how selfish/stupid/evil all motorists are. Or maybe she's on holiday, in which case I sincerely hope she's cycling (and not on the pavement).

 

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