The same can be said for anything that the government contracts out. Road building is another good example, and there's a lot more money to go around there than with speed cameras.
You use twice as mich fuel to accelerate from 0 to 30mph as 0 to 20mph, and if you hit a pedestrian at 30mph there's a 20% chance it will be fatal Vs 2.5% at 20mph.
You are never going to average the speed limits throughout your drive, unless you're speeding. In an urban environment, where 20mph speed limits are used, you will lose seconds on your journey.
But anyway, where is this coming from? The post is about speed cameras, not what the limits are set to. Why are you even bringing that up?
Better infrastructure would be great, but there will always be places where you will need to drive slower than the designed speed, and drivers should be able to follow that if they're going to be allowed to pilot a large and dangerous vehicle.
Wishing and hoping for people to be better than they are isn’t a solution. Just because traffic calming is more expensive, that’s not a reason to not do it. It is something that needs to be done if you want to break car dependency.
We should be doing that, but local councils don't have the money after more than a decade of tory austerity. I also believe that driver's should be able to drive below the speed limit even if the road isn't correct for it, because there will always be places like that (around construction, for example), and like you say we can't just wish and hope for them to follow that rule so some enforcement is needed.
I agree the fines should be proportionate, but a police officer doing the enforcement can stop whoever they don't like the look of whether or not they are actually speeding whereas a camera will only target those who are actually, you know, speeding.
Road tax doesn't exist in the UK, and if it did it wouldn't be something the local council has any control over. We need to get rids of the tories in the central government and start funding local councils better.
From 1992 to 2016, speed cameras reduced accidents by between 17 to 39 per cent and fatalities by between 58 to 68 per cent within 500 metres of the cameras.
From 1992 to 2016, speed cameras reduced accidents by between 17 to 39 per cent and fatalities by between 58 to 68 per cent within 500 metres of the cameras.
The best thing to do would be to redesign the road, but the local council probably doesn't have money to do that. But drivers should be able to follow a speed limit, it's pretty basic.
Can we maybe not subsidise more cars and more car infrastructure? More money for active and public transport will go much further for helping the environment among many other things.
You aren't piloting a public transport vehicle, a professional is and you are free to not worry about it.
A frequent and comprehensive public transport system does allow for that freedom, without all of the burdens of car ownership. Bikes and car share can be used to fill in the gaps when the public transport isn't comprehensive enough.
The problem with electric cars is that they're a distraction. They make people think they're part of the solution when they're only partly addressing one of the many problems cars cause. I'm not against people buying them assuming that they're in a position where they need a new car, but advocating for electric cars as a solution is wrong. I read the OP like this, not how you read it.
I would argue that a fast, frequent and comprehensive public transport system gives you more personal freedom. Being able to easily get around without having to worry about piloting a heavy vehicle, without the burden of maintenance, and being flexible once out due to not needing to worry about where you're storing your car. Plug the gaps with (electric and/or cargo) bikes for shorter trips and car share for longer ones and you have a much better, more equitable transport system.
The same can be said for anything that the government contracts out. Road building is another good example, and there's a lot more money to go around there than with speed cameras.