16 June 2010

Ainslie School Zone Camera Van

| overby
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Would speed 46 be fined in school zone in ACT?

I drive through Limestone Avenue to work every morning and never aware of the Ainsile prime school zone on Limestone Ave. Until today, a camera van was parking there with significant ticker of “SCHOOL ZONE”.

The cop was holding a rader camera facing coming cars. I am not sure if I would be fined with over speed limit 46??

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As several others have posted, there definitely isn’t a school zone on Limestone Avenue (not outside Ainslie Primary, and not outside Merici College either).

why does it matter anyway? whats done is done… wait a week, if you get a fine it will come, if you dont – then its all good.

Agree with Holden Caufield – There are school zones signposted on both Donaldson & Elder Streets, but I’ve never known of one Limestone (and I’ve been dropping my kids at the school most mornings for six years now).

Wraith said :

I wonder how many people have accidentally crept over the 40 km speed, without realising it, as they were watching the road like they are supposed to do.

Part of “watching the road” is watching the various assortment of road signs, that are, afterall, there to assist you as a driver. If you are driving a car – you are responsible for making sure you read the signs AS WELL as watching the road. Ignorance is no defence.

Whilst a couple of kmh is unlikely to draw the wrath of the AFP (speed cameras probably, though), particularly during peak hour, you just need to watch your driving. Then – if you get fined, ‘cop it sweet’ and learn from it. That said, if it is a new 40kmh area, it would only have been fair to have the “changed conditions”-type signs around for a couple of weeks. I certainly would not be encouraging my primary school aged children to cross Limestone at that time in the day.

Holden Caulfield9:41 am 17 Jun 10

Is this the area being discussed -> Google Street View link

Without 40km/h signposting is there anything at all that suggests that section of dual carriageway is a school zone? If not, is it any wonder that motorists would travel through there at speeds over 40km/h?

As a parent of a child at Ainslie may you get fined. It’s a school zone. TAMS is currently looking at traffic in the vicinity of the school- limestone/donaldson/elders street due to too many cars ignoring the school zone 40km limit. There is currently no signage After 12 months of campaigning we finally have the attention of TAMS to research the area ie along limestone between chisholm/donaldson st and elders st. Too much congestion of cyclists racing down chisholm into donaldson or turning right on limestone, idiots doing 70 in a 60k zone along limestone, idiots speeding down from chisholm on to donaldson to beat the red light during peak hour. All the while kids crossing the road. If the road was bumper to bumper with everyone doing 20kms at peak hour, then wouldn’t warrant a sign. However that’s not the case. It just takes 1 idiot not to realise it’s a school zone for tragedy to happen.

There was a police car with a policeman leaning on it with radar gun in hand on Majura Avenue on the nature strip of the North Ainslie Primary School this morning. Just down from the main entrance of the school.

As a regular driver down that road all I can say is woohoo!

Majura Ave ran like a well oiled machine this morning, and I did not get waved at, beeped at, flashed lights at or a raised finger seen from my rear view mirror because I was travelling at 40 kmh in a school zone. Nice change I say.

If this is the place the poster is referring to, it is quite rightly a school zone not ‘a failing of human behaviour in implementing school zones’.

I wonder how many people have accidentally crept over the 40 km speed, without realising it, as they were watching the road like they are supposed to do…..

No-one here has though because everyone are perfect drivers, just like Rainman.

troll-sniffer2:31 pm 16 Jun 10

As far as I am aware there is no school zone on Limestone Avenue. If there is then it must be new. If a zone has been established on a wide dual lane road that is normally 60km/hr without glaringly obvious signs and preferably flashing lights, then it’s just another example of the idiocy of the guvmnt ‘engineers’ assuming that because they put a sign somewhere everyone will notice and instantly obey.

Such a scenario is actaully more dangerous than the status quo because the schoolkids and carers will assume motorists will automatically be doing 40km/hr, and adjust their behaviour to suit, and when Joe Notconcentrating drives at the standard 60km/hr, fails to notice the 40km/hr signs (which is possible in many scenarios not all of which are blameworthy) and cleans up a kid who was misled into believing he was safe.

Then who will cop the blame? Not the idiots who demonstrated incompetence by failing to account for human behaviour in implementing school zones.

The speed limit is 40. That mean the maximum speed for the zone is 40, no more. If you do more than that, expect to be fined.

The zone is sign posted, regardless of its age. I suggest you pay more attention to your driving. In case of an accident, an argument of “but that kid was not standing on the road before” is not valid. Always pay attention.

If there was no school zone sign, indicating for you to travel at 40km/h between 8:00am and 4:00pm, then the speed limit is 60km/h. There is no change of speed along Limestone, it’s 60 from Wakefield Av to Fairbairn Av. The cop probably had the sign to make people aware a school is in the area.

arescarti42 said :

I’m confused, are we talking about Ainsley School on Limestone Avenue or North Ainsley Primary School on Majura Avenue? I’ve been past North Ainsley School quite a few times and I don’t ever recall there being school zone signs along it.

I think it is the North Ainslie Primary School After School Care Centre near Corroboree Park.
There has no SCHOOL ZONE signs along Limestone Ave in that section. However, a police car with ticker indicating SCHOOL ZONE was parking there this morning. It is probably a newly marked SCHOOL ZONE.

I don’t think there is a school 40 zone on limestone ave outside ainslie primary. There is one on Chisolm street though.

overby said :

I understand that and totoal agreed with you. School zone is important for kids safety. I will pay extra attention when driving through school zones from now on. I was not speeding though. This probably an execuse. However, there’s no significant permanent signs on the road. Unless, the road authority rather fining drivers to educate them then puting up a sign of school zone to remind them.

You know what, doing 46 in a 40 zone is speeding. Cop it sweet. Pay the fine, deal with the loss of demerit points, and learn from your mistake. Even if you’re lucky enough to not be fined, use it as a learning experience.

I’m confused, are we talking about Ainsley School on Limestone Avenue or North Ainsley Primary School on Majura Avenue? I’ve been past North Ainsley School quite a few times and I don’t ever recall there being school zone signs along it.

1) It wasn’t a camera van.
2) It wasn’t a radar gun.
3) If he didn’t stop you at the time, you’re not getting a ticket.

luther_bendross11:47 am 16 Jun 10

“Will I get fined or charged with breaking the law if I break the law?”

I hope so.

Holden Caulfield11:30 am 16 Jun 10

If it was a policeman standing outside pointing a radar gun my understanding that they have no camera functionality. That is, if you were going to get booked you would have been pulled over and given an on the spot fine.

If it was a camera van then you would be unlikely to ever see the person pulling the trigger, so to speak, and you’d simply receive your fine in the mail 14-21 days from the date of the offence.

No doubt vg will clarify this and plenty of others will tell you what a worthless piece of crap you are for speeding through a school zone.

threepaws said :

Was it a speed van or a cop? You said both in your post, but cops do not operate speed vans, nor do speed van operators stand outside them with a radar.

The cop was operating outside the vehicle with a radar gun. It was bumper to bumper during peak hour. I guess there will be lot of drivers getting fines this morning.

It must have been after 9.00. It is usually bumper to bumper doing about 20km down there during peak hour.

I understand that and totoal agreed with you. School zone is important for kids safety. I will pay extra attention when driving through school zones from now on. I was not speeding though. This probably an execuse. However, there’s no significant permanent signs on the road. Unless, the road authority rather fining drivers to educate them then puting up a sign of school zone to remind them.

AFAIK, speed cameras arent allowed to operate in school zones.
From TAMS:

School Zones and Road Works

Mobile cameras will not be used to enforce speed restrictions in school zones or areas affected by road works. Police will continue to use interception methods of enforcement at school zones and road work sites as a high priority within the AFP’s traffic enforcement plan.

So, if the copper didnt get you, youre safe.

You’ll probably avoid a fine but all depends on the cop and their discretion.
If you drive that bit of road everyday I think you should get fined for not noticing it. I’d like to see 40km/h school zones attract double the demerit points and fine permanently.

You drive through every day yet have missed noticing the school zone? Hope my kids are never crossing the road in front of you!

Was it a speed van or a cop? You said both in your post, but cops do not operate speed vans, nor do speed van operators stand outside them with a radar.

I would certainly hope so. The limit, of course, is 40 between 8:00 and 16:00. Unless by a true stroke of luck the camera wasn’t focussed on you at the time, then you expect a fine in the mail in the coming days.

georgesgenitals10:19 am 16 Jun 10

School zones are important. Although I disagree with some open road and freeway speed limits, in school zones you should be going 40 and no more.

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