11 February 2012

O'Connor man undone by unmarked car

| johnboy
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ACT Policing recorded a 49-year-old O’Connor man travelling 71km/h over the posted speed limit during an early morning traffic operation today (Friday, February 10).

About 5.53am the man was caught travelling 131km/h in a 60km/h zone as he was overtaking an unmarked police car along the Barton Highway.

He was issued with a Traffic Infringement Notice (TIN) which carries a fine of $1,811 and the loss of 6 demerit points.

The early morning operation ran over the past two days (February 9 and 10) with Traffic Operations issuing 167 TINs.

The majority of TINs were issued between 5 and 10am with six defect notices issued during the operation.

Canberra motorists are reminded that ACT Policing is targeting speeding throughout February.

[Courtesy ACT Policing]

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Watson said :

Though I must admit that the only time I am guilty of speeding is in road work zones when there’s no one working. But I won’t go over the non-road-work limit in those cases.

but the speed limits in roadwork zones aren’t just to safeguard the workers – often they are in place due to the hazard effected by the changes / damage occasioned to the road surface.

and in any case, irrespective of your own assessment of what speed limit should apply to a given stretch of road, you are obliged, as a licenced driver, to obey all posted limits…

Spectra said :

It wasn’t anywhere close to finished when I drove through it on Friday, so unless they’ve been building at utterly ridiculous speeds in the last 24 hours (not a charge I’ve ever heard levelled against ACT road construction crews) that “black spot” will be there for a while yet. Additionally, that camera is a good three or four hundred meters past the intersection in question and, for that matter past another one which hasn’t been touched. If the camera zone was a black spot before, nothing will change when they complete the Kuringa Drive intersection upgrade. You can expect to see it removed all you want, but you’re headed for disappointment.

This weekend they had Kuringa Drive closed to put down the final layer of road surface, so it cannot be too far off being complete. The road extension to Casey is meant to be open by May, but as I said the intersection is in the final stages.

As for the speed camera down the hill, think you will find one of two reasons for it’s existence. Firstly the conspiracy theory, that the road is on a hill, so ideal money raiser to get people who find themselves going slightly over 80km/h. The second more sensible reason is on either side of the camera there are a couple of intersections. Personally think the latter is the case, so even after the roadworks up the road the ‘need’ for it remains.

I for one am happy about the police using unmarked cars to catch these kind of idiots. I’ve seen a couple in the North in the past week (unmarked police cars, I mean. I’ve seen more than 2 idiots for sure).

Though I must admit that the only time I am guilty of speeding is in road work zones when there’s no one working. But I won’t go over the non-road-work limit in those cases.

damien haas said :

There is a 60 zone near the turn off to the George Harcourt. I’d imagine its a very profitable camera.

There is at the moment, but it’s a roadwork zone and ends before the camera. The section at the camera is, and has always been (at least for all the time the camera’s been there) an 80km/h zone. I don’t know where you get your information, but it’s wrong.

damien haas said :

Now that the new intersection about 250 metres up is complete – removing a ‘black spot’, the need for that camera is gone. i expect to see it removed.

It wasn’t anywhere close to finished when I drove through it on Friday, so unless they’ve been building at utterly ridiculous speeds in the last 24 hours (not a charge I’ve ever heard levelled against ACT road construction crews) that “black spot” will be there for a while yet. Additionally, that camera is a good three or four hundred meters past the intersection in question and, for that matter past another one which hasn’t been touched. If the camera zone was a black spot before, nothing will change when they complete the Kuringa Drive intersection upgrade. You can expect to see it removed all you want, but you’re headed for disappointment.

Whatever one thinks about the appropriateness or otherwise of the speed limit there, the driver was doing more than double the speed limit. While I think the fine possibly is not unreasonable, the points lost – sorry – gained seem insufficient. Shouldn’t he have had an automatic suspension?

There is a 60 zone near the turn off to the George Harcourt. I’d imagine its a very profitable camera.

Now that the new intersection about 250 metres up is complete – removing a ‘black spot’, the need for that camera is gone. i expect to see it removed.

Where on the Barton Highway is a 60km/h zone in the ACT? Possibly a roadwork zone, but the police usually a point of mentioning if that is the case.

You don’t lose demerit points, you gain them.

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