Officers on duty - more effective that speed cameras?

OpenYourMind said :

So one anecdotal story about a street race and it’s proof that officers on duty are more effective than speed cameras.

So one narrow minded view and you thing your right all the time?

So one anecdotal story about a street race and it’s proof that officers on duty are more effective than speed cameras.

KeenGolfer said :

Martlark said :

Traffic cops can’t catch enough people to make them effective deterrents. Each guy they catch can take 30 to 40 minutes to catch and process. They’d be working hard to grab more than 10 speeders a shift.

Your time frames are way out, not sure where you get 30 to 40 mins from. Once a speeder is nabbed by laser for example, within 5-10 mins they’ll be on their way with their TIN in most circumstances. Depending on the road and time it normally doesn’t take long to find someone speeding…

+1 – We’ve all probably got a ticket or two in our past and unless something really fishy was going on, we wouldn’t have sat anywhere near the 30 to 40 minutes on the side of the road.

Also if the Police were all about revenue raising and not prevention, every Police car would be unmarked…

Martlark said :

Traffic cops can’t catch enough people to make them effective deterrents. Each guy they catch can take 30 to 40 minutes to catch and process. They’d be working hard to grab more than 10 speeders a shift.

Your time frames are way out, not sure where you get 30 to 40 mins from. Once a speeder is nabbed by laser for example, within 5-10 mins they’ll be on their way with their TIN in most circumstances. Depending on the road and time it normally doesn’t take long to find someone speeding…

matt31221 said :

@Martlark It may take time but I am sure the officers catch a lot more than the speed cameras.

A lot more speeders? Ha ha! Poor deluded fool.

Watson said :

It surprises me that no one has yelled “revenue raising!” because the cops don’t announce their presence by using unmarked cars.

I don’t see it as revenue raising… Whilst there is of course the “big brother could be watching” argument the fact that they could be quietly watching is a deterent. I believe they should have more undercover cars so the risk that if you do something illegal and stupid (beyond doing 81 in an 80 zone, I’m talking about real dangerous behaviour) there is a good chance you’ll be caught.

P Platers will always be childlike and for you to attempt to keep one behind a Yaris is purely futile.

Next!

matt31221 said :

So you have never done that not even once? I call BS on that mate.

WTF? I’ve never done it. And the moment I feel tempted to start playing childish games like that on the road, I’ll start catching the bus instead.

Postalgeek said :

While I have no love for speedsters, passive aggressives who hate being passed are a blight on our roads and should be hunted down like vermin.

So you have never done that not even once? I call BS on that mate.

@Martlark It may take time but I am sure the officers catch a lot more than the speed cameras. Not to mention having the benefit of actually being there to detain the car and driver if the driver had a warrant on their head or the car was stolen.

Traffic cops can’t catch enough people to make them effective deterrents. Each guy they catch can take 30 to 40 minutes to catch and process. They’d be working hard to grab more than 10 speeders a shift. That is the equation that all speeders unconsciously rely on; they know there is almost zero chance of ever been caught each time they speed. Plenty of stats and research shows the only effective method of population wide speed reduction is automatic speed detection. PS: if you see a guy pulled over by the cops, speed up, as the cop won’t be able to get you then.

pete09 said :

So OP, basically you caved into peer pressure and engaged in a street drag with a p-plater because you “didn’t want him to overtake” you?

a) Go hand in your licence.
b) I don’t know about other drivers, but if anyone, p-plated or not, is driving aggressively behind me I just let them get in front, saves having to focus on two things at once.

If someone’s that desperate to get ahead, the easiest thing is to just let them go. It’s not like it makes any difference your trip anyway.

So OP, basically you caved into peer pressure and engaged in a street drag with a p-plater because you “didn’t want him to overtake” you?

a) Go hand in your licence.
b) I don’t know about other drivers, but if anyone, p-plated or not, is driving aggressively behind me I just let them get in front, saves having to focus on two things at once.

carnardly said :

I really hope the coppers would catch the little toad in the royal blue subaru wrx.

That guy drives like a total knob and I have the misfortune to see him regularly.

I wish he’d learn a lesson or 10.

I’m surprised he hasn’t totalled his car.

Blue Subaru WRX, like saying white Commodore or Falcon….

I really hope the coppers would catch the little toad in the royal blue subaru wrx.

That guy drives like a total knob and I have the misfortune to see him regularly. I wish he’d learn a lesson or 10. I’m surprised he hasn’t totalled his car.

It surprises me that no one has yelled “revenue raising!” because the cops don’t announce their presence by using unmarked cars.

And apparently it is ok for the cops to collect revenue by catching speeding drivers – which really is like shooting fish in a barrel on most major roads – but not for TAMS.

It always brings a smile to my face when I see a car pulled over by police – especially when it’s an unmarked cop car. So yes, we need more of it, if only to give me that feeling of joy at seeing another selfish AH get nabbed.

harvyk1 said :

It really has nothing to do with saving lives, and everything to do with revenue raising.

That old chestnut. Heard of the brake?

Classified said :

About the only time I see people being careful and calm is when a marked police vehicle is around.

You forgot to mention the 50 metre space in-front of a speed camera, people normally travel calmly and carefully (generally 10+km/hr below the limit, because sure the speedo SHOULD be accurate, but are you willing to bet money on it?).

I see stupidity behind the wheel almost every time I drive in Canberra, in one form or another. It’s good that the police hand out TINs, but it hardly seems to be making a difference. About the only time I see people being careful and calm is when a marked police vehicle is around.

Just keeping your eyes open will probably change your opinions about undercover cars doing nothing with speeders in Canberra. I’ve seen the black holden ute, green holden ute, white mondeo, brown mondeo, black Nissan patrol (or whatever it was) and at least three different commodores all pulling over speeding drivers in the last twelve months. In fact I’ve seen more unmarked cars pulling over drivers than marked cars.
Anyone who gets pulled over by a marked car doubly deserves their infringement fine.
If one decides to undertake more risk without a corresponding increase attention to detail and situational awareness, one should be prepared to bear the consequences.
Life in general works that way. Why should traffic infringment punishment be different?

Tooks said :

milkman said :

People speed and drive like idiots because they know that except for the known speed camera locations, the chances of actually getting busted are nearly zero.

Really? What about the many thousands of TINs handed out each year by police?

Yea, listen to Tooks. Didnt you know the many thousands of TINs handed out by the current traffic patrol, has all but removed dangerous, illegal driving from our streets?

Tooks, do you believe that the number of TINs currently issued is a strong reason for people to not drive like idiots and speed? If you do believe this, then why are we constantly seeing reports of so many people who dont listen to those reasons? We’re not just talking about one in 1000 drivers being stupid, we’re talking about a decent portion.

Maybe being on the inside of a police car, you arent quite aware of how little those of us in the public actually see your cars.. You see a car for most of your day, the average member of the public might see 2 or 3 in a day, if theyre lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.

Tooks said :

milkman said :

People speed and drive like idiots because they know that except for the known speed camera locations, the chances of actually getting busted are nearly zero.

Really? What about the many thousands of TINs handed out each year by police?

Compared to how many instances of silliness and/or law breaking?

milkman said :

People speed and drive like idiots because they know that except for the known speed camera locations, the chances of actually getting busted are nearly zero.

Really? What about the many thousands of TINs handed out each year by police?

Hahahaha you lost to a 4×4

onlytt600 said :

On my way home from Gungahlin Thursday night I passed an unmarked car wearing P plates – looks like it may be a new tactic, I thought you could get a ticket for displaying Ps incorrectly?

I once did, forgot to take my brothers P plate off, and got pinged for it. However, you’ll find the ‘road rules dont apply to police’ road rule comes into play here.

While I have no love for speedsters, passive aggressives who hate being passed are a blight on our roads and should be hunted down like vermin.

harvyk1 said :

Because a traffic copper whilst being far more successful in the road safety message, makes a lot less money for the gov’t than a fixed speed camera, plus a traffic copper requires sleep \ holidays and sick days, which a speed camera doesn’t, plus a traffic copper can use their discretion and better judgement, which equals less $$$ in govco’s bank account.

It really has nothing to do with saving lives, and everything to do with revenue raising.

Precisely this. Unfortunately it’s about money, not actual safety.

I would much rather more police on our roads.

On my way home from Gungahlin Thursday night I passed an unmarked car wearing P plates – looks like it may be a new tactic, I thought you could get a ticket for displaying Ps incorrectly?

madamcholet said :

Glad another one is off the road and may have learnt a big lesson! I often wonder why the police don’t sneak around like that more instead of leaving it to vans and cameras

Speed camera vans and fixed cameras are operated by the government, not the police.

So you’re admitting to street racing?

According to popular opinion your Yaris should be crushed and you should be made to catch the bus…

…that is of course unless you were drink driving at the time. Drink driving is forgivable… and understandable, it’s a medical condition and you need help.

If you admit to being over the blood alcohol limit you can keep your Yaris, as long as you promise to a judge that you won’t do it again.

Lite up like a red and blue christmas tree? What a peculiar analogy.

People speed and drive like idiots because they know that except for the known speed camera locations, the chances of actually getting busted are nearly zero.

For actual road safety, there’s nothing like having marked cop cars patrolling. Having an undercover cop car resulted in a ticket in this instance, but it didn’t prevent the behaviour in the first place.

Glad another one is off the road and may have learnt a big lesson! I often wonder why the police don’t sneak around like that more instead of leaving it to vans and cameras.

I’m pretty peed off by speeding motorists right now – seems that no one has any respect for speed limits and basically for their own and other people’s safety. I would like to know why most people – especially p-platers – believe they can handle one tonne missiles at speeds in excess of the limits.

I think there must be significant failings in driver training – probably because most of them learn from their parents and are in the car on their own within 6 or 7 lessons. I knew someone who was on the road in 4 lessons -although she had the good sense to be very wary of actually driving for a good while as if she couldn’t believe it herself. I find it all totally astonishing and am always aware when ferrying my three year old about that anything could happen at any minute. Enough to make you paranoid…

Because a traffic copper whilst being far more successful in the road safety message, makes a lot less money for the gov’t than a fixed speed camera, plus a traffic copper requires sleep \ holidays and sick days, which a speed camera doesn’t, plus a traffic copper can use their discretion and better judgement, which equals less $$$ in govco’s bank account.

It really has nothing to do with saving lives, and everything to do with revenue raising.