10 February 2011

Speed cameras really are expanding

| johnboy
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speed camera

On 2 February we warned that speed cameras were going to be spreading out to smaller roads.

This morning I sighted this one on David St in O’Connor.

One wonders what the yeilds are like compared to the bigger roads?

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The problem in suburbs is where there is no clear defining reasoning to what the speed limit is. I know that the rule is 50km/hr unless otherwise signposted, but there are many irregularities out there, where such as in my case, I have just recieved a speeding fine for doing 60km/hr in what I have for the past few years believed was a 60km/hr zone, turns out to be a 50km zone.

You said yourself: the rule is 50kmh unless otherwise signposted. The fact that you believed it was 60kmh for years is whose fault?

OK, I was booked for exceeding the limit, but I observe most vehicles doing 70,80+km/hr along this road in Banks, and to be booked in circumstances like I was, I believe is picky and nasty.

So not giving you over 20% leeway is picky and nasty? The fact other cars go even faster is irrelevent; they’ll just cop larger fines and more points when they’re caught. If you look at any form of local media, you’d know police were running a speed blitz for the month of February. No excuses.

The funny thing is (and this is why I believe the road I was booked on was/is actually a 60km road), that this so called 50km/h street that is not signposted, has a side street (also with centre line markings) running off it. This side street has a 50km/hr signpost, I am guessing so that people know that just because it has lines, it isnt a 60km road at all. Go figure!

Again, the street you were on has no sign post, therefore it is 50kmh. You know the rules as you explained in the second sentence of your post. How about you take responsibility for your actions?

I will be contesting the fine anyway!

Based on what? Your own ignorance?

You made a genuine mistake, but a mistake none the less. Learn from it and move on.

screaming banshee11:54 am 26 Feb 11

Ceej1973 said :

The problem in suburbs is where there is no clear defining reasoning to what the speed limit is. I know that the rule is 50km/hr unless otherwise signposted, but there are many irregularities out there, where such as in my case, I have just recieved a speeding fine for doing 60km/hr in what I have for the past few years believed was a 60km/hr zone, turns out to be a 50km zone. OK, I was booked for exceeding the limit, but I observe most vehicles doing 70,80+km/hr along this road in Banks, and to be booked in circumstances like I was, I believe is picky and nasty. Its not really catching just the high end offenders, but others who have made a genuinne mistake, like me. The funny thing is (and this is why I believe the road I was booked on was/is actually a 60km road), that this so called 50km/h street that is not signposted, has a side street (also with centre line markings) running off it. This side street has a 50km/hr signpost, I am guessing so that people know that just because it has lines, it isnt a 60km road at all. Go figure! I will be contesting the fine anyway!

A couple of things to highlight to you ceej,

– 60kph is 20% faster than 50kph
– You have acknowledged that you are aware that the limit is 50kph in that area unless signposted otherwise, and that there was no signposted limit.
– Genuine mistake? By your own admission you have been treating the road as 60kph for a number of years. You lack of attention to the traffic laws while travelling through what I presume is your local neighbourhood is exactly why you have received a fine. The fact that other people go faster doesn’t mean you shouldn’t receive a penalty, but when caught they will receive a higher penalty.

Now you are aware I presume/hope that you will change your attitude. If you truly feel that the road is deserving of a 60kph limit then lobby the appropriate dept to have the speed limit changed.

The problem in suburbs is where there is no clear defining reasoning to what the speed limit is. I know that the rule is 50km/hr unless otherwise signposted, but there are many irregularities out there, where such as in my case, I have just recieved a speeding fine for doing 60km/hr in what I have for the past few years believed was a 60km/hr zone, turns out to be a 50km zone. OK, I was booked for exceeding the limit, but I observe most vehicles doing 70,80+km/hr along this road in Banks, and to be booked in circumstances like I was, I believe is picky and nasty. Its not really catching just the high end offenders, but others who have made a genuinne mistake, like me. The funny thing is (and this is why I believe the road I was booked on was/is actually a 60km road), that this so called 50km/h street that is not signposted, has a side street (also with centre line markings) running off it. This side street has a 50km/hr signpost, I am guessing so that people know that just because it has lines, it isnt a 60km road at all. Go figure! I will be contesting the fine anyway!

Two police with a speed gun on Antill St last night near Fed Hwy at about 6pm – haven’t seen them there in last few months.

Mr Gillespie10:49 am 11 Feb 11

Tooks said :

Mr Gillespie said :

THE BASTARDS!!!!

Go up to them and take better shots, and inside the van, not just outside. Examine these things more closely.

Keep up those voluntary contributions Mr Gillespie. Your government thanks you.

Huh?

shadow boxer10:42 am 11 Feb 11

That is a terribly dangerous looking piece of road, good thing we jumped on that one…..

yeilds? i before e except after c.

Mr Gillespie said :

THE BASTARDS!!!!

Go up to them and take better shots, and inside the van, not just outside. Examine these things more closely.

Im fairly sure theres a warning sign on the vans (in fairly small writing) that warns of penalties for approaching the van or taking close-up photos of them. Someone many years ago posted a photo of the sign on the van door, and the camera operator jumped out and questioned what they were doing.

Why they continue to set up on Canberra Ave inbound during peak hour when the traffic is moving so slow it feels like its going backwards is beyond me.

Mr Gillespie said :

THE BASTARDS!!!!

Go up to them and take better shots, and inside the van, not just outside. Examine these things more closely.

Keep up those voluntary contributions Mr Gillespie. Your government thanks you.

Sgt.Bungers said :

I guess mobile speed camera operators are exempt from ARR under clause 1b of the law?

i expect they’re exempt, because i’ve seen those vans park on northborne (in the middle bit) all the time

midlife said :

Please can I have one in my street in Evatt. Every 3rd or 4th car would be exceeding the speed limit, so it would probably satisfy the revenue raising criteria.

Not if its as blatantly obvious as the speed camera above.

Mr Gillespie5:17 pm 10 Feb 11

THE BASTARDS!!!!

Go up to them and take better shots, and inside the van, not just outside. Examine these things more closely.

screaming banshee5:15 pm 10 Feb 11

Sgt.Bungers said :

I feel sorry for the person trying to get out of the driveway immediately in front of the van… drivers coming down the street will have their eyes on their speedo, driver coming out of the driveway can’t see around the van without putting their vehicles nose out into the street…

And therein lies the difference between an attentive and aware driver that is focused on the job and some farkwit wanker that passed a very brief test once.

Farkwit: Laughing his head off at this mornings phone prank or whatever stupid shit they do on commercial radio these days, pulls up to the edge of the road and cant see past the van so tells his 3 kids under 5 in the backseat that ‘farking pigs are stoopid’ then plants it hoping there is no-one coming.

Driver using worlds last ounce of common sense: See’s the van so keeps an eye on traffic movements as they approach the road. Stop 3 metres short of the edge of the road which gives them a clear view of the street where they can wait for a suitable space to pull out, pausing momentarily at the kerb to ensure no-one is suddenly walking out from behind the van. Radio station irrelevant.

Sgt.Bungers said :

Australian Road Rule 197:

197 Stopping on a path, dividing strip, nature strip or painted island

(1) A driver must not stop on a bicycle path, footpath, shared path or dividing strip, or a nature strip adjacent to a length of road in a built-up area, unless:

(a) the driver stops at a place on a length of road, or in an area, to which a parking control sign applies and the driver is permitted to stop at that place under the Australian Road Rules; or

(b) the driver is permitted to stop under another law of this jurisdiction.

I guess mobile speed camera operators are exempt from ARR under clause 1b of the law? …

Reckon you’re right, Sgt. If I remember rightly there’s a land title dimension to it as well. I recall the plod in Queensland used to hide (oh yeah . . . they literally do hide up there) in a sort of layaway on Sir Fred Schonell Drive, picking off hapless uni students on their way to UQ. That was until a town planning student got pinged, did a titles search, and discovered that the ‘layaway’ was in fact part of a private tenure and not even remotely crown land or even road reserve (from which plod had authority to operate). Lots of refund cheques ensued.

Please can I have one in my street in Evatt. Every 3rd or 4th car would be exceeding the speed limit, so it would probably satisfy the revenue raising criteria.

georgesgenitals3:59 pm 10 Feb 11

verbalkint said :

trickyxr said :

There will definetly be a camera inside, And it is about revenue raising

But if it was just about revenue raising, wouldn’t they only focus on those areas that had high volumes of high speed traffic, rather than relatively quiet suburbs streets like this one (and many, many others)?

Your argument just doesn’t make any sense at all.

I like to think that govco has thought about things a bit, and instead of using cameras as revenue raisers is starting to put them in places where speeding is a real problem.

Perhaps I’m being naive, but using cameras as a tool to maintain sensible speeds in suburban streets seems more effective to me than plonking them on major thoroughfares where people typically drive a few km over the limit anyway.

trickyxr said :

There will definetly be a camera inside, And it is about revenue raising

But if it was just about revenue raising, wouldn’t they only focus on those areas that had high volumes of high speed traffic, rather than relatively quiet suburbs streets like this one (and many, many others)?

Your argument just doesn’t make any sense at all.

Gungahlin Al3:14 pm 10 Feb 11

georgesgenitals said :

Good on ’em for getting into residential streets.

Yep. Like to see them on Mapleton Ave Harrison. I receive lots of complaints from residents there.
As I said last week, the easy way to target this is to put the monitor cords out for a week, then the radar can go in at precisely the times when the worst offenders are usually out.

And dare I surmise, that will most often be around school pick-up times, with many of the offenders being local residents?

Davo111 said :

Not really that difficult to spot. I suspect they’re used as a visual deterrent, rather than actual revenue raising. Probably find they dont even have cameras in them 😛

Davo111 said :

Not really that difficult to spot. I suspect they’re used as a visual deterrent, rather than actual revenue raising. Probably find they dont even have cameras in them 😛

There will definetly be a camera inside, And it is about revenue raising

Australian Road Rule 197:

197 Stopping on a path, dividing strip, nature strip or painted island

(1) A driver must not stop on a bicycle path, footpath, shared path or dividing strip, or a nature strip adjacent to a length of road in a built-up area, unless:

(a) the driver stops at a place on a length of road, or in an area, to which a parking control sign applies and the driver is permitted to stop at that place under the Australian Road Rules; or

(b) the driver is permitted to stop under another law of this jurisdiction.

I guess mobile speed camera operators are exempt from ARR under clause 1b of the law? I feel sorry for the person trying to get out of the driveway immediately in front of the van… drivers coming down the street will have their eyes on their speedo, driver coming out of the driveway can’t see around the van without putting their vehicles nose out into the street…

georgesgenitals2:17 pm 10 Feb 11

Good on ’em for getting into residential streets.

Not really that difficult to spot. I suspect they’re used as a visual deterrent, rather than actual revenue raising. Probably find they dont even have cameras in them 😛

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