What are 'speed' cameras for 5431

Ian Johnston submitted this idea :

I have rev counters, radios and sometimes even carry pbuttengers in all of my vehicles. I can optionally choose to check my rev counter, listen to the radio and I have sometimes even been known to speak to my pbuttengers (though I normally growl at them to '..shut up - I'm driving!'). These are optional, I can choose a safe place to give them my attention.

Looking down at my speedometer regularly to check I am not doing a couple of mph over the limit is not optional, since the introduction of cameras it has become mandatory distraction of my attention from the job of driving attentively and likely at some of the plces which most deserve my full attention. It distracts my attention away from those busy roads. It might only be a quick glance, but a lot can happen in front of you during that quick glance.

What about those occaisions (of which I have had many), where I have found it safer to actually increase my speed briefly to get out of the way of an hazard, rather than brake. I now only have the option of braking.

For instance I had this happen a few weeks ago....

Winding road with a wholes series of 30mph cameras and doing 30mph. A police car (one of a pair) came round a blind (his right hander) bend at full speed. He over steered, almost lost it and his trajectory was straight for me unless I increased my speed to get out of his way. Braking would have simply put me even more in his path. I had to floor the throttle to get out of his way, then braked hard again for another speed camera. The camera does not care that I was actually taking action to avoid an accident.

What exactly is a 'safe speed' which allows your eyes to look down at the speedo and look back up? It takes a finite amount of time to glance down, focus your eyes, check the speed-adjust it, look back up and then refocus. If you doubt this, watch some of the less experienced drivers approach a camera. Despite going slower than the limit, they brake and the vehicle wobbles around the road because they are no longer looking where they are going.

So far as I am concerned the only times it is safe to do this is when you are parked or when you are on a relatively empty road, at all other times I like to have my attention fully on the road itself and not have to worry about whether I am doing 25 or 32mph, especially so in built up areas.

There is far too much emphasis placed on absolute speed and absolutely none on good quality safe driving. Speed checking just happens to be the easy option.

I try to always be doing an apropriate speed, relative to the conditions - always. Busy 30mph with kids about and lots of additional confusion, my speed drops as low as is necessary, the finger goes on the horn and my foot hovers over the brake. My speed adjusts, but the camera does not.

In my long driving career, driving several times the average per year, I have never had an accident in which I have been held even partially to blame and those odd few I have had have been just minor scrapes.... So I must be doing something right!

I suspect from your regular comments of this ilk, that you do very little actual driving on todays busy roads.

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Regards, Harry (M1BYT) (L)