£800K per month.

[m4rkb]

Apart from it being the salary of more than a few overpaid public servants, it's also the amount Bham City Council is raking in after they switched on their new average speed cameras.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/mi ... t-11928025

There's the usual group who make the entirely reasonable argument that if these drivers stuck to the speed limit they wouldn't get a fine. There's also the more worrying aspect of how much further this kind of thing is taking us down the road to even Bigger Brother.

I know all the routes they operate and most are typical boy racer roads, and most in Asian areas.

But they've also lowered speed limits to 20 as well in many places and some lunatics want this ridiculously low limit imposed everywhere.

Apparently it's all for safety only so it won't be long before we have conclusive proof detailing the exact reduction in accidents. Yes accidents and nothing else.

But at least there's one good things to come of it, apart from the obvious revenue some people have their eye on; the millions of drivers stuck on their mobiles while driving will be able to do it more safely from now on as they'll be going slower, or feel that they can anyway.

Do you lot think this is an important move forward in road safety or just a cynical revenue raiser in disguise?

[Royal24s]

It's plain extortion .
It's been noticed country wide that they're chucking a few clippings round and making it 20 mph on long empty roads to fiddle the average speed. Another step in the march of the bean counters, taking money out of the economy and putting it in the hands of greedy public bodies where it will be wasted instead of circulating.
They've killed off innumerable small businesses and local High Streets in order to harvest money from ridiculous parking regulations and their ability to invent more and more trivial regulations with fines attached is a significant part of throttling our poor old country and establishing a continental style Rentier Economy.
It is to be hoped that leaving the EU will be the start of reversing this trend and reducing the ridiculous role of local councils who now have council chambers bigger than the Dutch Parliament and "Cabinets" of local councillors meeting to discuss international affairs affairs which they cannot possibly effect.

[m4rkb]

It's plain extortion .
It's been noticed country wide that they're chucking a few clippings round and making it 20 mph on long empty roads to fiddle the average speed. Another step in the march of the bean counters, taking money out of the economy and putting it in the hands of greedy public bodies where it will be wasted instead of circulating.
They've killed off innumerable small businesses and local High Streets in order to harvest money from ridiculous parking regulations and their ability to invent more and more trivial regulations with fines attached is a significant part of throttling our poor old country and establishing a continental style Rentier Economy.
It is to be hoped that leaving the EU will be the start of reversing this trend and reducing the ridiculous role of local councils who now have council chambers bigger than the Dutch Parliament and "Cabinets" of local councillors meeting to discuss international affairs affairs which they cannot possibly effect.

Solid points as always Royals. I should point out this scheme only involves eight stretches of road which tallies up to a very insignificant proportion of the overall amount of tarmac.

If just 8 cameras can rake in this obscene amount of money in one month, just imagine how much a more comprehensive system could make.

As you say, money which would be better spent in the wider economy has now been captured for LA use and none of those people getting it have a clue how to use it other than just waste it or spend it on their own wages and pensions.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

Tbf bham should be bulldozed

[m4rkb]

Tbf bham should be bulldozed

To be fair it would create some much needed jobs.

[kancutlawns]

Tbf bham should be bulldozed

To be fair it would create some much needed jobs.

And bulldoze the fucking Council House which would solve the city's problems in one hit.

[The Tick]

Bulldoze the Bullring. Bullseye.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

Rename it The Bulldoze

[theleader82]

There are no parks in central Birmingham , quite unusual for a second city. It's good they brought the trams back though

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

Birmingham, like Wolverhampton, is a monstrosity with zero redeeming features.

[Zambo]

Obviously a revenue making scheme in general, but if drivers are stupid enough to drive past one exceeding the speed limit, then that's their stupid lookout.

Many of them are ridiculously placed, but some are in a good position, like in the vicinity of schools for example. They do make motorists slow down in areas like that.

[Bad Blue 2000]

Per-head, the city of Birmingham watches more internet porn than any other city in the world.

I read this once(ages ago), not sure how true it is though.

[kancutlawns]

Birmingham, like Wolverhampton, is a monstrosity with zero redeeming features.

Shat it you west country, coiffured, scarf wearing ponce. We don't want your sort here.

[kancutlawns]

There are no parks in central Birmingham , quite unusual for a second city. It's good they brought the trams back though

There are big parks in the 'burbs like Moseley and Harborne.

[The Ghost of Alex Higgins]

Birmingham, like Wolverhampton, is a monstrosity with zero redeeming features.

Shat it you west country, coiffured, scarf wearing ponce. We don't want your sort here.

Good

[Steve Hunt]

It's plain extortion .
It's been noticed country wide that they're chucking a few clippings round and making it 20 mph on long empty roads to fiddle the average speed. Another step in the march of the bean counters, taking money out of the economy and putting it in the hands of greedy public bodies where it will be wasted instead of circulating.
They've killed off innumerable small businesses and local High Streets in order to harvest money from ridiculous parking regulations.

Spot on.

It is now essential to have a car with cruise control, especially on motorways. Just set it at 1mph below the ave speed limit.

[Steve Hunt]

Ten Most Lucrative Speed Cameras:

Just in case you are out and about on the roads today, here are the full top 10 speed cameras are:


Camera location // Police Force // Time Period // Motorists Per Day

Limehouse Link Tunnel (Westbound) // 2014-15 // 48
M62 Westbound between J20 and J19 // Jan to Sep 2015 // 42
Wolverhampton Road // 2014-15 // 40
M5, Junctions 16 to 17 (Southbound) // 2014-15 // 36
A4161 Newport Rd j/w Colchester Ave Cardiff // 2014-15 // 33
M62 Eastbound between J18 and J19 // // Jan to Sep 2015 // 24
A3024 Maybray King Way Southampton // 2014-15 // 22
A56 Hoole Road, Chester // 2014-15 // 20
M1 north and south junctions 15 to 18 // Northamptonshire // Jan to Sep 2015 // 20
Tower Bridge South // City of London // 2014 // 14

[The Tick]

Reducing the speed limit to 20mph on main roads in cities is the stupidest thing ever, unless it's for weak and narrow surfaces like Tower Bridge for example. That is an exceptional cases 9happened to be in Steve's list).

[kancutlawns]

Not been caught speeding since July 2009 and have been driving about 20k miles a year. Not sure why it's difficult for drivers to pay attention to speed signs on the motorway and adjust their speed accordingly. Those speed awareness courses actually make a difference and everyone should be made to attend one. I did just before the last set of points I got and it made a difference to my driving.

[Zambo]

Per-head, the city of Birmingham watches more internet porn than any other city in the world.

I read this once(ages ago), not sure how true it is though.

Full of depraved fuckers. One of the main reasons I bailed

[kancutlawns]

Per-head, the city of Birmingham watches more internet porn than any other city in the world.

I read this once(ages ago), not sure how true it is though.

Full of depraved fuckers. One of the main reasons I bailed

You can take the man out of Birmingham but not Birmingham out of the man.

[Zambo]

Per-head, the city of Birmingham watches more internet porn than any other city in the world.

I read this once(ages ago), not sure how true it is though.

Full of depraved fuckers. One of the main reasons I bailed

You can take the man out of Birmingham but not Birmingham out of the man.

You got me there.

[Roy Twing]

I read somewhere that cockneys are a rare species in London - I'd say the same is true about brummies.

Anyway, back on topic, my most recent speeding ticket was in brum, along a stretch of dual carriageway that was bizarrely only a 30mph limit as it was hardly a residential area, - and also poorly signaged (just a single starter sign along its 1/2 mile or so length). No doubt at all that some traps are money making scams.

[m4rkb]

Not been caught speeding since July 2009 and have been driving about 20k miles a year. Not sure why it's difficult for drivers to pay attention to speed signs on the motorway and adjust their speed accordingly. Those speed awareness courses actually make a difference and everyone should be made to attend one. I did just before the last set of points I got and it made a difference to my driving.

I firmly believe adhering to the stated speed limit is only a small part of safe driving. That does not mean to say you can ignore it and claim to be a good driver.

I see the most ridiculous variations in these limits as I go about with 40's in clearly built up areas on dual carriage ways and 30's on wide open three lane stretches on others.

A good driver simply drives at the appropriate speed and keeps his eyes open to for when he needs to take extra caution, and slows down.
One think that annoys the hell out of me are the sheer amount of drivers who never slow down in incidents with another car and reach for the horn instead of the brake. They absolutely do not slow down at all and are quite prepared to slam into someone and claim it's their fault.

I'm pretty sure some, if not a great deal of these fines will be for small contraventions on wide open stretches of road and the actual danger claimed hardly exists. I'm also sure there were a few driving under the limit so they could keep track of what was going on on their mobile phones more easily than at a faster speed. Is that safer?

Nothing beats a pair of human eyes using discretion as was the case in the old days rather than this new fishing trawler approach made to catch even the smallest mackerel.

What I'd like to see is the road safety campaign taken off these big stretches, and put on the back streets where you find complete idiots belting up and down residential roads at speeds twice those which are appropriate. Catch these types and take them off the road and you will make a proper difference as there are no excuses for this reckless behavious. At present we're often catching safe drivers with fairly unblemished records on minor infringements and making out they're a life threatening danger, while some boy racer blasts about at fifty in a road where kids are playing.

[Petingo]

Apart from it being the salary of more than a few overpaid public servants, it's also the amount Bham City Council is raking in after they switched on their new average speed cameras.

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/mi ... t-11928025

There's the usual group who make the entirely reasonable argument that if these drivers stuck to the speed limit they wouldn't get a fine. There's also the more worrying aspect of how much further this kind of thing is taking us down the road to even Bigger Brother.

I know all the routes they operate and most are typical boy racer roads, and most in Asian areas.

But they've also lowered speed limits to 20 as well in many places and some lunatics want this ridiculously low limit imposed everywhere.

Apparently it's all for safety only so it won't be long before we have conclusive proof detailing the exact reduction in accidents. Yes accidents and nothing else.

But at least there's one good things to come of it, apart from the obvious revenue some people have their eye on; the millions of drivers stuck on their mobiles while driving will be able to do it more safely from now on as they'll be going slower, or feel that they can anyway.

Do you lot think this is an important move forward in road safety or just a cynical revenue raiser in disguise?

Its definitely "revenue raising", Mark.

The government in this country, no matter what party was in power, declared war on motorists years ago and have used us a cash cow to be milked as and when required.

And the whole thing is dressed up in "safety" clothes so it is hard for anyone to make a case against it......or that old favourite which has been used to fleece us for decades now " to do something about global warming".

I mean, if they were really that concerned with stopping accidents on the road, they would insist we all drove along behind a man with a flag, the way early motorists had to do.

There were no accidents then