Thread: New Speed Camera...

Originally Posted by vnx205

Have Camry drivers now become the butt of all the jokes we used to make about Volvo drivers? Is "Camry" the new "Volvo"?

When I first started driving it was beware of the Ford Prefect and the driver in the hat. Then it became Hillmans (should the plural be Hillmen? Ron, you are English teacher for Aulro and a Hillman owner), then Volvos, then Hondas. Not sure about Camrys but Daewoo and Proton are well in the running.

Originally Posted by feral

I thought it wouldn't take long. As you live in Croydon can you confirm some additional information?

Is the camera between Croydon & Dorset Rd just after the very step hill in Croydon?

If so, what are the chances for low level speed infringements?

And finally according to my information, that stretch of road has a very low to almost non existent accident rate?

The camera is sufficiently away from the bottom of the hill so as to not be impacted by overrun.

The road does not appear to be a high accident area.

The camera is on Maroondah highway which has a 3 lane carriage way operating in both directions seperated by a very large medium strip. The road is in excellent condition and the lanes are suitably wide. The road could easily accommodate speeds of up to 100 k/ph however there are some residencies near by (which are again seperated by medium strips) and intersecting roads.

I would consider it a revenue camera and not a safety as it is not a high risk area.

I believe the NSW government has the right mentality for many of it's fixed cameras. For whatever reason if they decide they want you to slow down in an area they stick a camera there. They then give you plenty of warning about the camera and the permitted speed. The camera is obvious. I bet almost no-one speeds through these cameras and so they have achived their aim of slowing traffic. For this reason I can comfortably accept them being called safety cameras (even if they are in annoying places). If you speed through these you are a bloody idiot and deserve the fine.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

When I first started driving it was beware of the Ford Prefect and the driver in the hat. Then it became Hillmans (should the plural be Hillmen? Ron, you are English teacher for Aulro and a Hillman owner), then Volvos, then Hondas. Not sure about Camrys but Daewoo and Proton are well in the running.

Would that be the Ford Prefect that looked a bit like a tall. skinny Austin A40 or was it the later one? I can understand why you would want to beware of the early ones. They always looked to me as if they were about to fall over on their side.

If I remember correctly, men in hats were always a worry and men in cardigans were a problem at one stage too.

On your second point about the plural of Hillman, I was about to type Camrys then thought it might be Camries. So rather than incur Ron's wrath, I took the easy way out and rewrote the sentence so that I could use the singular form of the word..

I presume you are familiar with the definition of a synonym, which says that a synonym is a word use use instead of one you can't spell. It's a bit like that.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

The problem is "Big Brother". Excessive goverment and excessive surveillance, just in case you may break an arbitrary regulation set by politicians, police, and bureaucrats without regard to the level of risk or the prevailing circumstances. Despite the almost exponential improvements in roads and vehicles since the 1950's, and the falling road toll, our speed limits are almost the same as then. These installations and others are purely for taxation purposes. If governments were truly concerned about the road toll and motor accidents, then they would introduce a system of rigorous driver training and testing, and regular re-testing. This would reduce the numbers of licenced drivers by at least two thirds. It would also result in a change of government at the next election. "A most courageous decision, Minister" in the immortal words of Sir Humphrey Appleby.

Hmm, strange to say I agree with Brian for once.

What happened Brian - did you take some reasonable pills?

Originally Posted by VladTepes

Hmm, strange to say I agree with Brian for once.

What happened Brian - did you take some reasonable pills?

In a way I agree with Brian, but in some ways I do not. I do not agree speed limits are the same - in a few places they are higher, but in many places they are lower - take Bell's Line of Road for example - much of this had effectively no speed limit sixty years ago, then it was reduced to 100km/h and now most of it is down to 80. Similarly for much of the Great Western Highway.

I do not agree with Brian that driver training is the major problem - although it would certainly help. For a start, with the road toll per km travelled the lowest it has ever been, and the rate of road deaths well below the suicide rate, you have to question whether the effort is being put into the right problem anyway. But the statistics show where the major problem is - random breath tests show that on average well under 1% of drivers are above the limit - but 30% of drivers involved in fatal accidents are. This hardly suggests that training and testing are the major problem! (or speed!)

I do though have to agree with the overall thrust of what he said - despite major improvements in roads, vehicles and, yes, licencing standards, speeds almost everywhere have at best remained constant. In many cities actual traffic speeds (as opposed to speed limits) have approximately halved in the last ten years, and the same sort of thing applies to many long distance trips - for example, the time it takes me to travel between here and Melbourne is significantly more than it was forty years ago, thanks mainly to increased traffic with lack of passing opportunities and lower speed limits for learners and P-plates, plus long stretches of 50kph through towns which used to be 60 or higher and did not extend as far.

John

Originally Posted by vnx205

On your second point about the plural of Hillman, I was about to type Camrys then thought it might be Camries. So rather than incur Ron's wrath, I took the easy way out and rewrote the sentence so that I could use the singular form of the word..

Is it Discoverys or Discoveries? I'm of the opinion it's the former as it is a proper name.

Re Camry owners, yes, they are far worse than Volvo owners. To make it worse, there are more of 'em! Even more, I think the Corolla is joining the Camry, especially the smallest Corollas.

I'm not yet old enough to get a Camry driver's licence!

Oh, I have a Hillman again. I have my late son's 1963 Super Minx.

Originally Posted by VladTepes

Hmm, strange to say I agree with Brian for once.

What happened Brian - did you take some reasonable pills?

No, you have had a conversion, Road to Damascus Syndrome perhaps, and are agreeing with me. Congratulations.

Originally Posted by vnx205

Would that be the Ford Prefect that looked a bit like a tall. skinny Austin A40 or was it the later one? I can understand why you would want to beware of the early ones. They always looked to me as if they were about to fall over on their side.

Yes, the early ones, the E93A, not the boxy 100E. I was actually a passenger in one that did fall over one night on Gympie Road, Chermside whilst doing a u-turn at slow speed across the tram lines. Probably due to having something like ten burly young lifesavers squeezed in for a trip home after demolishing a keg. Even allowing for overload and driver impairment, these things were pretty unstable.