Essex Leads The Way

Martyn · May 9, 2004

According to the latest Home Office figures reported in the Sunday Times today, Essex had a grand total of 213,861 speeding fines in 2002, with Lancashire being a distant second at 162,058. The population of Essex is 1.6 million, whereas the Metropolitan Police, having a population of 7.4 million, handed out under 61,000 speeding fines. Merseyside, with a population of approximately similar to Essex, fined only 7,138. We all know the jokes about the accelerative effects of white stilettos and gold chains [

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The stated reason for speed cameras is to reduce the death rate on our roads and yet, despite the increase in fines from a level of 24,096 in 1998 to the 213,861 figure in 2002, the number of road deaths has remained fairly static, but showing a very slight increasing trend.

As Captain Beakey and many others will be aware, not only do we have the dreaded fixed speed cameras, but also Essex Police use unmarked cars to trap the unwary motorist, so be warned when entering the Essex boundary. Unfortunately, where Essex leads today the rest of the country will almost inevitably follow the money-making wheeze, which is clearly not being spent on maintaining our roads which are in their worst condition for many decades.

937carrera · May 9, 2004

Mersyside have just been refused permission to create a "Safety Camera Partnership", here's a quote from the Liverpool Daily Post

"In February, the partnership applied for a Department for Transport (DfT) scheme called "netting off" which would allow all the money collected in speeding fines to be spent on Merseyside instead of going back to the Exchequer. But that bid has now been rejected by the DfT who said many of the sites did not meet the accident criteria needed to site cameras there."

Translated that means even the Dft spotted that the cameras were there for revenue, not safety. Netting off means the partnership keeps the fines.

Northants has a similar attitude to Essex. Here's the results of their "safety" partnership

Average fatalities 1994-1998 in Northants - 48.2
Fatalities 2002 - 62
Fatalities 2003 - 62

And for Essex

Average fatalities 1994-1998 - 89.4
Fatalities 2001 - 121
Fatalities 2002 - 92
Fatalities 2003 - 116

Looks like they raise money & postively harm safety to me. Maybe Essex will be the first to take them down.

Guest · May 9, 2004

maintaining our roads which are in their worst condition for many decades.

Amongst the worst in Europe. And we are competing with Portugal/Ireland etc.
It seems that the councils are spending all their budgets just on the compensation claims from motorists, for damage caused to their cars. So, if motorists would only pay for the damage to their own cars, then perhaps the roads could be brought up to a standard fit for the Victorian (OK Edwardian) era !

Naughty motorists, fancy thinking that the roads are there to be driven on ! After all, they only pay approx. £40 billion per year for the priviledge !

John Sims · May 9, 2004

As Captain Beakey and many others will be aware, not only do we have the dreaded fixed speed cameras, but also Essex Police use unmarked cars to trap the unwary motorist, so be warned when entering the Essex boundary.

Yeh, and I get caught on the M4 near Cardif. I wasn't even in the Porsche and I had a Road Angel. Little tip for those with Road Angels, argumentative small boys and mothers prone to retaliation - FIT A DAMN BIG SPEAKER - that way you might hear the Road Angel above the in-car chaos.

John Sims · May 9, 2004

I was pondering going into drug dealing and opening a brothel, as I am sure it would be less frowned apon by the Essex constabulary than doing 10 mph over the speed limit on a clear dry motor way.

eastendr · May 12, 2004

ORIGINAL: John Sims

I was pondering going into drug dealing and opening a brothel, as I am sure it would be less frowned apon by the Essex constabulary than doing 10 mph over the speed limit on a clear dry motor way.

Need any help with the interviews ? (Brothel only) [

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John Sims · May 12, 2004

Need any help with the interviews ? (Brothel only)

Thanks for the offer Rick. I should be fine on the interviews but reference photos would be a big help

924nutter · May 13, 2004

Guys, have a look around you and see how much of our council tax is being wasted on unecessary traffic calming measures. I dont need a p*xy sign telling me how fast I can go around a bend. Beside which I don't think those signs with a speed in a rectangle do meet the highway code standard for compulsory speed limit signs. The black and yellow ones certainly don't or didn't. My highway code is a couple of years or so old now. Even 50 mph limits would be bearable if every b*gger drove at 50. Along certain stretches of road on my daily journey to work, in the ebay special, many motorist drove at 45-50 in the 60 mph limit for single carriageways. Now the limit has been reduced they drive at 35-40. Bl**dy hell!
Here's a good one for you to work out the logic in.
Shortly after this speed limit reduction, I was overtaking a snake of cars simply by driving at 50. It took a long time, there were about 5 cars but the road was straight for about 700 yds. Just as I pulled in, a white Vauxhall Omega leapt past all the cars and had to cut in sharply to avoid a car coming around the bend in the oppsite direction. Twit, I thought. risking life and limb to try to keep up with a 924. I snaked round a left and right hander at unabated, but not increased speed, only for blue flashing lights to appear from behind, and of course the Omega was plod. Well he started to rip into me about not slowing down on the bend until I pointed out that the previous week the speed limit had been 60, and if I had gone around the bend at 50 then he would have been perfectly happy, so what was the problem officer? He spluttered and waffled but he couldn't 'do' me, or defeat my argument. I think he wanted to nick me for speeding as I was overtaking but I was showing 53 on my speedo, so you can bet I was indicating 49.99 on his. You may recall me telling you boys at the autodrme that I had only been stopped in the 924 twice in 16 years, this was one of those times.
Where did I put my wood?

dawn lang · May 17, 2004

I am not a lunatic driver and when the roads are busy I am careful and hopefully considerate to other road users.

However, just lately, I am getting seriously disturbed by the number of people who sit at 35mph along a single carriageway in my area. The road limit is 60mph. It's a fairly twisty road but I could do 60mph in it easily and SAFELY when I had a 1.2 Fiesta so I don't understand why they can't just hurry up a bit and do at least another 10mph. It's lined with trees and bushes and therefore not safe to overtake on either.

It's driving me mad having to do 20mph in 30mph zones and having the plod invading every motorway in our area making sure we keep to the limits on Motorways - even when they're clear!

Almost makes you want to give up having a performance car and buy a Fiat Panda! [:'(]