cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/53463841
Before the cameras were installed four years ago, roughly 17 per cent of motorists followed the posted speed limits. … In the last year before the cameras were banned, compliance reached 87 per cent.
Within a week of the cameras’ removal, that fell to 62 per cent, and three weeks later, it had dropped to 50 per cent.
…
Carlucci says it’s time for drivers to reflect and consider one simple question.
“Why are you speeding in a school zone?”
Design speed > Posted speed. If you want people to slow down, narrow the streets so they’re worried about losing a side mirror.
The problem is dealing with existing roads. Ottawa probably has thousands of kilometers of poorly designed road. We can’t afford to tear it all up to fix it at once. Speed cameras provide a good fix for existing roads that haven’t been rebuilt yet.
People drive the speed they feel is safe. Occassionally, they read speed limit signs. Occassionally, they drive slower after a ticket. But mostly: people drive the speed they feel is safe.
If you want people to drive slower, it needs to feel (not be, just feel) unsafe to drive fast.
This is the only correct answer here. You want drivers to slow down? Stop building big, wide, straight roads. You need to add curves with trees and barriers, narrow the lanes, and (gasp!) even remove some lanes. Everything else is theatre.
The city of Ottawa study shows that drivers also slow down when traffic laws are enforced.
We should definitely build safer roads, but while we’re waiting for that, we should bring back speed cameras.
No, we need to determine if the speeders are safe enough drivers at the speeds they are driving.
This is sarcasm, right? It’s hard to tell sometimes.
As a former speeder (changed only because GAS COSTS, NOT TRAFFIC TICKETS, CAUCASIAN MALE & WANTING TO BECOME A BICYCLIST, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT)! & who never caused a accident, though out of anger with another driver & in the zone, for at least 5-blocks in nearby city, passed people like crazy, along with the other driver ahead me (passed me first). I say hell no, who
Look in nearest mirror!
Problem is people aren’t good judges of what is, in fact, a safe speed.
Edit: the second problem is that making it feel unsafe while not being unsafe (or unfeasible to maintain or prohibitively costly) leaves very few options.
The stats from the city of Ottawa show that drivers slow down when speed regulations are enforced.
I fully support improving roads to make them safer. In the meantime, enforcement of existing rules seems like a low cost alternative.
Eliminating speed cameras is tacit approval of speeding.
Building wide straight lanes with huge shoulders is tacit approval of speeding.
Building wide straight lanes with huge shoulders is tacit approval of speeding.
The invention of horseless carriages is tacit approval of speeding.
Bingo, for profits, NOT safety.
I’d say it’s an explicit approval of speeding, but I’m splitting hairs.
My favourite part is that our tax dollars are going towards radio ads about this ON gov’t bs /s
Don’t forget big speed limit signs!
“Why are you speeding in a school zone?”
Because people are selfish assholes. Bring back the damn cameras.
- Put up speed cameras. Remove cops.
- Take down speed cameras. Don’t put cops back .
- With no cops, people drive like dicks
- Politicians blame lack speed cameras instead of lack of any enforcement, but it has nothing to do with the big speed camera cash grab.
Anticipate porky speed cameras coming back.
The only effect zone for these cameras is the very small area they are visible for. By all means, leave them up, but to think that cameras slow drivers down for anything more than a few meters is disingenuous. Getting a big justice boner over them is the silliest thing imaginable.
Traffic calming measures, actual enforcement with real consequences like license loss, those things slow people down. Cameras are just theatre and revenue models.
Studies done up and down streets and in areas with rotating speed cameras show a long lasting impact in the areas most likely to have children crossing the roads.
Its not a fix-all solution for everywhere, but its sure as shit better than what we have, and the revenue from them was legislated to be used TO create those traffic calming measures you want.
