There's one around here in a 40 limit which triggers at anything over 38 on the speedo, so more like 35 in reality. Like an over-strict teacher it therefore loses any aura of authority and is generally ignored.
I agree though that a little humour from our electronic cohabitants would not go amiss. I would much prefer an ATM which said " £100 ? ....I should cocoa ! " rather than, " refer to your bank "
|
There's several round here on regular routes I drive. I ignore those that flash at the limit, but I take notice of those that are set near ten per cent above the limit, and reduce my speed if I trigger them. It makes those that are set at or below the limit a complete waste of time.
I remember, many years ago, when these were first set up, seeing in a South Downs village a sign that showed a scowling face :>( and your speed if you were above the limit, and a smiley face :>) if you were below the limit. Far more effective!
|
I obey speed limits so I rarely trigger them. When the car in front or behind, or on rare occasions, myself, have triggered them, I haven't found them at all annoying.
If the original poster admits to ingoring them then he's admitting to breaking the speed limit which is also probably 'driving without due care and attention.'
Edited by Sofa Spud on 16/06/2008 at 12:21
|
The funny thing is, that now that I have satnav with, presumably accurate speeds displayed on the satnav screen, I find that I am triggering them at below the legal limit.
Can this be so? Is the speed displayed on my satnav absolutely accurate?
|
They have just put a new one of these signs on a 30mph road near me. It is endlessly entertaining, this morning I set a new personal best for over read. 30mph on the speedo gave a reading of 47mph on the sign.
|
The signs themselves don't bother me one iota, it's the muppets who think that they are 'safety' cameras that wind me up. We have some near that flash up your speed no matter what it is near where I live on a stretch of road with a 40mph limit. It is extremely annoying to be driving behind someone who, when their speed of 38 is flashed up, slam on the old anchors because they haven't got the foggiest idea what the speed limit is. Bally annoying!
Cheers
|
We have a few signs which flash up your current speed, not very big ones usually strapped to the bottom of bigger signs.
Numbers are green if your legal, red if your not and they appear to be accurate, or atleast they agree with the satnav.
Its interesting to watch them and see how fast other people are going, so you can check your perception of speed. id like alot more of these!
Those which flash up to tell you to slow down however are a totally useless and toothless gesture dreampt up by someone with too much time on their hands.
|
It should be compulsory to have these things stuck to speed cameras with enough range to adjust any minor over the limits, why not a smiley face. It would make those evil devices stand out a mile but we would all most likely comply with the limit. Safety would then be first but a cash cow would die, I wonder why that could be unpopular in some quarters.
|
|
|
|
They have just put a new one of these signs on a 30mph road near me. (...) 30mph on the speedo gave a reading of 47mph on the sign.
Complain to your council. There's something the matter with it.
|
|
Don't complain. Treat the damn thing as the joke - the expensive joke - that it is. Don't help the carphounds get that sort of rubbish right.
|
|
If the SID is over-reading, then it eventually may have effects on the local speed limit, and attract the attention of the *real* speed-camera brigade (although to be sure of the "speeding", the council would almost certainly verify the SID information by measurements taken with speed tubes). You don't want these things to over-read. Think about it.
|
I simply don't care. Over-reading by more than 50 per cent is entirely appropriate to these ridiculous things if you ask me.
The 'real' speed cameras will come, or not, anyway. I think complaining about things like that may make the carphounds who have installed them think people are interested in damn silly mimsing speed limits and that they approve.
I have noticed them, but I don't take much notice of them.
|
Do they bother me, no, because most are a complete waste of money as by observation most (not all) drivers don't take any notice of them, so what's the point ?
There is even one a couple of miles down the road from here that was installed on a lamp post that is erected inside a tree, a real feat of British engineering, it's completely useless. If you stand on the path you can just observe it lighting up a bend sign whenever Joe Hamster is peddling his wheels too fast !
Far better to replace the whole lot with some seriously heavy duty static speed signs backed up with Gatso's or similar to catch any speeding Hamsters who don't understand the highway code or can't read signs.
|
->it eventually may have effects on the local speed limit
Do these signs record data? I thought councils used the two strips of wire stuck to the road and a recorder chained to a lamp post for traffic speed and density monitoring.
|
->it eventually may have effects on the local speed limit Do these signs record data?
Yup, hence my post above. They record the time, and the speed of passing traffic, but display the speed only up to a selected maximum - e.g. max of 45MPH in a 30MPH limit - this to discourage experimentation by boy racers ("Yeah, and I made it go up to 60!!", etc.)!
I thought councils used the two strips of wire stuck to the road and a recorder chained to a lamp post for traffic speed and density monitoring.
These are used where "more accurate" readings are required, and are actually tubes (called "speed tubes"). People don't see them so easily, or don't know what they are for - so are less likely to adjust their speed, which does happen when JPublic sees a smiley face thing (SID, Speed Indicator Device).
|
|
|
|
|
>I would much prefer an ATM which said " £100 ? ....I should cocoa ! "
Many moons ago I had to put together a demonstration of "Open Banking". Our sales folks would bring their clients along where they would be given a bank card and PIN and invited to walk around the demo trying out all the kit.
The ATMs our company made were equipped with programmable relays which could be used for activating external circuits such as alarms or courtesy lighting etc. For the demos, one of the ATM relays would be wired to a laughing bag (remember those?) that activated whenever someone selected "Withdraw Cash".
It never failed to get a laugh.
Kevin...
|
There's one of the "40 mph slow down" signs on the entrance to our village - didn't do much to slow down the fast boys. There's a bus shelter about 100 yards further on (just past a juction on lhs) - suddenly, a (big) picture of a policeman in a yellow jacket was put up on one of the side panels. Result? Two accidents within 3 days caused by people slamming on their brakes - police estimated speed as they crossed the sign was 75mph!!
Extra signs and "speed gates" have now been put up - police reckon average speed has reduced from 60 to just over 30.
|
|
|
|
I would much prefer an ATM which said " £100 ? ....I should cocoa !
The one I use is more up-to-date. It says "£100 ? ......... I should Fairtrade hot chocolate drink!".
Edited by L'escargot on 17/06/2008 at 10:05
|
Got these in Weston too, on the roundabouts along the A370 (dual carriageway). There's also one where one of the Gatsos used to be. The white camera lines are still on the road, so is good way of spotting who's local and who isnt by how drivers react to them.
The ones near the roundabout seem very erratic, can come on below speed limit, or not if over, makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
In part I must admit to being slightly in favour of them, as there have been numerous accidents on these roundabouts, which would appear to have declined since they came in (although saw one recently where a car had lost rear n/s wheel, but guess could have happened anywhere).
There is also one on the A38 coming into Taunton which was a real accident blackspot with the junction for the Glastonbury road. Council have said was cheapest and most successful method of reducing accidents, but was introduced when these signs were fairly new and not as commonplace.
As an aside, first saw these in the mid 80's in Spain. Funnily enough, all the locals saw it more as a challenge to trigger than obey.
|
These days they're so many warning signs/threats/cameras etc you become quite immune to them.
Theres so many signs in some areas they're a distraction. The speed warning signs on the A1058 in Newcastle are a good indicator that the scamera van is not operating there (today!) - sort of defeats the purpose!
|
|
Only when the daughter is in the car. As she like to see the happy smiley face that some of the signs generate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
