Nuxx:27eed96f-5f6b-49f1-9e17-a3832a78c0fc@z19g2000vbz.googlegroups.com

Path: num2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!num1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!number.nntp.dca.giganews.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!postnews.google.com!z19g2000vbz.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail Message-ID: <27eed96f-5f6b-49f1-9e17-a3832a78c0fc@z19g2000vbz.googlegroups.com> From: Nuxx Bar  Newsgroups: uk.rec.cycling Subject: Re: Lighting Up Time Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 11:09:31 -0700 (PDT) References:  <77a5c0F1fcqsbU1@mid.individual.net>  <77a7sbF1ge67aU2@mid.individual.net> Lines: 37 Organization: http://groups.google.com NNTP-Posting-Host: 86.145.66.20 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable X-Trace: posting.google.com 1242583772 25843 127.0.0.1 (17 May 2009 18:09:32 GMT) X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 17 May 2009 18:09:32 +0000 (UTC) Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com Injection-Info: z19g2000vbz.googlegroups.com; posting-host=86.145.66.20; posting-account=7_6kYAkAAABD6HrjM0VxehwvZOKMxm4g User-Agent: G2/1.0 X-HTTP-UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-GB; rv:1.9.0.10) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10 (.NET CLR 3.5.30729),gzip(gfe),gzip(gfe) Bytes: 3145 Xref: perfectly-safe.chapmancentral.co.uk uk.rec.cycling:702221

On May 17, 11:41=A0am, Matt B  wrote: > Simon Mason wrote: > > > "Matt B"  wrote in message > >news:77a5c0F1fcqsbU1@mid.individual.net... > >> Keith T wrote: > >>> Leading on from the bike computer thread is there any practical use > >>> for those signs that light up to show '30' other than making cyclists > >>> grin when they get them to operate? > > >> According to the TRL they are very effective at reducing the number of > >> drivers who exceed the speed limit - thus removing the need to use > >> speed cameras. > > > Surely if they are activated then the law has already been broken? > > Not necessarily. =A0Because they aren't used as evidence to prosecute the= y > can be set to trigger at exactly, or even below the speed limit.

Yes, and they almost always are. Pretty much every single one that I pass triggers at an *indicated* 30. This can only antagonise drivers. There's even one near me which triggers *before* the 30mph zone starts, when it's still NSL. What good is it pissing off motorists by having sanctimonious red flashing signs going off at them when they're driving perfectly safely and legally? All it does is reinforce the message from the authorities that "we don't think you should be driving at all, and we're going to remind you as often as possible".

Flashing signs, like speed cameras, could have been useful in small numbers but are now being grossly overused. And like cameras they place far too much emphasis on The Holy Speed Limit (and *no* emphasis on anything else). At least they're not as much of an anti-motorist measure as cameras though, nor can they be abused to make money (or, more accurately, to get "road safety" for free, although of course manufacturers of speed cameras do very nicely).