Anyone here part of SpeedWatch?

[Tim Watts]

I'm sure anyone could stand around with a speedgun.

Presumably the "authority" is the ability to give a list of numbers to the police to post letters out to the owners?

[Nick]

When Nightjar says is a contributory factor in just 5% accidents he means somebody such as the police attribute this as a cause. Only an idiot would assume that this means that if vehicles did keep to the limit accidents would be reduced by 5%.

Also as you make the point the damage done to the community by speeding should be measured not only in accidents but also by the precautionary actions people have to take to avoid accidents. The classic example would be people driving kids to school rather than letting them walk.

[Huge]

Total c*ck.

[Robin]

They also have the police issuing letters that state a car was exceeding the speed limit - no "alleged", no admission that there might have been an error. And with no right of appeal - which is justified on the basis that the driver can take civil action against the police or the speed gun operators. The scheme I looked at also had no quality provision for audit of the operation of the scheme. Seems to be assumed that every speed watch member is above suspicion and couldn't possibly have a motive to make false reports. So I look forward to the day when someone with deep enough pockets takes action against those who are, to be charitable, perhaps a little overzealous in their reports; and hope that will force the introduction of better evidence. Eg if it is practicable to ask police officers to wear body cameras why can we not have video cameras aligned to the speed gun with recordings of the measured speed, date and time imposed on the image - much as with speed cameras?

[Tim Watts]

I think if I received such a letter I'd write back and request the calibration certificate for the speed device and confirmation that the operator *at that time* was certified competent to use it.

[Tim Streater]

Pedestrians don't help themselves, anyway. Round here, with twisty lanes, high hedges, and no pavements, they insist on walking on the right hand side of the road, irrespective of whether they are therefore on a blind curve or not.

[Tim+]

It's sometimes amazingly difficult to convince people that "always walk on the right facing traffic" isn't always the right answer. I suspect the advice arrived in a public information film many years ago at a formative age and "stuck".

I run along narrow country roads frequently and swap sides with great regularity to heighten my visibility to oncoming traffic from either direction.

Tim

[charles]

Poor diddums, getting a letter from the police. how can you appeal against a letter, anyway?

[Tim Watts]

Depends - a letter is one thing.

But do they then add you to a database?

[Robin]

Poor diddums? How would Speed Watch members like it if they were "named and shamed" for making malicious accusations of speeding, with their names kept on file by the police, and told if they disagree they can just use the civil law?

And an appeal process would be perfectly straightforward. The letter in question (not to me) stated the vehicle in question was monitored and found to be exceeding the 30 mph speed limit at a specified place and time on a specified date. So appeal process could then look at statements and/or oral evidence from the 2 (at least) members of Speed Watch. Eg do they also take photographs? Both take contemporaneous manuscript notes of the registration number? And of the make/model/colour?

It could then hear evidence from others - eg the driver and his 3 passengers might give eivdence that the car was not at that location then. And support that with their receipt for a meal 100 miles away?

The outcome could then be eg that if the balance of evidence favoured the driver then the police in question and the Speed Watch members amend their records to delete any referebnce to speeding by that car at that time etc.

And if there were several such succesful appeals involving the same Speed Watch scheme then perhaps the members might be considered for, say, further training and words of advice.

But of course none of that is necessary if all the members of Speed Watch are incapable of error or malice, just like .......

[charles]

No, they aren't named & shamed. It's a personal letter - no copy goes to the press.

In Surrey, for a report to be made about a vehicle, make model & colour need to agree with the DVLA details. It is of course possible that the car spotted was using a cloned nummber plate - it has happened.

Long before Speedwatch was even dreamed about (1960s), I had a letter from the police suggesting that I'd been involved in a hit & run accident. I was at work at the time, but I got a visit from the police to look at my car.

Speedwatch record are not kept by Speedwatch - they are handed to the police.

everybody else?

[Robin]

Press? No. But in the example I had in mind the registered keeper of the car was the driver's employer. So fleet manager, HR, line manager et al were informed. Fortunately they had more sense of natural justice than some seem to, so they considered his evidence. The outcome was they passed to the police their evidence that it was a malicious report (including evidence that the driver had called upon a resident of the village in his official capacity in the vehicle in question earlier that day).

[charles]

There are, with us, at least 2 people involved in the report. This sounds like conspiracy.

[Tim Watts]

Or some old duffers being sloppy with recording reg numbers or who cannot use a speed gun properly.

[bert]

I would have thought speed was a factor in all RTAs. I've never heard of an accident between two stationary vehicles.

[Robin]

Two people drawn from the same community[1] who know there is no provision for appeals, no audit of their performance, no realistic prospect of the police investigating them, and nothing to lose in terms of jobs, promotion etc. Clearly a recipe to make conspiracy really, really unlikely.

[1] sometimes husband and wife.

[ARW]

It's something to wipe your arse with - along with the satisfaction of knowing that you have wasted other people's time and money because they cannot issue you with a speeding ticket.

[Tim Lamb]

I am surprised at the underlying level of anger engendered by what I see as an advisory activity.

I suppose living in a *large* village I am more concerned with the impact of *through traffic* than what the locals get up to.

The set up here is a small group of volunteers armed with high viz jackets and an easily read display board. How speeds are obtained and recorded is beyond my knowledge. The location is invariably close to the exit from a 30 zone or just inside for the other direction.

Speed data gathered may be used to trigger a mobile enforcement set up (camera van) but not noticed so far.

I see them as a low cost harmless deterrent. Or is the consensus that posted speed limits are irrelevant and road safety should be left to the preferences of the driver?

>

[Huge]

And that's supposed to make it *better*?

[ARW]

I wonder why they are placed there?