A British Broadcasting Corporation News broadcast showing speed camera traps causing crashes has now been made public. The April 21 BBC report was meant to highlight government efforts as part of a European “crackdown on speeding” using video excerpts from the Norfolk Speed Camera Partnership. The excerpts unintentionally showcased motorists’ panic when surprised by a “talivan” operating from a freeway overpass. “He jams on his brakes when he sees the speed truck,” BBC News reporter Mike Cartwright said in describing an October 3, 2005 incident. “He smacks into the barrier and amazingly slides in between those two cars there and nobody was hurt — a very lucky escape indeed for all the drivers involved in that.” A second video taken June 18, 2007 shows a vehicle surprised by a speed camera on a wet road. “And the same thing here,” Cartwright said. “The guy jams on his brakes and he goes up the embankment.” Shortly after the news program aired, the BBC removed all copies of the footage from its website. Motorist Keith Jones enlisted the help of the Association of British Drivers to urge the BBC, the Norfolk Speed Camera Partnership and the UK Information Commissioner to release the publicly funded tapes under open records laws. The government authorities refused to do so, citing “technical difficulties.” Speaking of which…
A UK Department for Transport-funded report suggests that the panic braking seen in the Norfolk footage may not be an uncommon response. A study of speed camera usage in 29 highway construction zone projects over 450 miles of road from November 2001 to July 2003 showed that accidents increased by 55 percent in the locations where speed camera vans were used. The DfT unsuccessfully attempted to prevent publication of the report.
A UK Department for Transport-funded report suggests that the panic braking seen in the Norfolk footage may not be an uncommon response…
Wow, they need to spend money on a report to find out what any motorist could tell you. At least such stupidity doesn’t exist just in the USA. That’s why such speed programs are often counterproductive. The accident filmed could have easily been far worse. So, in the name of “safety” they almost wiped out four cars. The same goes for overly aggressive use of red light cameras. Those in the know hit the brakes and collect the guy behind them. But, hey revenue is king.
I don’t like speed traps but those crashes were caused by the idiocy of the drivers.
Inattentiveness, excessive speed for the conditions and stupidity were all on display.
Those crashes were caused by the inattentiveness of the drivers, no doubt. If there hadn’t been cameras there, though, chances are those journeys would have been completed without incident. Inattentive driving certainly causes accidents, far more than speeding. However, if you put up a surprise that causes an inattentive driver to take drastic action, you’ve caused the resulting accident just as much as their loss of control.
We’ve got red light cameras at a few particularly bad intersections here, and I’ve got mixed feelings about them. The intersections were chosen well; before the camera installation they were some of the worst in the city, and the cameras have certainly helped that. However, this city also has very short yellow lights (not just at the camera intersections, but at all intersections). The total time between green for one direction and green for another is very typical, but most of that time is with both directions red instead of one direction yellow. Without red light cameras, this functions just like any city with a normal-length yellow light. With the cameras, though, it means you end up with people slamming on the brakes and emergency-stopping fairly often. Hopefully the ABS works, and hopefully nobody was tailgating.
I’ve seen that type of behavior here in the US, although not with such a violent result. Drivers should know that by the time they see a camera truck, police cruiser, etc., you’ve already been caught. Standing on the brakes is a pointless and dangerous reaction, even without the spin-out.
I especially love the drivers who pass at high speed in the left lane, see a cop or their radar detector goes off, then slip in front of you while hitting the brakes and proceed at 10 mph UNDER the limit.
If the highway speed limit is 65 mph, you DO NOT need to slow down to 55 mph through a radar trap!
120 MPH on the phone?! Sure that’s not in KM?
Think about THAT. I’ve been driving for about 100,000 miles now, and I still don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone going that speed.
If I was sharing the road with THESE psychoes, I’d want speed cameras, too. Suddenly, these like less of a revenue-generating hat trick and more of a good idea (overseas, of course…here, it’s all about the benjamins).
Speed cameras, nothing…these folks need high-pressure water cannons.
The only thing psychotic is American morons that are so dumbed down and incompetent that safely driving at 120 mph seems impossible…
Why do you think Germany has fewer accidentsdeaths with NO SPEED LIMIT on their freeways than America does with 60 and 70 mph speed limits?
The problem is NOT speed, it’s Ignorance, Incompetence, and Inattention… which accurately defines about 80% of American drivers.
Either those are totally incompetent drivers, or they had a mechanical problem with their brakes that caused only the rear brakes to lock up and stay locked. Even a full lock up from 110 mph down to 0 mph isn’t difficult to control, even though you’re sliding on the steel belts by the end of it (yes, my friend has a rental car abuse problem).
Wowee, how do you go from speed being the majority factor to being 33% in the same news bit? Think about it, that means 66% of accidents are NOT caused by speed, if the data is to be believed in the first place.
My understanding was that driver inattention and poor conditions were the biggest causes, excessive speed was around the middle of the total list of factors. There is also the little issue of what “speed” means – usually it means going over the speed limit, but it can also mean excessive speed for the conditions (heavy rain, ice, snow, whatever). You could easily manipulate the data by just being vague with the definition of what speed means.
This BBC video just seems unreal to me. Here in the states it seems that most of the crackdowns involve much lower speeds (though still over the artificially low posted speed limits) on much less crowded streets and roads, especially on Interstates. Something like going 65 in a 55 mph zone, or 85 in a 75 mph zone.
Wolven,
Unfortunately I think you’re right about American drivers, though Germany is slowly strangling the Autobahn.
Wolven :
The only thing psychotic is American morons that are so dumbed down and incompetent that safely driving at 120 mph seems impossible…
Wow, is your needless hostility part of your SUPER SAFE driving regimen?!?!? :D
I agree that most of our drivers are crap, but next time actually watch the video before you reply to comments. Driving safely at 120 while on a cellphone – the topic of that particular comment, which seems to have escaped you – is unlikely. Regardless of your continent.
If you actually believe that…I think we’re done here.
What I don’t understand are the drivers I see almost every day who brake when they see a speed trap even though they are travelling comfortably *under* the posted speed limit.
There are no such things as anti-fines, people – they don’t send you a cheque in the post if you’re clocked going less than the speed limit.