To think the police should focus limited officers on crime not speedometers

[Chocstrawberries]

The past two days I have driven past two speed checks, yet the last time I saw any police patrolling our high street is years ago. Given that we've got speed cameras I think the police should focus on patrols and solving burglaries and other crime until they get more officers to spare some for speeding. Or give speeding checks to traffic wardens.

I've a retired neighbour (who needs a hobby) who has a speed estimator thingy (I don't know how it works nor do I want to). He claims he regularly clocks cars doing 50mph in the 20mph zone he's on the edge of. I believe it, having seen speeds of many vehicles. The preceeding 60m is a 30 zone.

I understand people inadvertently doing 23mph or whatever. People could miss all the speed limit signs (worrying for how little they're looking)... but surely it's impossible to feel 50mph in a residential area is safe?

What a load of old shit . Police get none , as in zero per cent of any fines .

The reason you’ll have seen them twice in two days , is most likely because it will have been brought up at the local SNAP ( Safer Neighbourhood Action Plan) meeting . The one that’s regularly advertised for the public to attend , given that it’s when they have the opportunity to go and tell police what they think is important , yet few go to. If you look on your area page , it will tell you what the locally decided priorities are. As an officer who has been to many , the two things people tend to mention, are speeding , and dog fouling . Not crime , not theft , but people ( and most of them are local,people ! ) speeding , and dog shit. Not withstanding the fact that the most they’ve probably stood there for is about 45 minutes , if you want them to do something else , then go to the meeting . Or email your local councillor , or the Safer hoods team with your reflections .

Do you know how much even a single accident costs in ££££? Without even thinking of the human costs.

Speeding drivers cause huge problems, and not just for other drivers.

I do t particularly want a speeding driver to kill me which is far more likely

They clearly were - because nobody was speeding.

Motoring offences - which will also include no tax, no insurance, no MOT, people with outstanding warrants, people on bans, etc, all being picked up - account for a huge amount of personal injury and death which is far more important than my finding some scumbag has had a go at my front door when I get in from work.

Motorist is an easy target so I tend to agree.

Some of the rubbish driving I see is not necessarily speeding.

I agree if it is excessive speed but I think 20mins on major roads is daft

20mph

You're absolutely right, OP; this country would be infinitely better if only it were wholly run by amateurs with absolutely no experience of the things they're controlling.

Speeding is a crime.

"In reported road collisions in Great Britain in 2023 there were an estimated:

1,645 fatalities, a decline of 4% compared to 2022

29,643 killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties, little change compared to 2022

132,063 casualties of all severities, a decline of 3% compared to 2022"

How many if those didn't have to happen, if only the drivers had been going slower?

Traffic police deal with traffic crime. If your home gets burgled, or your loved one gets stabbed (both highly unlikely scenarios) they are dealt with by an entirely different part of the police force (mostly CID). No, we can’t have less traffic police and more serious crime officers because the traffic police attend serious car accidents and are needed for that.

the fact that the police were by a speed camera speaks volumes. Speed cameras can’t only be erected in places where there have been a certain number of injuries (or a single death, I believe) so they’re clearly there because there’s a history of accidents caused by excessive speed.

So many laws are being made now that are aimed not at 'crime or criminal activity' but at catching people out. Recent penalty issued for woman offering a piece of furniture for recycling. It was classed as flytipping. what nonsense!
Similarly 5 or 10 mph over limit on a dual carriageway with light traffic and no pedestrians is harmless.
Life has risks. Do we want to restrict travel to walking pace, a flagman to precede each vehicle?
We do have one of the safest road systems in the world, why make life difficult just because we can.

Nobody was speeding so clearly they were effective.

The UK has one of the lowest death rates on the roads in Europe. A fact I learnt on a "Speed Awareness Course". This is one of the reasons why,

I'd love to know how many of those who supported the OP above have had points for speeding.

I wondered if it might be a good idea to separate the Police into a Police Force and a Police Service?

I think if you live in an area where the police can afford for their officers to be out doing speed traps then you probably live in an area where there isn't a great deal of other crime occurring, which is a good thing.

I think there should be more speed cameras and traffic officers, the more inconsiderate drivers that they fine the better as far as I am concerned. The extra revenue that they get in means less tax for me to pay, call it a thick tax.

Ok, so.......

Statistically there are about three times as many road deaths as homicides.

You are 5 times more likley to be killed by a vehicle when you are on the pavement than die in a terrorist accident.

The two biggest factors in road deaths are intoxication and speeding.,

In terms of the numbers of arrests traffic officers are by far the most productive and thats NOT including road traffic offences.

So, I might start by asking why we dont see the local boy racers handcuffed face down on the floor with PC Twitchyfingers pointing his trusty Heckler & Koch automatic rifle at them with the safety catch off.

BUT speeding and drunk driving are I suggest where the middle and upper classes are likley to come into contact with The Police and lose their licences so that I suggest is why the Daily Wail gets aerated about traffic enforcement

Speed isn’t the biggest factor in fatal crashes, lack of observation is. Pulling out when you shouldn’t etc. Most fatal crashes are at junctions. So they should wait at junctions and have a go at people being dangerous there if it were really about death counts. But it’s not. Sitting in a warm car waiting for speeders is an easier life for the sort of people who sign up for the job.

How do you know they were doing speed checks? Pretty pointless if there’s already a camera there?

you say about burglaries etc- how do you know they weren’t running reg’s for stolen vehicles, false plates etc? You know, cars stolen in burglaries. How do you know they weren’t waiting for someone to make an arrest on their known route?

Maybe they're accident hotspots? If people didn't speed and cause accidents they could focus those resources elsewhere.

How many points have you got ?

Speed kills!!!

Most burglaries whilst horrible and distressing, don't kill. It's a major news story these days if someone is killed in one.

Don't break the speed limit, and you have no worries. But if those speed checks slow people down and thereby save lives, I'm all for it!

A 20 limit infers high risk to vulnerable people. Speed kills. To be honest I put it right up there. Killing someone with a car in my mind is murder. You have control of the speed and car.

The police are probably better placed to know what needs doing over you.