Speed Trap, Caught Again

R

roker

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Since getting 2 points and €80 fine for doing 10km/h over the limit, I have been determined not to get caught again for such a petty offence, I stick strictly the limits. I have seen other driver behind me impatiently trying to pass, I have seen them cross a single white line to get past me at speed, how do they get away with it?
Today I got caught again, everyone including myself was doing 80km/h through the road works between the West Cork roundabout and the Sarsfield roundabout. This would normally be a 100km/h stretch but it is temporarily 60 because of the road works at either side. Stuck at the side of the road halfway in the construction site where you would never expect was a GoSafe camera Van.

I now know it is all about money, they are supposed to be on accident black spots (Garda statement: Go safe will only operate on sections of road which have a history of collisions occurring where speed was a contributory factor) I would also question the legality of a temporary sign.
The traffic was continuous so the camera must have been going about every 5 second, which is 720 times per hour @ €80 a shot = €57,000 per hour.
It looks like we are funding the new fly-overs as well.
The Insurance companies are also taking atvantage of this increase in penalty points for petty offence, to increase our premiums.
 
There are similar roadworks on the M1 near Dublin Airport, also with a 60kph temporary speed limit, and I've seen the goSafe camera van on a number of occasions.
 
You may get away with this one... Oh no wait sorry I have just found this, they have passed [broken link removed] which means the speed limit is 60kph.

So do you think it is safe to drive at speed on a road that you say yourself is a construction site? The road surface may be suitable for higher speeds but what about the safety of those working within several feet of fast moving vehicles?

Sarsfield Roundabout speed limits have been discussed at length here - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056771384

Speed limits and Go Safe vans are there for a reason.
 
RonanC: This is a very wide construction site and the workers are no where near the fences, most of them are in large machines.

There was a stretch about 9 km on the N71 from Roscarberry to Leap that was completed weeks ago, a fine wide road with hard shoulders, but they never took the 60 km/h signs off until this week. No one took any notice of these signs either (except me) because it was so ridiculous, 80 km/h when turning off to a back road, people just lost respect of the limits/authority
 
I know the spot well Roker. It is well signposted and you are reminded also that speed traps are there. Hate saying it, you're right somebody has to pay for the speed on which bankers handed out money.
 
The roadworks’ temporary speed limit 60km shall apply for a period of 12 months from 1st June 2012 to 31st May 2013.

Tim Lucey, City Manager,
Cork City Council, City Hall, Cork.
8th June 2012
Click to expand...
Were the 60km/h regulatory road signs clearly visible?

Were there other road warning signs/ roadworks signs indicating potential hazards?

Even after the roadworks are complete the order is in place until 31st May 2102. I agree with you that Leaving signs up after the hazard has gone brings the system into disrepute. The local authority should rescind the order once the works are complete and the hazard has been removed.

Road works sites are considered very high risk and there have been some horrendous incidents at road works sites.
 
Feel your pain OP, how are you supposed to go at the right speed when every car on the road is going faster? Are you not going to be a danger to other road users if you suddenly slow down?
 
OP - I know what you are saying. There is a 60kph sign on the N4 near the Applegreen petrol stations. There is construction going on in the area. Sometimes I obey the speeding limit and an awful lot of traffic passes me out. Sometimes I just want to drive at what seems a safe speed to me. It is a difficult one, but on one occasion there was a speed check being performed there. 90% of people must have been breaking the speed limit that day. I think the right thing to do must be to obey the speed limit, even though most people, including myself, have difficulty doing that.
 
The speed limits are there for our protection. If you dont obey, then pay the fine and accept the penalty points - sore, I know - but, as a politician once said:- It's never the wrong time to do the right thing.
 
Think I might have got caught there too roker on the same morning, was doing about 73kph when I spotted the camera van and I was probably one of the slower drivers on that stretch at the time! It's hard to keep to 60kph there, it just seems inappropriately slow, especially heading east from Sarsfield where you're heading away from the construction site; but it's the law so gotta suck it up. Hoping I'll escape though as I've no points so far.
 
I am certain the speed limits are there for our protection. I know there are times when it appears that the limit is set too low. But, if everybody obeys the limit then, there is no problem; trouble is, we have speed-jockeys who have no patience and think they own the road and feel entitled to be reckless and dont care about anybody's safety.

I have no problem with speed traps, long may they reign and I hope they catch the reckless drivers and if it keeps my income tax down, then better again.
 
Leper said:
I am certain the speed limits are there for our protection. I know there are times when it appears that the limit is set too low.
Click to expand...

There are times where they are set too low but there are equally times where they are set far too high.

Its very naive to think that someone sat down and thought about what was a safe limit for this particular stretch of road and how it would protect us. I know someone who started work in a council and on Day 1 was handed a map with a new road layout and told to design where the traffic lights should be. He protested that he knew nothing about roads, the area, the traffic etc... and the answer he got was "we were given a budget for 2 traffic lights on that stretch, mark them in wherever you like".
 
truthseeker said:
... and the answer he got was "we were given a budget for 2 traffic lights on that stretch, mark them in wherever you like".
Click to expand...

You're dead right Truthseeker. Isn't that the rule:- use it or lose it especially when you are talking about budgets? And of course the clincher "We came in under budget" [whether the budget was needed or not they came in under the amount so therefore it was justified].

But, getting back to speeding on our roads, I think we should all lead by example and obey the speed limits. I feel there is much too much death on our roads and we must all slow down.
 
Leper said:
I feel there is much too much death on our roads and we must all slow down.
Click to expand...

The biggest problem I have driving is that Im at the correct speed for the road (ie, the limit) and there is a driver up my behind flashing, beeping and sometimes waving a fist at me.
 
Leper: It's the petty offence, I got done for 10km/h (6mph) over on a Sunday morning when there were few people around, everyones speed drifts up and down slightly, that was the first offence in 40yrs of driving. As I said, it is all about money now, not safety, it's getting near the accuracy of the speedo.
 
I just got a fine through the post from the French police for the same offence (96km/h in a 90km/h zone) — but it was only €45.

Rip-off Republic or what?!

;)
 
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