Traffic enforcement

So, with the "Pedestrian Rules" thread, I have a question.  Do and how do police enforce traffic laws? I've been here for 8 months now and have yet to see a PC anywhere doing something similar to writing a ticket, checking street parking, sitting on a road with a speed gun, etc.  In fact, the only times I've seen them doing anything other than patrolling and giving directions is when there was an accident on the motorway.  It makes me feel as if someone could (if possible) race through the city at 100 mph, running every traffic light, and need not worry about getting a ticket unless he crashes into something/someone (building, pedestrian, vehicle)!

Two words. Speed cameras. 

Street parking, checking cars have valid licences, are monitored in the first instance by traffic wardens.  But just because you don't see the police monitoring parking and other violations, it doesn't mean they are not.

Vicky

Police can enforce traffic law/violation but much of the mundane stuff such as ticketing is now dealt with by local authority wardens who are often very keen and target driven.

Traffic enforcement has now also become highly automated with camera for red lights,speed,average speed,bus lane contraventions etc

But just because you don't see the police monitoring parking and other violations, it doesn't mean they are not.

Oh I wasn't really insinuating this!  Yikes!  I'm just used to a more noticeable presence of traffic enforcement from the US that I was curious about how it works here.  I've seen one or two instances so far where a pedestrian while having the right of way was nearly run over by a car either going a bit too fast, running a light (I've seen a lot of busses do this one as well!), etc and two PCs continued walking by as if nothing happened.

I've seen one or two instances so far where a pedestrian while having the right of way was nearly run over by a car either going a bit too fast, running a light (I've seen a lot of busses do this one as well!), etc and two PCs continued walking by as if nothing happened.

Yep - As I noted in another thread a couple of days ago, the rules about yielding right of way to pedestrians seem to be widely ignored these days and almost completely unenforced, unless there's actually an accident.   

average speed

No way.

You are telling me they use a camera or some kind of electronic tag, and then calculate how fast you drove from point A to B, the issue you a ticket if your average comes out higher than the speed limit?

Christ.

No way.

You are telling me they use a camera or some kind of electronic tag, and then calculate how fast you drove from point A to B, the issue you a ticket if your average comes out higher than the speed limit?

Christ.

Likely.  Also there are Cruise Control microchips in Police Cars (cant remember now what there are called on top of my head) which measure speeding and if you are lucky you get a ticket! 

I know many many many drivers are usually speeding on the motor way and yet only a few lucky ones (or should that be unlucky ones, ) get the tickets. At least on the Motorways there should be no speed limit. Its understandable there are biological beings in build up areas and therefore there should be speed restrictions, but why speed limits on Motorways. I'd like to think most people who are driving are sane people.   

I agree, to some extent, honestly in my younger wilder street racing TEAM NIO days, maybe a few automatic speeding tickets is what I deserved.

But now, even though the speed limit says 60 or 70, I normally do 7-8 over then set my cruise control at that level, and when I am unlucky enough to come across a slowpoke in the fast lane, I drop it a gear and squirt around which usually bumps me up to 12-15 over the limit for those few seconds it takes to pass the idiot. I have actually gotten myself out of more trouble by using the accelerator pedal, than I have by using the brake pedal. There is a reason your car gets all floaty from side to side on the freeway at low speed, it's called momentum, also when everyone else is going faster than you, YOU are actually the danger, go with the flow or stick to access roads.

I know the speed limit is the speed limit, but in the USA the cops acknowledge that driving a few over, as long as you are not being a jackass and going with the flow is OK. Several times a month I have come over a rise in the road only to be greeted by the sight of cop with his radar gun pointed squarely at me doing my usual 7-8 over the limit and no ticket, no stops, because I was travelling safely within the flow of traffic, and not blasting by everyone and switching lanes like a madman.

This is very disheartening to find out, I mean I'll be driving a car with a small diesel with half the power of any car I have driven since 2002, so I probably won't be speeding much when it takes me 11 seconds to get to 60mph vs. 5.5. But still it sucks that I could be driving a measly 5mph over the limit one night and find a ticket in my mailbox a few days later.

You are telling me they use a camera or some kind of electronic tag, and then calculate how fast you drove from point A to B, the issue you a ticket if your average comes out higher than the speed limit?

Yes, there are some types of speed cameras in use which work that way now.  They employ ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) systems to record the precise time a particular vehicle passes the first camera, then when it's recognized passing the second camera its average speed between the two points can be calculated.  The ANPR system is also used to automatically monitor for stolen vehicles, untaxed vehicles, etc.

At least on the Motorways there should be no speed limit.

There wasn't when the first motorways were built.  In fact there was no absolute speed limit on any open highway, beyond the requirement to drive at a speed "reasonable & prudent" for the conditions.   The 70 mph speed limit was introduced in the mid-1960s.

There is no speed limit in Montana (I think) but they still give speed tickets there.

I did a "Ride along" with the cops recently and I was surprised that he would catch drivers, on his radar, speeding when they were going in the other direction. He let a few go with a verbal warning but he gave a Canadian visitor a ticket for going 50 in a 25 mph zone. He agreed with me that he thought the speed was too low for that stretch of road.

There is no speed limit in Montana (I think) but they still give speed tickets there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States

There wasn't when the first motorways were built.  In fact there was no absolute speed limit on any open highway, beyond the requirement to drive at a speed "reasonable & prudent" for the conditions.   The 70 mph speed limit was introduced in the mid-1960s.

Hence the "derestricted" signs that live on to this day, but which now mean "speed limit is whatever the legal limit is for this category of road".

I remember the precise moment the 70 limit was introduced - no limit as we drove into Watford Gap service area on the M1, but by the time we left all the "70" signs had been uncovered!

Hiya all,

To Impleri,

I guess you've been pretty lucky so far in not seeing very many incidents, 8 months isn't so long in the grand scheme of things and also there's the factor that you may be in a statistically low incident area. Of course, in reality there's probably all sorts of incidents taking place which do require a police officer and probably very near by to you too!

Theres really no way anyone 'could' speed through the city at crazy speeds without a police car/officer spotting it - there's just way too many CCTV and cop cars floating around for that to happen. Also remember, the street Beat officer isn't really going to be much help in a car chase!

The last police I saw using a hand held speed trap was yesterday in what to me was a surprising road given there's already some physical traffic calming on that road - perhaps they were testing out a new type of gun or something, but yes, they were semi hiding behind some tree branches !


As for the discussion of speed limits - this is a contentious issue. Motorways are statistically the safest roads you can travel on, so I'm in support of raising the limits to I think the proposed 80 MPH put forward by the group advocating it. The 70 limit was introduced decades ago, cars nowadays are much more technologically advanced and more importantly, much safer than they were 30-40 years ago and can easily cope with a 10mph increase in the speed limit. Of course it means everyone could go at say up to 88 mph under current 10% speedometer accuracy allowances. Journey times would be decreased which potentially means a freer moving motorway and overall a reduction in carbon output as less cars will spend less time on the carriageway. Of course, the other hand says there'll be an increase in potential accidents as car's go past quicker and peoples reaction times don't correspond as good, and there'll be a refute to carbon emissions as opponents to the speed limit increase will say more is emitted at higher speeds etc etc.

In 'Reality' - everyone currently drives at 80-85 already, slowing to 70-75 when they see a patrolling Police unit, so it would really be 'making it official' - I've said it before here and I'll say it again, yes I do drive at above the speed limits on the motorway, with the traffic and in a safe manner - so long as you are not stupid the police don't bother you. I've level pegged with a Police car on the motorway at 90 mph for a short while and haven't been pulled over - when you talk to police guys themselves, they do look for driving with the traffic flow and target those who want to go more than that flow. So Chadwyck, Yes, you'll be glad to know you can drive 'quicker' to an extent and you can put your foot down here and there and not be constantly worried you've got a ticket at the end of it! and by the way, although I haven't had lots of experience in driving in the USA, some of the road trips I have made over there and I found USA driving habits at a marked lower standard than here and of course just that little bit slower as you'd have the more strictly enforced 65mph signs. I won't tell you how many speeding tickets and traffic stops I had in a period of about 10 days, suffice to say my cousin in detroit spat her drink out when I told her! it was more than she'd had in over 12 years of driving!

Lastly, don't knock the 'Fast' Diesel's till you try them! they will put many a petrol car to shame with their performance and still return excellent economy! So get yourself on a test drive of an E46 330d as soon as you get here!

Cheers! DtM! West London & Slough UK!

Hence the "derestricted" signs that live on to this day, but which now mean "speed limit is whatever the legal limit is for this category of road".

Otherwise known as "National Speed Limit," which at the moment means 70 mph on any dual carriageway (divided highway), not just motorways, and 60 mph on any other road.