Police targeting roadwork speeding

Tooks said :

EvanJames said :

I wonder if the plod also did something to the people tailgating those who were obeying the limit? The quote from the cops suggests not, they just did the easy thing, speed, which is measured with a machine.

As mentioned many times before, there is no offence of ‘tailgating’. The related offence (IIRC is ‘follow too closely to stop safely’) isn’t as easy to prove as you obviously think it is.

Why not write into ACT police about it if you’re so concerned, instead of coming up with the same tired, limp-wristed bitching day after day.

Heh. And that’s why Canberra is full of tailgating idiots that cause those accidents that in turn cause those epic traffic snarls during rush hour. The local plod aren’t going to do a damn thing about it. It’s in the too hard basket, like everything else that can’t be measured by a machine. So have at it, people. If it can’t be measured by a speed device or a breath analysis device, it’s as good as legal.

Pathetic, isn’t it? And the plods wonder why we deride them.

Valleyboy said :

Roadworkers and their employers earn no public goodwill with this kind of lazy and discourteous behaviour. A good example is to be found on the “up” side of Morshead Drive west of the Duntroon turnoff, where the “roadworks” consist of a line of those plastic protective barriers along a stretch of the left-side kerb, and a reduction in the speed limit from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. It’s apparently in support of work on a cycling track that passes alongside the road on that stretch. These “roadworks” have been in place for weeks now extending into months, yet there’s no sign of any work having been completed apart from setting up the usual neon orange gear and reducing the speed limit, and I’ve seen nobody working there either on my way to work or on my way home.

I think you’ll find you’re not seeing anyone because it’s NOT for roadworks. The barriers are there to provide a marginally safer option for cyclists that are being directed to use that dirt verge. You’re unlikely to see the repairs being made to the real cycling track to begin with, along with the fact it’s not expected to be completed until February 2013.

Valleyboy said :

Mysteryman said :

I do have an issue with the “set up all the equipment and signpost 40kmh but don’t commence any work for a month or so” system that seems to be the norm in the ACT. Even the simplest of jobs take a very long time to complete. It seems that Cord Civil get all the contracts – are the spread too thin?

Roadworkers and their employers earn no public goodwill with this kind of lazy and discourteous behaviour. A good example is to be found on the “up” side of Morshead Drive west of the Duntroon turnoff, where the “roadworks” consist of a line of those plastic protective barriers along a stretch of the left-side kerb, and a reduction in the speed limit from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. It’s apparently in support of work on a cycling track that passes alongside the road on that stretch. These “roadworks” have been in place for weeks now extending into months, yet there’s no sign of any work having been completed apart from setting up the usual neon orange gear and reducing the speed limit, and I’ve seen nobody working there either on my way to work or on my way home.

Everyone’s driving at 70-80 km/h through the “roadworks”. I can’t recall when I last saw someone observing the posted 60 km/h limit. The public know when they’re being taken for fools.

I drove to Wagga a couple of weekends ago. It was Saturday morning, and on the way out of Canberra there were the usual speed-restricted but apparently abandoned “roadworks” sites.

Once I was on the road to Wagga, I noticed that every single roadworks site had been neatly packed up for the weekend, with all the signs tidily covered up except for one sign at each set of roadworks just to warn drivers to take care.

Like just about everything else trade-related in Canberra, it is done by lazy, shoddy and unprofessional malingerers compared with their colleagues in other parts of the country.

Tooks said :

EvanJames said :

I wonder if the plod also did something to the people tailgating those who were obeying the limit? The quote from the cops suggests not, they just did the easy thing, speed, which is measured with a machine.

As mentioned many times before, there is no offence of ‘tailgating’. The related offence (IIRC is ‘follow too closely to stop safely’) isn’t as easy to prove as you obviously think it is.

Why not write into ACT police about it if you’re so concerned, instead of coming up with the same tired, limp-wristed bitching day after day.

I recall following an elderly gentleman who drove over the roundabout next to the art gallery whilst turning right and then proceeded to drive along King Edward Terrace on the wrong side of the road for about 500 metres at approx 70 kph almost colliding head on with a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.I rang the cops and they didn’t want to know about it unless i came in gave a statement and then was prepared to go to court to have him prosecuted.If i was prepared to sacrifice my time to undertake this requirement i would be in court on a weekly basis highlighting dangerous driving from the clueless idiots on the road.Now of course it would be much too sensible to have high visibility policing wouldn’t it??

Mysteryman said :

I do have an issue with the “set up all the equipment and signpost 40kmh but don’t commence any work for a month or so” system that seems to be the norm in the ACT. Even the simplest of jobs take a very long time to complete. It seems that Cord Civil get all the contracts – are the spread too thin?

Roadworkers and their employers earn no public goodwill with this kind of lazy and discourteous behaviour. A good example is to be found on the “up” side of Morshead Drive west of the Duntroon turnoff, where the “roadworks” consist of a line of those plastic protective barriers along a stretch of the left-side kerb, and a reduction in the speed limit from 80 km/h to 60 km/h. It’s apparently in support of work on a cycling track that passes alongside the road on that stretch. These “roadworks” have been in place for weeks now extending into months, yet there’s no sign of any work having been completed apart from setting up the usual neon orange gear and reducing the speed limit, and I’ve seen nobody working there either on my way to work or on my way home.

Everyone’s driving at 70-80 km/h through the “roadworks”. I can’t recall when I last saw someone observing the posted 60 km/h limit. The public know when they’re being taken for fools.

I see that at long last the roadworks ot the corner of Florey Drive and Southern Cross Drive are now finally displaying 40km/h 24 hours a day. If ever there was a roadworks that needed a permament lowering this was it.

It is also pleasing to see they are not messing around and are getting the job done. Unlike the (simple) widening of the intersections around the bus terminus in Kippax itself.

EvanJames said :

I wonder if the plod also did something to the people tailgating those who were obeying the limit? The quote from the cops suggests not, they just did the easy thing, speed, which is measured with a machine.

As mentioned many times before, there is no offence of ‘tailgating’. The related offence (IIRC is ‘follow too closely to stop safely’) isn’t as easy to prove as you obviously think it is.

Why not write into ACT police about it if you’re so concerned, instead of coming up with the same tired, limp-wristed bitching day after day.

What you see and what a camera sees will always differ, especially when affected by glare

johnboy said :

Well you ARE an ignorant sod.

All I did was ask a question on the topic, sir.

Where were the signals and signs in those videos? (especially the last one)

enrique said :

Here’s a few reasons why slowing down at roadworks is a good thing…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b75FkK4eqo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-PQdADVp8I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74aLLRtMAag