Community Speed Watch

[thesultanofsheight]

Sorry, rhetorical question.

 

When this programme was mentioned in the magazine article posted here a couple of weeks ago, a very brief google gave me info about all the police forces in the UK that have implemented it, together with information about the non-statutory nature of the "evidence"/participants and the objective of the programme, i.e. to reduce excessive speed by (a) firstly "having a word" (which as the Inspector will probably confirm is often all it takes for someone to up their driving standards) and (b) identify persistent offenders so that the proper powers that be can take appropriate action.

 

Now I'm not convinced that this scheme will be particularly effective and if I was being asked to sign off on it I'd be looking for lots of assurances around training and procedures to avoid abuses. And to be honest I would much prefer greater focus on driver training and regular assessment as a means to reduce road incidents. But come on, the level of stupid in some of the responses is bordering on epic.

I don't see what is wrong with people objecting to this. You wouldn't give members of the public police fire arms would you? So why give them radar guns? We all know the sort of miserable jobsworth old twats who will be volunteering for these little traffic patrols. They'll do anything to get a stupid hat and a high viz "hobby Bobby" jacket to wear down the pub. All to get a letter through the post telling you that you're a naughty boy and not to do it again. Traffic laws should be policed by the law enforcement agencies: not by well meaning members of the public with bugger all else to do with their lives.

[Hugh Jampton]

Notwell and Andy Onchan. If you are on Facebook you may like to look at "Stupid Idiot Parking Isle of Man". You can post your photos of the offending neighbours and have a laigh at other offenders on the island.

 

It is quite popular.

[Dougie]

 

And go and have a word about pavement parking (pure lazyness) in Ashboune Avenue at number 13 ;0)

 

Really Notwell, ratting up your wife like that!!! Just ask her not to do it!

 

 

Enforce the roundabout rule to give way to traffic ALREADY on the roundabout and not approach at such a speed that you cannot stop should the need arise.

 

Rosemount lights change, in the evening, to on demand. Approach the top of Windsor rd slowly, the lights will change without the need for you to stop. Flashing Amber there could lead to Woodbourne rd. traffic thinking they have priority because it is the main road, approaching at such a speed that everyone else HAS to stop to allow them through.

 

Of course, we could all drive sensibly at all times but we don't.

 

Even a tourist tootling along at 20mph. is not driving sensibly!

Good point to be fair. I've warned my wife a few times

 

I can tell you where there will be a huge accident due to speed. At the roundabout at the top of Meadow Crescent and the road that comes up from Kirby Garden Centre. Cars coming up that hill effectively ignore that it is a roundabout because they just assume they have right of way if nothing is coming down.

I've lost count of the amount of times i've arrived at that junction from Meadow Crescent and could have been involved in a huge accident due to the speed at which someone has approached that roundabout with no thought or consideration to what MIGHT be to their left.

 

Erm...... do they not have right of way if nothing is coming down, then? Should anyone coming out of Meadow Crescent not be giving way to vehicles entering the roundabout from their right?

[ManxMann]

Genuine question, do the speed guns take a picture?

 

If they don't surely it's a case of 'their word against mine'

 

and

 

If they do but the picture is unable to show the drivers face are you still legally bound to admit who was driving given it wasn't a warranted Police constable that caught you 'allegedly' breaking the law?

[trmpton]

 

 

And go and have a word about pavement parking (pure lazyness) in Ashboune Avenue at number 13 ;0)

 

Really Notwell, ratting up your wife like that!!! Just ask her not to do it!

 

 

Enforce the roundabout rule to give way to traffic ALREADY on the roundabout and not approach at such a speed that you cannot stop should the need arise.

 

Rosemount lights change, in the evening, to on demand. Approach the top of Windsor rd slowly, the lights will change without the need for you to stop. Flashing Amber there could lead to Woodbourne rd. traffic thinking they have priority because it is the main road, approaching at such a speed that everyone else HAS to stop to allow them through.

 

Of course, we could all drive sensibly at all times but we don't.

 

Even a tourist tootling along at 20mph. is not driving sensibly!

Good point to be fair. I've warned my wife a few times

 

I can tell you where there will be a huge accident due to speed. At the roundabout at the top of Meadow Crescent and the road that comes up from Kirby Garden Centre. Cars coming up that hill effectively ignore that it is a roundabout because they just assume they have right of way if nothing is coming down.

I've lost count of the amount of times i've arrived at that junction from Meadow Crescent and could have been involved in a huge accident due to the speed at which someone has approached that roundabout with no thought or consideration to what MIGHT be to their left.

Erm...... do they not have right of way if nothing is coming down, then? Should anyone coming out of Meadow Crescent not be giving way to vehicles entering the roundabout from their right?

Oh dear god! Please tell me you are joking otherwise we have just found out (like we didn't know already) why roundabouts over here don't work.

 

You are joking right?

[Terminal]

If I'm not sure then I just close my eyes and go.

[Al-T]

There was a copper with a speedgun in lower foxdale last week. Good place for him probably as everyone speeds through there.

 

Currently working on a house in Sulby, the road is a 30 and pretty much everyone flies past at about 50. Give me a gun!

[Annoymouse]

There was a copper with a speedgun in lower foxdale last week. Good place for him probably as everyone speeds through there.

 

Yup, choice between finding a gap between cars (easier said than done sometimes) or putting your foot down to get past them so your not holding up oncoming traffic.

[Manx Bean]

This all seems like a rather desparate measure to me, and I have great sympathy for Inspector Flint who is obliged to put a positive spin on it. If our Constabulary were adequately resourced they wouldn't need to resort to creative unenforceable lunacy.

[Inspector Derek Flint]

I don't need to put a spin on it really - it is what it is, and it will either make a difference, or it won't. If it does, it will continue, if it doesn't, we'll chalk it up to experience.

 

The important thing to remember here is that there are citizens amongst us who want to make their communities better. Its not a million miles from neighbourhood watch.

[Inspector Derek Flint]

 

You are absolutely right, Forestboy, and we will be doing, where resources allow and intelligence take us. Unfortunately, we still can't be everywhere the public want us, because there aren't that many of us. 210 might seem a lot, but they aren't all providing community policing.

 

Preventive measures are always better than enforcement however, and that's what this will go some way to doing.

 

Oldmanxfella, notwithstanding your sweary rant, I'd be interested in your perspective on what part of our jobs we aren't doing properly

Well I think there are plenty of you. When I arrived in late 60's the force strength was a little over 100. I accept that the population numbers have increased by over 20 thousand together with increased traffic. Will you be training and issuing these people with high viz jackets and equipment? Will they be insured?

 

 

There were indeed. But back then the legal framework wasn't nearly as complex. We didn't have to have the sophistication we have now, whether it be in investigating a fatal collision, dealing with historic, complex abuse cases, managing enquiries into fraud, or having huge accountability in respect of missing persons. training is far more involved too. A basic firearms course lasts six weeks, a driving course two, for example. Whilst these people are abstracted, someone has to do the day job of making sure people sleep peaceably in their beds.

[Albert Tatlock]

This idea needs dumping.

[woolley]

Does "sophistication" translate to "bureaucracy"?

[woolley]

Can we also report drivers using mobiles, not wearing seatbelts, and especially those with unrestrained children in their cars?

 

 

And unrestrained dogs jumping around in the front passenger seat?

 

Or just for being ugly? That'd be a good one.

[thesultanofsheight]

The important thing to remember here is that there are citizens amongst us who want to make their communities better. Its not a million miles from neighbourhood watch.

 

No; there are also citizens amongst us who seize at any chance of having some sort of control over other citizens. Give them a hat, or a set of epaulettes and they're getting a right stiffie out of their new found status. It's just handing out a busy bodies mandate to the usual sorts of interfering busy bodies to play at being policemen. It's not community spirit a lot of the time, it's some sort of complex to get one over on everyone ne else. Also what happens if some one has a pop at one of these do-gooders in a road rage attack, or if they get run over? The public liability issues alone aren't worth thinking about. If speeding is such a problem then the Police should do something about it; not subcontract it out to a load of pensioners and over grown Boy Scouts to deal with it for them.