Heard on the radio today that the A9 safety group are weighing up the merits of installing average speed cameras along the Perth to Inverness stretch of the A9. The recent 10 day purge on speeding resulted in over 700 drivers being charged for speeding offences. Nothing to indicate how many were cars, trucks etc but VOSA were knocking around for a couple of days and pulling trucks in, never saw them bother with anything else though so maybe there is a clue.
As for the camera iIt’s not going to happen overnight and cost a packet to set up but if/when it happens that’s going to be one whole lot of pigged off A9 users. From my own daily drive up there I can’t really see it’s going to cut the death toll either. Someone from ROSPA (or something similiar organisation) suggested that speed isn’t the main problem on the A9 and most of the accidents are from poor overtaking decisions.
If we’re talking strictly about safety (and not revenue) here, then I personally think the time and effort would be much more fruitfully invested in just dualling it ASAP.
Unfortunately it’s not very straightforward to police thoughtless “suicidal overtaking manoeuvres”, which is a shame because that’s the thing that needs to be cut down, much more so than just basic “speeding”.
I personally stick to 40 all the time, and if anything - I find that to be a significant factor in actually decreasing general road safety. It’s not me that sets the daft laws & limits though so I just stick to them…
Every time I have the misfortune of driving that road, I can tell by the number of frustrated truckers that invariably end up collecting behind me, that I’m in a very small minority who actually adheres to that official 40 limit. Sometimes it really feels like it might just only be me (besides the supermarket guys)
I drive it everyday, Edinburgh to Inverness and echo what you say, I stick at 40 and it’s almost a gimme that within half a mile of leaving any stretch of dual there is a queue building up.
Six fatalities in the last three-four months, if they ever put the average speed cams on there then I expect to see more than the half dozen near misses every day I see now.
Nice example of pro driving last Friday southbound at Dalwhinnie, Citylink coach used the hatchings and right turn filter lane for
an overtake, he even managed a one fingered wave at the camera van clocking southbounders at the same time.
Saaamon:
Not supporting the cameras but it mite make people think twice about overtaking.
no it wont, itll be every truck doing 40mph with more ■■■■■■ off car drivers who could do 60 if they could wanting by at the silliest of gaps = more crashes, ive had plenty of near misses on that road that car drivers being idiots doesnt even phase me anymore, overtaking on blind corners, using the hatchings/filter lanes, when theirs a small gap.
personally i sit about 48/49mph on that road but do it all the way up so if any trucks want by on the dual sections they can - unless its a supermarket truck lol.
Saaamon:
Not supporting the cameras but it mite make people think twice about overtaking.
no it wont, itll be every truck doing 40mph with more ■■■■■■ off car drivers who could do 60 if they could wanting by at the silliest of gaps = more crashes, ive had plenty of near misses on that road that car drivers being idiots doesnt even phase me anymore, overtaking on blind corners, using the hatchings/filter lanes, when theirs a small gap.
personally i sit about 48/49mph on that road but do it all the way up so if any trucks want by on the dual sections they can - unless its a supermarket truck lol.
What he said.
What they should do, they should raise the truck limit to 50 at the whole stretch, then there would be less overtaking, problem sorted.
Average speed cameras won’t work on the A9. It can’t work on a single carriageway road when there are different speed limits for different types of vehicles. It’s not going to stop the suicidal overtaking by cars when they can legally travel faster than trucks. It needs upgrading to a dual carriageway. It’s the only thing that will work.
So why not just make the whole road a 40 then, because that’s all trucks can do on it. And obviously other vehicles will still try to overtake = same amount of crashes.
damoq:
Average speed cameras won’t work on the A9. It can’t work on a single carriageway road when there are different speed limits for different types of vehicles. It’s not going to stop the suicidal overtaking by cars when they can legally travel faster than trucks. It needs upgrading to a dual carriageway. It’s the only thing that will work.
Well, it will. They work on ANPR, so there is no problem to link them to database and check what is legal limit for this vehicle. And then, there is only a simple algebra.
You can put separate sectors for dual and single stretches.
damoq:
Average speed cameras won’t work on the A9. It can’t work on a single carriageway road when there are different speed limits for different types of vehicles. It’s not going to stop the suicidal overtaking by cars when they can legally travel faster than trucks. It needs upgrading to a dual carriageway. It’s the only thing that will work.
Well, it will. They work on ANPR, so there is no problem to link them to database and check what is legal limit for this vehicle. And then, there is only a simple algebra.
You can put separate sectors for dual and single stretches.
That’s not my point though orys. What I mean is that a car can do 60mph and a truck only 40mph. The car will still want to get past a truck doing 40mph, even if it’s suicidal or not. So average speed cameras won’t stop overtaking.
damoq:
That’s not my point though orys. What I mean is that a car can do 60mph and a truck only 40mph. The car will still want to get past a truck doing 40mph, even if it’s suicidal or not. So average speed cameras won’t stop overtaking.
Youre right off course. Thats why I think putting the limit up to 50 for trucks would do much better…
gogzy:
…no it wont, itll be every truck doing 40mph with more ■■■■■■ off car drivers who could do 60 if they could…
If you think about it they’ll actually be able go to faster than 60 if they could. Because they’re average speed cameras, if they’ve been stuck behind a truck for a few cameras their average will be right down. So once they get past they could probably tonk along at 80 for a bit and their average will still be within the limit.
stagedriver:
So why not just make the whole road a 40 then, because that’s all trucks can do on it. And obviously other vehicles will still try to overtake = same amount of crashes.
Square one.
If they ever do get round to installing them that’s what will happen in effect, blanket limit of 40mph. Pointless trying to pull in to the stupidly short laybys when 100 yards further on there is another truck doing 40 so hold tight and watch the loons go for the passing 25 motors at once overtake.
