I couldn't let this go unchallenged. Have you had a speeding conviction (or more than one maybe)or attended a speed awareness course as a result of detection by a mobile unit ?
The first thing that struck me reading your post was claiming that
there's a fanatical belief that speed is the cause of all road traffic accidents. That just isn't true, neither the belief nor as a fact. It's certainly a major cause of 'accidents' resulting in death and injury. Injury, by the way, can be anything that's recorded as such from a minor injury to life-long disability in one way or another.I think you'll find that the term accident has been replaced with Road Traffic Incident. I've long wondered why they're called accidents when most are caused by some kind of avoidable negligence including the involvement of alcohol and/or speeding. Drivers who speed are more likely to commit other traffic offences too such as going through a red light and no insurance.
Speeding reduces the time a driver has to react to a given situation, increases stopping distance and limits the effectiveness of road safety measures..ie..barriers..both metal and concrete, railings, impact absorbers etc. In 2018 speeding was involved in 26% of all traffic-related fatalities killing 9,378 people..or on average 25 a day. The 26% represents 8,477. It's like the COVID-19 deaths stats.Each is an individual with a wife/husband/partner,siblings and extended family. It affects all these people not to forget the police officer who has to personally inform the family of the fatality. I'm sure they'd rather suffer a burglary than that.
Speed limits are there for a reason. A 30mph limit is pretty obvious. Urban area,generally..or a village..schools, shops parked vehicles, junctions..all sorts. A couple of stats. 2018. In a 30mph built-up area 53% exceed the 30mph. and 19% exceed 35mph.So that's 72% travelling at between 30-35mph. Link those numbers to this fact. The risk of death after being hit by a car travelling at between 30-40mph is 3.5 and 5.5 times more likely than than by a car travelling at below 30mph and 85% of pedestrians who are killed after being hit by a car/van died in collisions at impact speed below 40mph..45% at less than 30mph.
An independent review of over 4000 fixed site cameras over a four year period showed that they significantly reduced speeding and collisions and cut deaths and serious injuries at camera sites by 42%. Drivers get to know where these fixed site cameras are ..infact there are camera location websites and in addition Sat Navs and dedicated speed camera alert devices (Halfords sell them) give a beep warning when approaching any so it's important to have non-static checks..ie the mobile units that you don't care too much for.
Bear in mind that the number of people killed on our roads far exceeds that for those killed in crime so the police have to give road safety a high priority and to have static cameras and mobile speed detection units is helping to do that in the absence of a dwindling number of traffic officers due to financial constraints over the past 10 years. Infact from 2010-2014 alone there was a 23% reduction.
I agree with you that it can be a distraction whilst driving in a speed limit to have to keep an eye on the speedometer especially in a 30mph limit and I don't understand why manufacturers ..all of them..haven't incorporated a devise whereby you just have to press a button to input a speed and when the car exceeds it an alert sounds. I had one in my Audi A4 but neither of our cars has one now. In 2022 all new cars must have a speed limiter which isn't the same.
https://www.petrolprices.com/news/speed-limit-technology-to-be-implemented-in-all-new-cars-by-2022/
I'd like to see the speed limit painted on roads at regular intervals in the absence of regular signs and that regularity is defined in Road Traffic Law. Drivers learn it on a national basis. Urban..generally 30mph. Rural 60mph unless otherwise stated and 70mph for dual-carriageways. My brother-in-law and family came over from Canada a few years ago and we drove through the Cotswolds and after a while he asked how we knew what the speed limit was. 60mph I told him How do you know ? he asked. The Highway Code,I told him. It's not good enough to be honest.
I also appreciate that drivers wonder at times why there's a particular limit. Regarding dual-carriageways in urban settings where there are houses I'm sure it's to keep the noise level to a minimum and also exhaust fumes.
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