Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
Sorry if I sound a bit confused, but will a 20mph limit be enforced? If so, then why isn`t a 30mph limit enforced? Personally speaking from forty years driving experience, a speed limit is like a speed hump, or those ridiculous little bits of kerb protruding into the roads everywhere`s. They`ll make the slow driver`s slower and won`t have any effect on the speed merchant`s. P.S. Is this the same accident that Terry Nunn brought up this morning on his two tone thread?
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
It is, Colin. And yes, it's the lunatics that disregard the lives of others that will ignore speed limits. They need to be enforced much more rigorously, and I don't mean fund raisers (or speed cameras, as the Police like to call them) that everyone slows down for and then carry on regardless, but with speed guns hand held by traffic cops. Archers Court Road at Whitfield has a speed trap about twice a month, and that's a 30mph road, so if it's good for Whitfield it should be for Dover, too. A speed trap on Barton Road would catch tons of offenders, mostly taxis and white van drivers as well as the usual crop of souped up hatchbacks driven by 17-year olds.
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Guest 703- Registered: 30 Jul 2010
- Posts: 2,096
I only know the details of today's accident from what I've read on here, but I lived on Buckland Avenue for 15 years and witnessed many accidents (including one where the offending vehicle was a police car) and saw the results of even more over the years. One about 10 years ago was a young driver in a fast hatchback who had a similar sort of accident as this mornings, hit the wall at the top of Frith Road and either he or his front seat passenger died.
Road signs and speed limits will not stop idiot drivers from being idiots, they need to be stopped from driving for a long time or permanently and only allowed back on after proper retraining (I know of the schemes that exist for drink drivers and speeders and some who take them think it's a joke or are just going through the motions).
Sandwich town centre has had a 20mph speed limit for some years now, it would be interesting to find out if that has made a difference to accident rates. It might be that 20mph can't be applied to A roads and alternative routes (which Buckland Ave/Barton Road was often used as when the bypass was blocked).
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
With you all the way there Andy, but let me also include a hand held speed gun pointing at the bend from Barton road into Frith road. Just an interesting bit to add to this thread, our first house was in Barton road, which is where the light`s are before you go round into Frith road, so I have a good knowledge of traffic speed for that area from 30 plus year`s ago. I`ll also hasten to add that I`ve always driven with the speed of the traffic, and many times that can easily exceed any speed limit.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
It doesn't matter what speed limit you impose, dick-heads will always break them. Always! Speed cameras have done nothing, traffic calming has done a little but also increased pollution in built up areas, and reducing speed limits is a futile attempt at being seen to be doing something.
I know what I'm talking about. When I was 18 - 19 years old, I was one of those dick-heads who thought he was indestructible and too good for those annoying "speed limits". It's amazing I didn't get arrested or injured (or worse) back then. Ahem - any police reading in, this was over 20 years ago!
I understand the temptation and how easy it is to ignore speed limits when you want to get somewhere fast or just floor it for the thrill. Luckily I saw the error of my ways before any harm was done but obviously this isn't the case for everyone. And reducing speed limits absolutely WILL NOT solve this.
Not only that, I also find it deeply unfair that drivers are always being hit hard with this whenever there's an accident. We all have to be slowed down just because of one or two idiots? Do we export every Muslim just because one or two blow airports up? Do we put every dog down just because one or two attacks a person?
Just my twopence worth.
It is relatively simple (I speak as one who has just gone on a speed awareness course having been caught speeding on a motorway, ahem...). Barton Road, Frith Road, Park Avenue et al are residential areas, near schools, near houses that front onto roads, leading into a built up and busy town. The risk of RTA and injury or death resulting are significantly increased by all those factors. An effective way to reduce those risks is to enforce a 20mph speed limit and police it properly. What is the counter argument?
I am not excusing my speeding in any way - am properly contrite actually - but the fact is only 2% of accidents happen on motorways. Clearly any accident is a bad thing, but proportionately and in terms of death and injury, town and country speeding is far more dangerous.
A simpler way of reducing the speed along Barton Road is to make it narrower, in fact, a one lane road. That should reduce the occasions of racing which I often see. Sopeedsters will speed on any road whatvr the limit so zero tolerance policing is required for this.
Bern, tut tut my dear. Care to share how fast?
Best not.................
BUT - why make cars that go that fast if we can't use it?! Seriously, I am contrite!
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
You can`t reduce the road width along Barton road Sid, I`ve gone along there a few times on bin day, and the traffic soon build`s up with the collection`s. The answer is speed traps, and not just two per month, and make the fines finance it all. It`ll deter me from ever speeding, which I don`t much now anyway.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
Agree with Sid - it needs to be narrowed in some way as it is awkward and restricted as you go round the bend and you need to concentrate on the vehicles all around you.
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
The trouble with narrowing it to go round the bend, will just encourage the faster one to put his or her foot down to get in there first. It`s called selfishness.
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
But Colin, if the traffic builds up it will also slow down. That is the point mate.
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
It is quite illogical and unethical to have a speed limit and not enforce it. Our little village needs a '20' limit, cars speed around the blind lanes all the time.
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
Andy...
If I remember correctly Sandwich has a 20mph limit through the town so there is no reason that limit could not be introduced in Dover.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 694- Registered: 22 Mar 2010
- Posts: 778
ohhh goodness...
i personally think there are other options available, like looking at the junction itself... looking at castle avenue maybe, making it one way only, so you couldnt come out by the top of the junction , therefore eliminating a few bits of traffic there, and maybe look at putting the lights in conjunction with the other lights not just as for walkers, as i think the main problem is that its hard to get out of that junction sometimes...
I would love to impliment slower speed limits, but to be honest if you don't have the people to police it it will never happen. We have seen this many times with the deal/dover road it is so sad.
It is the so evident on the TV screens, Police Camera Action, Road Wars, and so many more. It is common, so how do we prevent more accidents like this.
I think that everyone who is entitled to a driving licence should be monintored every 3/5 years, so they know the rules of the road, because as it stands now, you pass your test, and you never have to have another one in your life-time that is not acceptable. Your eye sight changes, you get older and your reactions get slower, these should all be taken into account, but mostly is that the basic skills you have to learn in driving are not forgotton, speed limits, using of indicators to name but a few.
My heart goes out to the families who have been affected by this tragic accident, this will feel like eternity x x x
Guest 690- Registered: 10 Oct 2009
- Posts: 4,150
Bin days and schoolbus days would create chaos and bad temper`s along there, been there, seen it, done it, not to mention late running buses, which have to fly about now to keep up with timing`s, and narrowing wouldn`t have an effect in off peak hours when the dickhead`s come out, which include`s Sunday`s. They`d also be an increase in toxic fumes for the resident`s along there through slow traffic and continuous stop starting you may find. Sorry, but I personally think some sort of strictly enforced speed camera along Barton road and round the bend maybe the only answer. Anyway, any feedback from the Sandwich 20mph limit which has been in force for a few years now?
Tell them that I came, and no one answered.
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
On Radio Kent this morning the news was that KCC are probably going to remove a lot of speed cameras from our roads, 'to make things more effective' ????
And for cost-cutting.
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Jan Higgins- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
Maybe we could have one of the removed cameras put up in Barton Road. Even a dummy one would slow a lot of drivers.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
The cameras and signs which flash '30' are certainly effective, there should be more of them... Even dummy ones... yes.
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred