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Are speed cameras too conspicuous?

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AM9

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The "x + 10% rule" (sometimes x + 10% +3, or similar variations).
ACPO have a suggestion that to avoid disputes where motorists (or their sharp lawyers) split hairs over their actual speed vs a recorded speed, that a threshold of 10% + 2mph will eliminate such disputes. Then of course the offender is given a suspended sentence. It's no surprise that speeding and all of the negative results is prevalent among some groups of drivers.
Interestingly, the higher threshold does not get applied to 20mph at all.
 
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DustyBin

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10% + 2mph is what it nominally is (though the Police are not obliged to stick to that, and Northamptonshire is specifically noted for being rather stricter). However car speedometers (but not sat-navs!) read higher than the actual speed because they are not legally allowed to read under, so in reality if you're doing about an indicated 83-85 (actual probably 79 or below) or so you are unlikely to be in receipt of unwanted attention unless you're doing something else dangerous e.g. undertaking, weaving in and out of lanes or tailgating.

This is correct when using actual recording equipment, and seems to be more or less what traffic officers are 'happy' with as well. I think 80mph is about the limit of their 'goodwill'.
 

Snow1964

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Neither of your examples are 'dangerously narrow'. If vehicles can just pass then they will adjust their speeds to pass at a safe speed. The A307 is a two lane (one in each direction) road from the Scilly Isles roundabout right through the centre of Kingston up towards Richmond. Much of it south of Kingston centre has a decent bidirectional cycle path so all those driving on the road just need to keep their speed within the limit, (20mph on some stretches).
The A201 is another two lane road from St Georges Circus northwards, the road widens to provide exit lanes at junctions and bypassing buses standing at bus stops.
Both of thes roads have TfL bus services running along them so there would be little point in making them too narrow for buses and there aren't that many cars or vans anywhere near 2.5m wide, (unless every car on those roads is a Hummer). :)

The A307 bidirectional cycle lane only runs from Kingston to the A243 Brighton Road junction, either side it reverts to normal painted lane near kerbs (but with gaps). Once it reaches Richmond Borough the A307 becomes blanket 20mph with no painted cycle lanes but lots of speed bumps through Petersham

When this cycle lane first opened there was a section near a church where parking was still permitted on Sundays so its construction meant traffic got stuck as couldn’t pass the parked cars (such is planning) on the newly narrowed road.

Near Kingston the high quality cycle bit now has 2 separate loading bays painted across it as the narrowed road meant nothing could pass if they was a delivery van.

Not surprisingly many cyclists stick to road rather than use the cycle lane with its shared pedestrian bits
 

AM9

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The A307 bidirectional cycle lane only runs from Kingston to the A243 Brighton Road junction, either side it reverts to normal painted lane near kerbs (but with gaps). Once it reaches Richmond Borough the A307 becomes blanket 20mph with no painted cycle lanes but lots of speed bumps through Petersham

When this cycle lane first opened there was a section near a church where parking was still permitted on Sundays so its construction meant traffic got stuck as couldn’t pass the parked cars (such is planning) on the newly narrowed road.

Near Kingston the high quality cycle bit now has 2 separate loading bays painted across it as the narrowed road meant nothing could pass if they was a delivery van.

Not surprisingly many cyclists stick to road rather than use the cycle lane with its shared pedestrian bits
So it looks like TfL has done what was necessary, but even they get beaten up by the road lobby and allow motor vehicles to deliberately block a cycleway in preference to the road that is provided for them. Clearing causes of delays caused by road traffic just increases road use, and so the pollution gets worse.
 

LSWR Cavalier

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Trumptonshire Constabulary were doing speed checks again today, yippee!

While doing so they parked their vehicle completely blocking a footpath and lost yet another esteem point for me. I am s glad I do not have to deal with the police.
 
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