Speed cameras - When they're illegal

[Zarnicate]

Not everyone drives 10 under speed limit.. The way it really should be. Which is why a speed trap every 2km would be great.. Also all 120km zones should be dropped to 100

Why?
Economic impact: Now delivering or transporting goods will take longer which also has knock on effect for businesses that rely on JIT delivery.

 

[deweyzeph]

Not everyone drives 10 under speed limit.. The way it really should be. Which is why a speed trap every 2km would be great.. Also all 120km zones should be dropped to 100

I disagree, if anything 120km/h zones should be raised to 140km/h if it is safe to do so, e.g. long stretches of open highway in the Karoo and the Free State.

 

[envo]

I agree.. i keep to the limit. But then why do they change the fcking speed limit at woodmead from 120 to 90 (or something). That is just insane... (and I got a ticket one evening, because I was going home doing 120 (in 120 zone) and they all of sudden 100 or something)

It's based on the type of area you're in. 20-40 is usually school zone, 60 is residential, 70 is a dual lane in a semi-residential (but shopping centers around), 80-90 is dual lane with no residential or semi-industrial. 100 is usually on a ridge way, major freeway, while 120 is on a national freeway. Woodmead in particular is the transition between national and major freeway and as far as I know the 90 there is specific to that stretch of road. luckily I have a gps that warns me of these changes (and I take the time to learn the routes to know where potential speedtraps might occur or where there are fixed ones), because there's no way whites will see my money in traffic / speeding fines.

 

[uchoose]

I have been in Australia and New Zealand this last month. Everyone keeps to speed limits, people no how to merge joining a highway. Traffic just flows without problems. Drivers respect each other. They go slower than in SA but arrive much quicker because of there driving habits.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Or drive at whatever speed and still not pay fines. Aarto fines are like etoll statements. It is simply the government wasting taxpayers money on useless pieces of paper.

You only need to pay the fine if the trafic cop actually stop you and hands you the hand written fine that includes a summons, and even then I suggest waiting for the warrant of arrest, many times in the past the good traffic officers that has stopped me has either forgotten to hand in their paperwork and the fine never got onto the system and from time to time they write off outstanding fines. I can't even remember when last I really had to pay one.

The avarerge speed nonsense and all the illegal camera directly after the speed change on the hiway to Durban is even more ridiculous. 140-160 all the way and smile and wave for the photo.

Are you going to smile and wave when, under the amendments to AARTO, you continue doing that and the officer pulls you over and then refuses to let you drive on because your license has been suspended due to having too many points?

 

[rietrot]

Are you going to smile and wave when, under the amendments to AARTO, you continue doing that and the officer pulls you over and then refuses to let you drive on because your license has been suspended due to having too many points?

Maybe one day when the government gets around to the point BS. I'll bet if they truly enforce the point system there will be many people in public transport and who drive professionally sitting without a licence before me. The system would collapse on itself before they get to me.

 

[rietrot]

I have been in Australia and New Zealand this last month. Everyone keeps to speed limits, people no how to merge joining a highway. Traffic just flows without problems. Drivers respect each other. They go slower than in SA but arrive much quicker because of there driving habits.

There's many problems, speed limits are the least of it.
People merging onto a hiway here driving 80 going straight into the 3rd lane is a nightmare and a cause of most of the bottlenecks near offramps.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Maybe one day when the government gets around to the point BS. I'll bet if they truly enforce the point system there will be many people in public transport and who drive professionally sitting without a licence before me. The system would collapse on itself before they get to me.

Well as far as I understand its sitting with the president to sign off on now, so sooner rather than later its coming to an area near you.

 

[rietrot]

Well as far as I understand its sitting with the president to sign off on now, so sooner rather than later its coming to an area near you.

Okay nice. So at least 5 more years before we get something implemented. This isn't just a law that he signs and the public needs to implement like increasing VAT. Thus will take forever.

 

[deweyzeph]

There's many problems, speed limits are the least of it.
People merging onto a hiway here driving 80 going straight into the 3rd lane is a nightmare and a cause of most of the bottlenecks near offramps.

There's 2 problems with on-ramp highway merging in South Africa:

1) Inexperienced drivers drive too slowly down the on-ramp and are not driving at highway speeds when joining the highway resulting in them having to come to a dead stop when trying to merge with the traffic

2) Selfish drivers in the left lane do not slow down slightly to give those joining the highway a gap to merge safely

 

[ToxicBunny]

Okay nice. So at least 5 more years before we get something implemented. This isn't just a law that he signs and the public needs to implement like increasing VAT. Thus will take forever.

I don't disagree with that at all..

Just pointing out, that at some point in the near future your disdain for the law in relation to very basic road rules is going to bite you in the ass, and probably in a place that makes your life very difficult.

 

[rietrot]

I don't disagree with that at all..

Just pointing out, that at some point in the near future your disdain for the law in relation to very basic road rules is going to bite you in the ass, and probably in a place that makes your life very difficult.

I'm not principled enough to turn myself into a martyr. I'll "manage" the points. Just like I manage my fines now. I have just enough so that I can pay if I absolutely have to in a roadblock.

 

[Craig_]

There's 2 problems with on-ramp highway merging in South Africa:

1) Inexperienced drivers drive too slowly down the on-ramp and are not driving at highway speeds when joining the highway resulting in them having to come to a dead stop when trying to merge with the traffic

2) Selfish drivers in the left lane do not slow down slightly to give those joining the highway a gap to merge safely

I've actually had a Mercedes speed up the other day to block me from joining onto the N1 at klapmuts. I was already driving at 100+ when trying to merge, the second he saw me he sped up and I had to slow down a lot to not slam into him.

 

[deweyzeph]

I've actually had a Mercedes speed up the other day to block me from joining onto the N1 at klapmuts. I was already driving at 100+ when trying to merge, the second he saw me he sped up and I had to slow down a lot to not slam into him.

I see this happening all the time. I don't understand what the person speeding up thinks they're going to achieve by blocking someone from merging into the highway except for a terrible accident.

 

[SauRoNZA]

There's 2 problems with on-ramp highway merging in South Africa:

1) Inexperienced drivers drive too slowly down the on-ramp and are not driving at highway speeds when joining the highway resulting in them having to come to a dead stop when trying to merge with the traffic

2) Selfish drivers in the left lane do not slow down slightly to give those joining the highway a gap to merge safely

3) Drivers don't use the full length of the lane and speed up accordingly to join main traffic, but instead cut across it at the first and earliest opportunity going too slowly.

 

[ToxicBunny]

I see this happening all the time. I don't understand what the person speeding up thinks they're going to achieve by blocking someone from merging into the highway except for a terrible accident.

They get to their destination first..

How do you not see how important this is.

 

[Craig_]

They get to their destination first..

How do you not see how important this is.

That moegoe with the bantam bakkie on the N1 thought the same on sunday night weaving between cars at speed until he was lying on his side inbetween the two roads.

 

[Beyond.Celsus]

Had a incident this morning I've never had before.
I was going the speed limit when a tw@t next to me came barreling along way above the limit.

Problem is we both crossed a fixed speed camera at the same time and flash went off.
Can I trust our brilliant traffic department to send the bill to the correct offender?

 

[deweyzeph]

Had a incident this morning I've never had before.
I was going the speed limit when a tw@t next to me came barreling along way above the limit.

Problem is we both crossed a fixed speed camera at the same time and flash went off.
Can I trust our brilliant traffic department to send the bill to the correct offender?

This has happened to me a few times and I've never received a fine. I think either the cameras are intelligent enough to know which lane the offender was travelling in, or the traffic department automatically rejects any photographs with 2 cars in the frame.

Either way if you did get a fine it should be easy enough to get it written off on the basis that they have the wrong car.

 

[Zyk1]

Got two speeding fines in April and June, in the post, driving on the R21 going to the airport.
How can I find out if the cameras used were legal?
Another post here mentions that the Prolaser 4 cameras are also illegal.
Any way to find this out?