Speed Camera

[Bazman76]

Hi there,

I live at the top of Westwood Hill, and buses and lorries thunder by several times a day, I find my floor noticibly shaking. It's enough to startle the dog and has to be bad for the buildings.

So I find myself wondering how can I go about requesting a speed camera? (Can't believe I am saying this I hate the bloody things) but something has to give, and I take it to be the lesser of two eveils.

So who should I speak to? Local councilor or direct to Lewisham council?

Thanks

Baz

[Rachael]

There already are speed cameras on Westwood Hill, in both directions.

Vehicles braking to slow down for cameras, humps and tables can be just as noisy and bone-shaking for residents as speeding, unfortunately.

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[DanW]

Hi Baz,

There are two speed cameras on Westwood Hill already either side of the road near Sydenham High School, one on Sydenham Hill between the mini roundabout and Dulwich Woodhouse; and another on Crystal Palace Parade. I can't see the council (or camera partnership or whoever is in charge of them) adding more fixed cameras within such a small area. They might send out a mobile camera if there are enough complaints about speeding on a particular stretch?

[Bazman76]

Agreed I would not like to see physical road calming measures, but the fact is some heavy vehichles are absolutely flying down the top part of the hill. (As are lighter vehicles particularly motorbikes but I can live with that).

I'd be happy is they even moved the sign that tells you your speed further up the hill?

As it is you have that and the camera virtually on top of each other which doesn't make much sense either?

[marymck]

Sadly, the council will only install speed cameras if there have been at least four people killed or injured, as a result of speeding motor vehicles, within a specific time.

As I know to my cost, if speed cameras are requested what you get are speed bumps. Upper kirkdale has recently been littered with these. It's done nothing to slow the traffic overall. Those who slow down are those that wouldn't have been speeding anyway, or they're really nervous drivers who slow almost to a stop going over the bumps. That is dangerous for drivers behind them and results in added noise and air pollution - and lots of crunching of gears.

It used to be that one could cross the road fairly easily. But now it is impossible to anticipate what drivers will do and therefore to judge when safe to cross the road.

Riding in a bus over the kirkdale bumps is bone rattling. I dread to think what it's like in an ambulance. Although, having said that, we used to be the preferred emergency route to kings, with ambulances almost every night, but now hardly any. Perhaps they've found a safer less bumpy, though slower/longer route.

Heavy vehicles have, as predicted, either ignored the bumps or actually speeded up. The noise is horrendous when trucks thump, thump, rattle over.

We were supposed to get signs warning motorists of the bumps. But nothing has been forthcoming. I think they will be particularly dangerous in the snow, especially for motorbikes.

The parking has also got a lot worse. It's now very dangerous at the junction with Thorpewood and at the top of the hill - especially so because of the building site there,meaning cars going up the hill often have to drive on the wrong side of the road on the blind bend approaching the mini roundabout.

Lewisham will not install vehicle operated warning signs. Though these have been proved to work, they will only install the cheaper, ineffective yet dangerous "vertical speed controls" - I.e. humps, bumps, cushions and tables. Believe me you don't want those on your street!

Good luck with your endeavours with lewisham. I'd be happy to attend if lewisham want a meeting about their silly policy on so called "traffic calming"

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[Bazman76]

Totally agree of the traffic calming they are at best ineffective and at worst counterproductive.

Would hate for my actions leading to such measures.

There was someone run over outside my flat just a couple of weeks ago, wonder if there have been others? Would not be suprised given the speed of those juggernauts.

[stuart]

Totally agree of the traffic calming they are at best ineffective and at worst counterproductive.

Can you quantify that?

You may also wish to take into account the results of this comparative study of London 20 mph zones. It is not strictly directly applicable to Westwood Hill. However, the method of enforcement with what looks like considerable success is traditional traffic calming and hence suggestive that they are indeed effective, even if painfully so:
http://www.bmj.com/content/339/bmj.b4469.full

Stuart

[Bazman76]

Hi Stuart,

The installation of sleeping policemen mean that they tend to race between humps concentrating on braking/accelerating points rather than what is going on in the road around them.

This is what I mean by them being counterproductive they only reduce speed at certain points and can distract the driver. Moreover I find it unnceassarily draconian?

Sleeping policemen knock the hell out of your suspension even if you go over at a perfectly legal 30mph (or even 20mph) so law abiding citizens like me are punished. Plus it just diminishes the joy of driving generally.

Besides I'm not sure traffic calming measures outpeform a speed comera in terms of slowing traffic but the speed camera doesn't have the same downsides for law abiding citizens like myself?

Honestly if local politicans put road calming measures in near me I'd be sure not to vote for them next time out.

[Robin Orton]

Plus it just diminishes the joy of driving generally.

Interesting argument.

[marymck]

Hi Stuart,

The installation of sleeping policemen mean that they tend to race between humps concentrating on braking/accelerating points rather than what is going on in the road around them.

This is what I mean by them being counterproductive they only reduce speed at certain points and can distract the driver. Moreover I find it unnceassarily draconian?

Sleeping policemen knock the hell out of your suspension even if you go over at a perfectly legal 30mph (or even 20mph) so law abiding citizens like me are punished. Plus it just diminishes the joy of driving generally.

Besides I'm not sure traffic calming measures outpeform a speed comera in terms of slowing traffic but the speed camera doesn't have the same downsides for law abiding citizens like myself?

Honestly if local politicans put road calming measures in near me I'd be sure not to vote for them next time out.

Seconded! The noise is horrendous with the lorries at night - huge crashing sounds as they go over. Sleep depravation probably will have a long term effect on some people's ability to drive safely.