Vocal Voices

They have sprung up all over the place.

They read your speed and then display it.

If it is below the speed limit you get a smile, if over, a frown.

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but if you are going really fast you get the flashing:
SLOW
DOWN!

They actually work... so much better than humps, bumps and chicanes ever did.

Yes, there's at least one near us in Wiltshire, in one of the local villages, Midsomer Deverill or similar.

It's a bit startling when you first encounter it. I've got a feeling that under the smiley face it displays "Thank You", under the grumpy one it's "Slow Down".

But it's solar powered, I presume, because I don't think it works at night-time. Also, you'd be hard pushed to exceed 30mph on that road anyway!

It sounds a good idea to me, and I hope it will be effective, but I doubt if it will ever be sufficient to really have much effect.

The problem is that the majority of drivers (about two thirds, I understand), have got into the habit of driving well above the
legal speed limits, and the police are unable (or unwilling) to do anything about it. Until we have a police force capable and
prepared to do the job they are paid to do, I don't expect there will be any significant improvement.

The problem is that the majority of drivers (about two thirds, I understand), have got into the habit of driving well above the legal speed limits ....

Wessex Water are currently renewing a main on the quite heavily used B road between Gillingham and the A303. It's a typical 60 mph 2-lane country road.

They have traffic lights protecting the road works themselves, which take up one lane, and have imposed a 30 mph speed limit, fair enough, but at either end of the works, there is a HUGE - and I mean huge - run-off before the 30 mph zone ends and you're back to normal line speed. Going through the traffic lights today, all the cars in front of me accelerated away from the road works and must have been doing 40-50 while still technically in the 30 mph limit. I'm totally paranoid about mobile traffic cameras and stuck to 30, not exactly endearing myself to the people behind.

My point is this - there is absolutely no need whatsoever for Wessex Water / the Local Authority to impose such a lengthy 30 mph limit either side of these works. And we see that all the time down here, including with fixed speed 30/40/50 mph limits. This is something that needs addressing alongside all the measures imposed to curb speeding.

Anyone caught speding should have the use of a car taken off them for a week. This should apply to everybody and there should be no appeal.
It used to happen when the brethalayser law was introduced in one of the Scandanavian countries.

There will always be a few who speed excessively. But also I think speed limits have to be realistic, otherwise they fall into disrepute.

I think, over here, there would be several people who would take great pleasure in being told to slow down.

The Portuguese rebel against being told what to do - left over from Salazar