Crackdown on Beach Speeders

Cue Daily Mail counter argument.

As someone with a decent background in traffic engineering I call total bunk on this argument. A lot of effort goes into designing roads and highways and a lot of factors are taken into account when selecting the speed limit for a section of road. Line of site and stopping distance are usually the main limiting factors and the thing that most motorists are totally unaware of. You have to provide the motorist with sufficient line of site to be able to spot a 0.5m high obstacle on the road and then have time to stop before hitting this object. This is to stop motorists running over things like pedestrians, crashed cyclists and animals all of which may end up lying in the middle of the carriageway. Most motorists are totally unaware of this kind of risk and will happily rip along, swearing at the "money grubbing police" using speed cameras to raise funds not stop accidents. There are some many factors of safety used in car and road design that the speed limit is in no way a reflection of the true speed a vehicle can travel along the road at, it is however a speed that will provide the majoprity of motorists with the safest most efficient journey.

All that you've said is all true, however you've gotta agree that there are many places where the speed limits are just ridiculous, plus why should people have to stick to a speed that's safe at a time where the roads are very busy when it is 2am and there's barely anyone else about? You can't just say that one speed is safe and 1mph above is unsafe, how about the many occasions where road conditions have been horrible (heavy rain/fog/ice) and people still continue to go at the speed limit not realising the danger they're putting themselves and others in, this has caused many large pile ups where people have been going too fast for the conditions, but under the speed limit, you can't just have one number that is safe for all conditions but is a realistic speed to be travelling at most of the time.

they do work though, drive within the speed limit and they won't take a picture of you.

seriously, I've tried it and it works.

So what's the problem with this beach limit? Stay under it and you'll be fine.