ABD - Cheshire

The Association of British Drivers
Local Issues — Cheshire

The A34 Handforth/Wilmslow bypass on the southern outskirts of Manchester. Map. The road is obviously a high-standard dual carriageway with no hazards alongside it, yet the speed limit has been cut from NSLA to a ridiculously low 50mph and a couple of speed cameras installed for good measure. One camera can just be seen in the central reservation in front of the lamppost before the bridge. Such silly speed limits do nothing but incite contempt for necessary speed limits. This is the road where David Beckham and Andy Cole got speeding convictions which resulted in them being banned.

A SPECS camera being used to enforce an absurd 40mph speed limit in 5 miles of roadworks on the M6 between J16 and J17.

The M6 looking North between junctions 18 and 19.
Behind the trees on the left is Shakerley Mere, a former gravel pit which was turned into a nature reserve. Our 'green' friends may claim that motorways 'destroy the countryside', but the wildlife that lives around the mere has other ideas.

In this photo, the motorway is behind the trees in the background, the light flashes amongst the trees are lorries passing by.
These three ducks clearly could not care less.

Photographs ©Pro-Motor Ltd 2002/2005

For local advice on driving issues email our local co-ordinator:

Refreshing Sense From Police

"Speed cameras are not the only solution"

Following 5 fatalities and 38 serious injuries in Cheshire Police's 'Chester & Ellesmere Port' Division, Sgt Tony Cooke has criticized the single-minded use of speed cameras as the only tool for improving road safety. Speaking of the real cause of most accidents — driver error, he called for more education and encouraged drivers to take advanced driver training.

HGVs Beware
We have received information that a speed camera on the A556 from the M6 towards Chester has been set to catch LGV's exceeding 40 mph. The speed lmit signs on the road are 60 mph, but as this is a single carriageway road, a 40 limit applies to HGV's.

Elsewhere on the ABD website:

External Links:

Cheshire County Council
- Highways
- Local Transport Plan
- Public Notices
  Includes speed limit changes, and road closures
- Road Safety
- Speed Cameras
Cheshire Police
- Road Policing
  - Drive Survive
    An initiative to highlight the dangers of excessive speed to young people.
    We would suggest that courts should have the power to force young drivers who have comitted an offence to attend this, and the police should be able to give young drivers they stop the option of attending this course instead of a fine.
  - Q&A
    'Nobby the Bobby' answers questions on road safety. We'd agree with most of his answers completely, unfortunately he goes and spoils it all with his last answer about speed, for which he needs to refer to our 'one third' page.
Cheshire ‘Safety’ Camera Partnership
Chester City Council
Halton Borough Council
Unitary Authority covering Runcorn & Widnes
George Osborne MP
MP for Tatton

Mersey Gateway
The proposed new Mersey bridge between Runcorn and Widnes.

"Car drivers already pay more than enough in taxes, and the least they should be able to expect in return is a decent road network. .... The car was one of the great liberators of the twentieth century. It gave people from all backgrounds the freedom to travel, to find work outside their immediate community and to enjoy the country. So let's by all means get people on to bicycles, trains and buses — but let's not do it by persecuting those who drive cars."

George Osborne MP
A neccesity not a luxury
May 2004

South Cheshire Advanced Motorcyclists
SpeedLimit RECOMMENDED
Driving issues with a focus on the North West.
Warrington Borough Council
- Local Transport Plan
Warrington Cycle Campaign
Proof, as if you needed it, that councils really are stupid beyond belief.
Wikipedia — Cheshire

Media Links:

The Sentinel — Speed Camera Mistake Could Let Drivers Off

2007-03-17

The Sentinel — Phone Fines For 4,000 Motorists

2006-11-17

The ABD's Paul Biggs quoted

Liverpool Daily Post — Speed cameras save lives 2005-09-23
ABD Chairman Brian Gregory quoted on claims that speed cameras have reduced accidents in Cheshire.
The Sentinel — Parking Tickets Set For 50% Price Rise 2005-07-18
Crewe & Natwich Council prepare to rip-off their own citizens.
BBC — Villagers wanted as speed police 2004-01-21
The Sun — Nicked for doing 406mph 2004-01-04
Sentinel — Police Told to Put Brakes on Money-Making Speed Cameras 2004-01-02
Chester Chronicle — Speed camera destroyed on danger road within days 2003-11-21
Chamber of Commerce — Chamber says ‘Make car drivers welcome’ 2003-11-04
Wilmslow Express — Stuart's Road Rage 2003-11
Broadcaster Stuart Hall launches a petition against traffic calming madness in Wilmslow.

Adjacent local areas
Wilmslow Express — Town being strangled by parking hell 2003-11
Businessman Tim Brewer naively believes decriminalised parking will improve the situation.
Maybe he should visit Reading. What Wilmslow needs is simply more car parking spaces.
Warrington Guardian — Viaduct will not reopen for at least 18 months 2003-03-03
The continuing fiasco of the Thelwall Viaduct on the M6. When you consider the quality of the engineering the Victorians put into building the Manchester Ship Canal, it is utterly pathetic that in our time we can't build a bridge over it to an adequate standard.
BBC — Couple install DIY speed camera 2002-12-03
This is Cheshire — Speed bumps will be a real pain 2002-10-16
This is Cheshire — Arsonists target speed cameras 2002-08-21
Daily Telegraph — Danger roads 'have fewest cameras' 2002-08-21
Speeding traffic doesn't pose a problem for Knutsford's police 1998-10-28
Back in 1998, coppers were still talking sense on speed.