Published: Thursday, 1st July, 2010 7:30am

Cops catch 32 drivers speeding at death crash scene

POLICE caught 32 speeding drivers in just two hours on the same stretch of road in Dunfermline where a motorist was killed last month.

Kevin Kippen (21) died when his car was involved in a road crash on Halbeath Road on Sunday 6th June - but it hasn't deterred speeding motorists.

Local residents said drivers were continuing to ignore the 30mph speed limit and this was backed up when police officers used speed cameras to catch them.

Fife Safety Camera Partnership manager Andy Jones said, "Figures from this particular deployment revealed that the concerns raised by local people were valid, with 32 speeding offences detected between 8pm and 10pm, including two motorists who are the subject of a report to the Procurator Fiscal at Dunfermline for speeds of 52mph and 59mph."

Inspector Brenda Sinclair, of Fife's road policing unit, said, "A serious road accident occurred recently on Halbeath Road where the driver was fatally injured. As a result local residents again raised concerns about speeding in the area.

"With long evenings and warmer weather, more people are heading out and about in their cars or on their motorcycles and we would remind drivers to be aware of pedestrians and other road users and would urge drivers to drive safely, be mindful of their speed and to wear seatbelts at all times."

Mr Jones added, "As in this case we can tailor the deployment of speed detection equipment where a need is identified and would encourage people to attend the local community engagement meetings and communicate their concerns to the police."

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Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

Paddy O Doors
Unregistered User
Jul 1, 12:53
Comment: 12136

Mr Jones added, "As in this case we can tailor the deployment of speed detection equipment where a need

INSERT; "FOR EXTRA FUNDING"; END COMMENT

is identified and would encourage people to attend the local community engagement meetings and communicate their concerns to the police."

Elsewhere, where real crime was being commited, fires where put out at Inverkeithing Mill and a woman was attacked in Dunfermline.

Is it any wonder everyone folk get mightly ****ed off with the attitude of the police, and it's only going to get worse with budget cuts left, right and centre.

The speed cameras will be out on every street corner.

It's all turning out to be 1984 again!!!
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voice of concern
Unregistered User
Jul 1, 13:57
Comment: 12139

"Local residents said drivers were continuing to ignore the 30mph speed limit and this was backed up when police officers used speed cameras to catch them."

Good grief, looks like the local plods have had Sherlock on the case!!

Do our local Police really think that residents just make it up? I am a long term resident on Halbeath Road, and I can confirm that every night, rain, shine, summer, winter, Halbeath Road is used as a local drag for some of the local boy and girl racers.

I can assure the police and readers of this article that it is not unusual to see and hear cars and bikes exceeding the speed limit by 30, 40,50 mph, I have seen vehicles exceeding 100mph at times. No, I don't have a speed camera but apart from being an experienced driver and able to judge speeds, I do know is that many high performance cars have been seen and heard flat out in third gear going into fourth and still continuing flat out. Traffic islands, apparently it is ok to pass them on the wrong side if there is slower i.e. on the speed limit traffic holding you up, better still if you are racing your mates.

Another issue that many residents along this stretch of road have is accessing their own property, I have lost count of the times I have nearly been rear ended as I indicate, slow down and turn into my own driveway, and then get horns blasted and abuse shouted at me, what’s that all about?

It might be an idea for some covert monitoring of traffic over a period of time say a couple of weeks to gain a real picture of this issue, it speaks volumes about the standard of driving along this stretch when 32 drivers have been caught using the standard Fife Safety Camera Partnership methodology.

Paddy O Doors, I agree with your sentiment to a degree, I myself am a very spirited driver but only on suitable roads with appropriate weather and traffic conditions. Use of safety, [insert speed] cameras in wholly inappropriate sites, for example the Cairneyhill to Kincardine road A985 is not appropriate, that road can manage fine without speed cameras, there is enough heavy and farm traffic to keep speeds down. In fact if truth be told, the recent increase of slow moving farm traffic on this stretch of road has become a safety issue in itself. Safety/speed cameras need to be deployed in built up areas and where there is a high pedestrian concentration to keep these maniacs off our roads and just perhaps prevent a tragedy such as the death of young Kevin Kippen.
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******
Unregistered User
Jul 1, 14:01
Comment: 12140

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kathyH
Unregistered User
Jul 1, 14:28
Comment: 12141

Maybe we should just raise the minimum driving age to 25???? Although not a Halbeath resident, I too suffer the effects of boy/girl racers who feel the urge to demonstrate their Stirling Moss driving skills round town. Shame then that their skills don't match their ambitions judging by the reckless antics they display, without regard to law and manners. I'm surprised there aren't more people injured and I'm only sorry it takes a trragic event such as this to bring issues such as this to the fore.
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Scotsgirl
Unregistered User
Jul 1, 15:17
Comment: 12144

As somone who knew people killed on this junction... I think its welcome that they are doing speed checks! Speeding kills... Fact!
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sick of excuses
Unregistered User
Jul 1, 16:09
Comment: 12148

When Paddy O Doors refers to real crime he thereby implies that speeding and therefore driving dangerously and without due care and attention is not. Does it therefore, only become a real crime when someone loses control of their vehicle and kills a pedestrian or another road user?

If speeding, dangerous drivers do not like police resources being used for traffic offences, then don't give them cause to have to do so. Drive appropriately and then the police will be free to tackle what Paddy O deems real crime. Simple.
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******
Unregistered User
Jul 1, 16:11
Comment: 12149

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Tommy Tucker
Unregistered User
Jul 2, 09:31
Comment: 12168

I agree with Voice of Concern above. I am constantly overtaken by a maniac, moronic girl racer in a silver Fiat Uno along Alderston Drive / Robertson Road. She is so desperate to get past she even crosses the traffic islands / speed bumps on the other side of the road, at great speed, which is of course highly dangerous AND illegal.

It doesn't matter how many speed bumps and traffic islands Fife Council put on the roads, these morons will continue to speed and drive recklessly. We DO need speed cameras and fines to deter them, certainly in built up areas close to schools and pedestrians. However, Fife Police constantly targeting roads such as the above mentioned A985 is a waste of resources, and can only be seen as a cash generator in the publics eyes.

When will Fife Council acknowledge their traffic calming measures DONT work????
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******
Unregistered User
Jul 2, 12:33
Comment: 12174

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concerned driver
Unregistered User
Jul 2, 12:33
Comment: 12175

So many people complain about police forces using speed cameras to generate money. I wonder if they stopped giving out fines and instead increased the points on a drivers licence from 3 to 6 would satisfy them?rnrnMy thoughts are no, as the folk who complain about speed cameras tend to be the ones who justify their need.rnrnIt's disappointing that when a driver is killed due to speeding the issue is fluffed over by the media. It does not send a clear message that speeding kills. If a driver was killed and had alcohol in their system this would be held up as an example not to drink and drive. I think that speeding motorists should have the same treatment. A recent example being a motorist being killed within a 30mph limit, clearly speeding, car overturned. Media response, expect it may have been black ice. Don't think so...
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Paddy O Doors
Unregistered User
Jul 2, 13:14
Comment: 12178

The problem with the road where the accidents happen is that it has an adverse camber on in it.

Even driving at say 10 miles above the speed limit, you can feel the road pushing you out to the left, and that coupled with the island at that point in the road, cars are forever drifting across to the left and making anyone driving on the inside lane s**t themselves expecting a crash.

There is no point in the "Guns for Hire" sitting out opposite Asda as that isn't where most people speed, and it's certainly not where the accidents happen. There would be enough space for the (excuse the pun) Paddy Wagon to sit, in front of the bus stop at the accident black spot, and just see how many people slam the anchors on when they see it sitting there.

Hey-Presto, problem sort of solved.

It does needs signs on it saying it's an adverse camber though.

It's almost as bad as the back road running past Vane Farm to Glenrothes/Leslie, and that has signs warning you of the adverse camber.
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jocknroll
Jul 3, 10:49
Comment: 12193

Paddy O Doors, I can't believe you've used that tired old excuse of the road having an "adverse camber". The concept of an 'adverse camber' doesn't exist if you're driving on or below the speed limit.

We don't need more signs. Drivers disobey signs telling them the speed limit or no riight turn so what makes you think an "adverse camber" sign is going to be treated any differently?

The money raised from safety camera fines goes to HM Treasury and not the local police. I'm sure if it did there would be even safety cameras, although in the current financial climate it's hard to know if there would be enough police officers to staff them.

"Tommy Tucker", you should report this individual each and every time they commit this offence. While the police may deem it to be a low priority the complaints will soon stack up. Have a word with your community cop.

"concerned driver" has a point about the media's reporting of such incidents. There are no such things as an 'accident' because at least one or more parties involved in a collision has made a deliberate error, whether it be speeding, using a mobile or failing to adapt to the conditions. Maybe the speed of the driver at the time isn't known until the Road Traffic Police have done their stuff but if it is it should be publicised. People need to know that if you drive, for example, at 55mph in a 30mph a collison, or worse, is likely.

"kathyH" Age limits make no difference. Bad drivers come in all ages and sexes.
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******
Unregistered User
Jul 3, 12:55
Comment: 12200

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disgruntled
Unregistered User
Jul 3, 12:55
Comment: 12201

Jocknroll, I agree with your final statement regarding bad drivers in all ages and sexes. In the village I stay in, I regularly see "suits" in their 50's well above 40 mph (it is a 20 mph limit) and this is around the 7:15 - 8:15 am every weekday morning.

We do suffer the nuisance "boy/girl racers" at night who are breaking the speed limits too.rnAs above, we have speed cushions AND traffic calming measures installed. They act as no more than a chicane with drivers accelerating in order to beat the car/bus/lorry which is coming in the opposite direction.rnrnThe other issue we have is that it is a main bus route - some of the drivers have been noticed to "bully" car drivers at these traffic calming measures. The lorry drivers are no better - please remember these are "professional" drivers and have sat additional tests and still do not obey the rules of the road.

FIFE COUNCIL - I have reported these issues to various departments along with Fife Police - the installation of this type of traffic calming DOES NOT WORK. Please adopt other regions measures - rumble strips! They DO work.
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bill
Unregistered User
Jul 5, 01:27
Comment: 12215

Message for Paddy O Doors: Get your facts right. An 'adverse' camber runs the opposite way to a 'normal' camber. ie to the right hand side of the road.
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Caroline
Unregistered User
Jul 5, 10:49
Comment: 12217

Camber in the road my backside, it does not affect you as a driver if you are doing the speed limit! There is no excuse for speeding and the only people who ever seem to moan about speed cameras or police speed traps are the morons who are stupid enough to do it!
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Paddy O Doors
Unregistered User
Jul 5, 13:29
Comment: 12218

Message for Bill:

So that "normal" camber would be a crossfall camber then.

jocknroll:

You're probably right about additional signs, as a lot of people driving about that area seem to ignore them, though I have noticed some residents on the opposite of the road from where the accidents happen just reverse out into the road without paying too much attention to oncoming traffic.

The best thing I have seen which did work (up in Dornoch, outside the academy) was one of those electronic signs that has a happy face when you're below the speed limit and an unhappy face if your above it.

Almost everyone slowed right down as it was very noticable, but before you come back with the response"you'll probably get boy/girl racers trying their best to make it unhappy", yes there will be an element of idiots trying this, but not for long when they lose control and crash into that wall again.
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Caroline
Unregistered User
Jul 5, 14:47
Comment: 12222

I think myself to be one of the few women out there who know quite a bit about cars and their engineering, however some people might see a sign saying "warning, camber in the road" and think....what the heck is a camber?? Only one out of the 12 people I have asked so far at my work knew what one was and that was including asking the men. Like I said before and also Rocknroll also pointed out....the camber in the road will only affect your car if you are stupid enough to be going at a rate that would put you and other people in danger i.e speeding ! So just a wee note to all the wee boy/girl racers out there..... you will never be the Stig so stop trying to drive like him! If you want to drive like a complete spoon then keep aside some of the money you normally would spend on those stupid looking neon lights or ugly body kits (no matter what you put on its still looks like a pants Corsa) and invest in a couple of laps round Knockhill to get it out of your system! Get a life before you cost someone else theirs!
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DEXInTheCity
Jul 5, 19:33
Comment: 12226

Well said, Caroline. Your comments on the "pants Corsa" almost made me spray my coffee across the screen! ;)
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Scotsgirl
Unregistered User
Jul 6, 05:40
Comment: 12236

Hear hear Caroline!
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OldTimer
Unregistered User
Jul 6, 12:43
Comment: 12246

Anyone remember when this used to be a 40mph speed limit?
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Paddy O Doors
Unregistered User
Jul 6, 12:47
Comment: 12248

Good one Caroline with the "pants Corsa".

Unfortunately there will still be a few blinkered people out there that still think it's a Manny Fagnet, even though it's got a 1.0 litre engine and a whistle on the exhaust to make it sound fast.

The numptys!
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bill
Unregistered User
Jul 8, 22:30
Comment: 12295

Caroline, you don't need a sign to warn you of a camber. there's one on every inch of every road. That's how the water runs over to the drains.
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Caroline
Unregistered User
Jul 12, 14:42
Comment: 12361

I never said there should be a sign warning of a camber. I was merely stating that some people might not know what one was so putting up a sign was pointless.
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