It would be fair to say that motorists rarely speak about speed cameras in a positive way.
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Many people across the Hunter have a story to tell about being stung for hundreds of dollars because they have ridden the accelerator of their car too heavily.
So it may come as a surprise to read that a community group in Paterson has backed calls for a permanent speed camera to be installed in the village centre to make the town’s roads safer.
Paterson Progress Association wrote recently in The Paterson Psst, a local community newsletter, that many motorists blatantly ignored the town’s 50km/h speed limit and travelled in excess of 70km/h through the quiet village.
Given the popularity of speed cameras among drivers, this was a brave move by the PPA.
But the fact that the group was willing to stick its neck out and publicly support the idea shows that there must be a real need to make drivers slow down when they travel through Paterson.
The Mercury contacted several Paterson businesses yesterday to find out whether the problem warranted such a permanent solution.
It was understandable that, while a few were happy to talk about the issue, particularly involving speeding trucks, none would put their name to comments supporting a speed camera for Paterson.
Despite the town’s tiny population of less than 400, Paterson sits on a main route between Maitland and villages to the north such as Dungog and Martins Creek.
So it may not be a popular solution for people who are captured in the speed camera’s lens, but if it makes motorists and pedestrians in Paterson safer, then it is a worthwhile initiative.