Average Speed Camera Clarification?

OzyOly

OzyOly

OzyOly

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Hi lads,

After a recent speed camera scare (may still have something in the post), I was wondering what is the current practice regarding average speed cameras and possibly speeds camera on the motorway in general.

For example, everyone is doing 60mph or more on the motorway near leeds, but there are average speed cameras on the bridges every so often and people slow down for them I've noticed.

My question is, if there is a temporary limit due to for example, spray, do the speed camera make this their new speed limit?

The reason I ask is that I was traveling on the motorway and there was an imposed limit of 30mph because of spray, but the road in front of me was clear (left lane) and I had a line of traffic following me behind me. The lorry was bashing his horn in rage and flashing his lights so I sped up to 50 (the limit imposed by road works for that stretch of road) and went past an average speed camera.
Is it likely that the camera would pick that up or are they all set at the max speed limit of the particular road. More simply put, do speed cameras adjust their activation speed depending on temp speed limits?

Thanks.
 
breadturbo said:
If the ones on the gantry say 30 that's what they are set to, however the yellow average speed ones are still 50.
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Ah, in that case I may have another fine coming my way. Blooming heck, I wasn't taught any of this on my driving test all those years ago.
 
average speed cameras are generally not on bridges, average one ate on posts, the ones on bridges are for use with variable limits and are instant rather than average
 
Rotty said:
average speed cameras are generally not on bridges, average one ate on posts, the ones on bridges are for use with variable limits and are instant rather than average
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God knows what kind of fines are going my way then. Two weeks till in the clear right? :(

Edit - I think I will definitely have one from the M62. I was only keeping up with traffic, but that was over 50 for certain parts. Next time I'm sticking to the left lane on the speed limit and truck drivers and other cars can **** off.
 
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You are laying some of it on the driving instructor by not telling you about speed cameras? They are there to teach you how to drive, that is all.

As for the cameras. A lot of the "cameras" on bridges are just Traffic Master type systems to monitor traffic flow and are not speed cameras.
 
With this 30 limit that was due to spray, what kind of signage was there? If it was just the colourless matrix boards, then it's a suggestion IIRC. If the signs were white or black text encircled in a red ring, then it's an enforceable limit.
 
Richie said:
You are laying some of it on the driving instructor by not telling you about speed cameras? They are there to teach you how to drive, that is all.
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Oh not for the speeding its self but the confusion about tempory speed limits on those signs on the side of roads (the light up ones). I always thought they were suggestions as I was the only one that usually sticks to them even when the road is clear in front of me. It's looking like they are actually strict speed limits and everyone speeds.
 
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paradigm said:
With this 30 limit that was due to spray, what kind of signage was there? If it was just the colourless matrix boards, then it's a suggestion IIRC. If the signs were white or black text encircled in a red ring, then it's an enforceable limit.
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It was coloured I think, I can't remember now...

I'm just going to have to hope I only got one ticket last Wednesday and that I can do the awareness course (which I actually need). I've had a clean license since 2007, it'll be a shame to lose it.
 
IIRC the Managed Motorway variable speed limits range from 70 -> 40 in 10MPH increments, I've never seen the signs set to anything less than 40 on M25/M1/M6 sections which uses the same technology.

As others have said, if the limit is white text, black background, red circle it's the Managed Motorway variable limit, if it's just the normal white/yellow/orange text it's just the matrix signs which is advisory.

Ultimately, you control the speed of your vehicle, not the person behind you.
 
gobbo said:
IIRC the Managed Motorway variable speed limits range from 70 -> 40 in 10MPH increments, I've never seen the signs set to anything less than 40 on M25/M1/M6 sections which uses the same technology.

As others have said, if the limit is white text, black background, red circle it's the Managed Motorway variable limit, if it's just the normal white/yellow/orange text it's just the matrix signs which is advisory.

Ultimately, you control the speed of your vehicle, not the person behind you.
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I'm not going to pay attention to the angry motorists behind me again. I'm going to stick to the limits religiously from now on. :(
I hate this 14 day wait by post though, I would have thought it would be all computerised and instant these days.
 
breadturbo said:
If the ones on the gantry say 30 that's what they are set to, however the yellow average speed ones are still 50.
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Do you know this for a fact? If so I'd like to see the evidence.

I expect, since all the average speed ANPR cameras are fully digital and networked, that they are always in effect for the speed limit then in force.
 
What I don't understand is in SPECS areas, why some people blast past me at 70 instead of the 50mph limit stated by the SPECS zone... What do they know that I don't? Do all those people get tickets? I (if I have cruise) just stick on the speed limit and let people overtake (including trucks). Then overtake them all again when I come out of the zone :p

I just think it's clear that a lot of people do not know how average speed cameras work.
 
Freefaller said:
What I don't understand is in SPECS areas, why some people blast past me at 70 instead of the 50mph limit stated by the SPECS zone... What do they know that I don't? Do all those people get tickets? I (if I have cruise) just stick on the speed limit and let people overtake (including trucks). Then overtake them all again when I come out of the zone :p

I just think it's clear that a lot of people do not know how average speed cameras work.
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They are probably just lucky. SPECS cameras only monitor one lane end to end (or multiple lanes end to end). If you change lanes, the camera loses sight of you.
 
I have heard this before, not sure if it is an urban myth or not, simply changing lanes to throw the camera off seems a bit too easy.
 
Freefaller said:
What I don't understand is in SPECS areas, why some people blast past me at 70 instead of the 50mph limit stated by the SPECS zone... What do they know that I don't? Do all those people get tickets? I (if I have cruise) just stick on the speed limit and let people overtake (including trucks). Then overtake them all again when I come out of the zone :p

I just think it's clear that a lot of people do not know how average speed cameras work.
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It really irks me when you get some berk doing an indicated 60mph and then throwing out the anchors as they come up to a SPECS tree. If you don't want a ticket, don't speed - is it really that difficult to rub your two brain cells together and conclude this ffs?

I usually average between 50-55mph through these zones on the M25 when it's clear (TomTom calculates average for me) and have yet to have a ticket. Mind you, the one down in Surrey is so slow in the mornings and evenings that you could probably blast through the last stretch at 90mph and still have an average speed below 50. :p

ci_newman said:
They are probably just lucky. SPECS cameras only monitor one lane end to end (or multiple lanes end to end). If you change lanes, the camera loses sight of you.
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This is not true anymore (if indeed it was true in the first place).

Uther said:
I have heard this before, not sure if it is an urban myth or not, simply changing lanes to throw the camera off seems a bit too easy.
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It is.
 
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