Looks like I might have been caught speeding

Abraxaz1 · 22 Aug 2017 at 09:06

Hi guys, just a bit of a rant.

Looks like I might have been caught speeding on Sunday night past Birmingham, went along the m5 and saw the average speed cameras and slowed down to 50mph. Got 500 meters into the zone when the first illuminated sign starts flashing 30mph... ********.

Slammed on my brakes and did about 20mph for the last 500m till the next specs camera, which was strangely only 3/4 of a mile from the starting one and but the next camera is 3-4 miles down the road.

I expect this little section is quite lucrative for the council having such a small distance between cameras and such a unusually slow speed limit. I would have agreed with it if it wasn't for the solid barrier between lanes but nothing I can do about it now.

Looking online and it looks like I'm about to loose a weeks wage. With only one wage coming into the house and a kid on the way there is no way I can afford to loose a entire weeks wage, can I spread it out over a couple of months?

Really didn't need this, trying to get myself out of debt. So ****** off.

Nasher · 22 Aug 2017 at 09:09

As long as the average isn't more than about 35mpg by the end of the last camera it should be ok. I don't think they take instant readings as well.

There is 3 of them in a village on my way to work. The locals seem happy to bomb it through the first camera if they are turning off before they hit the next one. Or stopping at the school to drop kids off.

Abraxaz1 · 22 Aug 2017 at 09:13

We

Nasher said:
As long as the average isn't more than about 35mpg by the end of the last camera it should be ok. I don't think they take instant readings as well.

There is 3 of them in a village on my way to work. The locals seem happy to bomb it through the first camera if they are turning off before they hit the next one.

Well I was doing 26 mph the whole way after.
They must have caught a load if they do instant as I was in the inside lane following about ten cars and a lorry.

I'm normally driving like a oap in the van as I'm getting paid to drive to the hotel in this occasion.

tom_e · 22 Aug 2017 at 09:17

Had the limit just changed as you were driving towards/under the gantry?

Abraxaz1 · 22 Aug 2017 at 09:22

tom_e said:
Had the limit just changed as you were driving towards/under the gantry?

Average speed camera work zone, the signs are in a unlit, high walled section. They had the standard average camera zone hence the slowing down to below 50 with all the over traffic.

Signs were hard to read because of the weather and they are the yellow background signs. I know that's not a excuse but they could have put the illuminated flashing sign at the start of the zone as the the other signs are incredibly hard to read with headlight/poor street light blur plus rain.

It's my fault I saw average camera zone and automatically slowed down to only 50 mph I should have paid more attention.

Lopéz · 22 Aug 2017 at 10:10

Not sure I can visualise this:

You were in a SPECS controlled 50mph average speed section through roadworks, right?

What sort of illuminated sign are you referring to? The overhead gantries with the red ring and the white speed limit? Or overhead gantries/side gantries with orange matrix signs on a black background?

Tinders · 22 Aug 2017 at 10:18

I know what you mean, its so annoying, it goes from 50 to 30 in that stretch for no real reason, the illuminated sign isnt a camera so you should be ok.

Abraxaz1 · 22 Aug 2017 at 10:41

R

Lopéz said:
Not sure I can visualise this:

You were in a SPECS controlled 50mph average speed section through roadworks, right?

What sort of illuminated sign are you referring to? The overhead gantries with the red ring and the white speed limit? Or overhead gantries/side gantries with orange matrix signs on a black background?

The site is specs controlled section of the m5, the speed limit of the site is normally nsl but because of the road works the average speed limit has been set to 30 mph.

I was driving though the site at 10pm on Sunday. Slight rain, dark and **** poor lighting.
Site is down from four lanes down to two, with contra flow closing inside lanes. No work being undertaken on these inside lanes, work being done on other side 1 mile further on.

Entrance to site had the usual average speed camera signs in yellow background and black writing, like all the other average sections that I had gone through in the last 200 miles. So I slowed down to below 50 because I wanted to be under the limit to protect my licence and bank balance....

Went through the first couple of meters behind a lorry that was slowing down even more I pulled out and travelled maybe 100m before spotting a illuminated sign flashing 30mph. So I slammed on my brakes to below 30 and drove past the second specs camera 1000m into the controlled section.

Fines look so far are +10mph = £365 or +20mph = £730.... Seems like a massive penalty for a small mistake that put no one in harms way, it's going to put me in financial hardship as currently I only have one wage coming into the house and a baby coming next month....

Never had a speeding ticket before or pulled by the police, played by all the rules and now I'm gonna get screwed for one **** up.

Abraxaz1 · 22 Aug 2017 at 10:42

Tinders said:
I know what you mean, its so annoying, it goes from 50 to 30 in that stretch for no real reason, the illuminated sign isnt a camera so you should be ok.

Sorry does it start at 50 then go down to 30 before or after the flashing sign North bound?

tom_e · 22 Aug 2017 at 10:45

If you hadn't spotted the yellow signs properly then are you even sure they stated 30mph before you hit the illuminated sign?

I've got a feeling you may be worrying over something that might not be an issue.

Lopéz · 22 Aug 2017 at 10:53

Illuminated flashing sign saying 30? Doesn't sound like an enforceable sign to me, it has to have a red circle to be a real enforceable speed limit sign.

tom_e · 22 Aug 2017 at 10:56

Lopéz said:
Illuminated flashing sign saying 30? Doesn't sound like an enforceable sign to me, it has to have a red circle to be a real enforceable speed limit sign.

That's also a good point, the proper speed limit signs don't have any flashing bits either IIRC.

Tinders · 22 Aug 2017 at 11:05

It does have a red 30mph circle sign on the stretch road.

Daaaavvveee · 22 Aug 2017 at 11:09

So have you had a letter? Or are you worrying over potentially nothing?

geekman · 22 Aug 2017 at 15:28

If it was flashing it's nothing to worry about. Sounds like it was one of the yellow flashing advisory ones. Anything enforceable would have been in a red circle and non flashing.

Phemo · 23 Aug 2017 at 00:51

Sounds like there's a chance you're alright. Just try to sit tight for the next couple of weeks or so.

However:

Abraxaz1 said:
Fines look so far are +10mph = £365 or +20mph = £730.... Seems like a massive penalty for a small mistake that put no one in harms way, it's going to put me in financial hardship as currently I only have one wage coming into the house and a baby coming next month....

Am I missing something? I know the rules for fines changed in April this year, but I thought the standard 3 points/£100 fine would still apply for an FPN issued in average speed zones unless you're way over, where it's a court summons? In a 30 zone, the cutoff for an FPN meaning you get a court summons is 50mph.

Only if you go to court or ignore the FPN would you get shafted with the higher fines which are a percentage of wages. Since you clearly weren't doing a speed that would net an average speed of 50mph and over, you would just get the £100 fine and 3 points if you were unlucky enough to get anything at all.

Of course I may well be wrong here, but I'm sure someone will confirm.

Spartacus · 23 Aug 2017 at 02:27

Phemo said:
Sounds like there's a chance you're alright. Just try to sit tight for the next couple of weeks or so.

However:

Am I missing something? I know the rules for fines changed in April this year, but I thought the standard 3 points/£100 fine would still apply for an FPN issued in average speed zones unless you're way over, where it's a court summons? In a 30 zone, the cutoff for an FPN meaning you get a court summons is 50mph.

Only if you go to court or ignore the FPN would you get shafted with the higher fines which are a percentage of wages. Since you clearly weren't doing a speed that would net an average speed of 50mph and over, you would just get the £100 fine and 3 points if you were unlucky enough to get anything at all.

Of course I may well be wrong here, but I'm sure someone will confirm.

Sounds right to me. Below 50 mph in a 30 and it should just be a fixed penalty and 3 points, or if your average speed was between 35 and 42 you might get offered a speed awareness course for a first offence.

Semple · 23 Aug 2017 at 08:49

Is this from J8 M6 to J3 M5? I thought the average zone there was a 40? - which was already strange enough as any other average zones across the motorway network are 50.