Variable Speed limit Cameras

[LeoN88]

So I travel frequently on the M25 and they have those annoying variable speed limits whereby one minute you're poodling along at 70 and then the next minute they have a sign alerting people to slow down to 40.

Now I was given the impression that these were put in place for safety measures but in my opinion they are bloody nuisance and dangerous. Today for example I was on the inside lane this afternoon where there was absolutely no traffic and then the 40mph sign came up and the pillock in front slammed the anchors on probably expecting that if he went past the sign at the speed he was doing he would be flashed which he wouldn’t! If for instance that driver didn’t look in their mirrors and there was a person right up behind them there would have been an accident. But going through this section there wasn’t a sign of a queue no accidents totally clear. This has happened on numerous occasions resulting in people putting their brakes on and this in theory can create the traffic and potential accidents?

Now why is it that they don’t just have normal signs instead of these stupid variable limits stating "Queue ahead" or "Accident" or "lane closure" etc... This will then make people more aware and can then use their initiative when approaching the scene if there is one at all, which in my opinion would also be less dangerous due to eliminating the fact that people may be frightened of receiving a ticket through their door.

P.S. before anyone criticises me by saying I was to close I do the 3 second rule due to the experiences I’ve had on motorways!

What are your thoughts?

 

[Rids]

You talking about the stretch between Guildford and Heathrow? I used to do part of that journey 5 days a week, and I swear those things caused more problems than they solved. The most common theme I saw was people accelerating as hard as they possibly could between the markers and then breaking like they were about to go shooting off the edge of a cliff everytime they approached one - morons.

 

[LeoN88]

You talking about the stretch between Guildford and Heathrow? I used to do part of that journey 5 days a week, and I swear those things caused more problems than they solved. The most common theme I saw was people accelerating as hard as they possibly could between the markers and then breaking like they were about to go shooting off the edge of a cliff everytime they approached one - morons.

Basically yes! I don't know how much they take up on the m25 just that it starts from the A3 turn off and i think goes past the M1 turn off don't ever have a need to go past that section though..

 

[stockhausen]

Don't they have public transport down south

 

[Howard]

Don't they have public transport down south

What?

 

[BigglesPiP]

I hate these things, I rarely drive through them and have no idea how to know if the camera is live or not, or at what speed it triggers.

I was going up the M6 through Birmingham on Friday evening completely clear motorway, then we get "40" and "Incident ahead", then as we're approaching a traffic womble convention in the hard shoulder and lane 1 is says "20", then the last one before the supposed "incident" is "40" again. The 20 one was nuts, I - not knowing if the camera would trigger slowed gently to 20 for it, only to send HGVs behind me in every direction. As it turns out there was no incident, it's ****ing stupid.

Also, why have the traffic wombles decided that lane 1 needs to be closed so they can use it as a car park every time a truck needs a new tire? They're a public menace.

 

[Duke]

Don't they have public transport down south

Whats that got to do with anything?

 

[Vonhelmet]

So are these like traffic calming things? Like, if there's an accident or a queue up ahead they try to slow things down in advance?

 

[LeoN88]

I hate these things, I rarely drive through them and have no idea how to know if the camera is live or not, or at what speed it triggers.

I was going up the M6 through Birmingham on Friday evening completely clear motorway, then we get "40" and "Incident ahead", then as we're approaching a traffic womble convention in the hard shoulder and lane 1 is says "20", then the last one before the supposed "incident" is "40" again. The 20 one was nuts, I - not knowing if the camera would trigger slowed gently to 20 for it, only to send HGVs behind me in every direction. As it turns out there was no incident, it's ****ing stupid.

Also, why have the traffic wombles decided that lane 1 needs to be closed so they can use it as a car park every time a truck needs a new tire? They're a public menace.

You wouldnt get flashed i've gone through the 40 ones at 70 and have never had a ticket but i gradually slow down just taking my foot off the accelerator until it reaches THEIR desired speed i'm assuming that if you go through the next one at 70 again i think you would probably get flashed..

 

[LeoN88]

So are these like traffic calming things? Like, if there's an accident or a queue up ahead they try to slow things down in advance?

To put it simply yes but they have the opposite effect!

 

[dwarf]

Do they have speed cameras on the back of the overhead motorway signs? I thought speed cameras had to be clearly visible not just signposted?

 

[apatia77]

These are not speed cameras just traffic calming lights, you can go 60-70 and it'll not take any pictures.

Anyway it is only used when there is heavy traffic in front of you.

 

[markweatherill]

for example I was on the inside lane this afternoon where there was absolutely no traffic and then the 40mph sign came up and the pillock in front slammed the anchors on probably expecting that if he went past the sign at the speed he was doing he would be flashed which he wouldn’t! If for instance that driver didn’t look in their mirrors and there was a person right up behind them there would have been an accident.

Don't drive right up behind people at 70mph when you know there is the distinct possibility of a 40mph limit/warning/advisory sign coming up. They might slow down even if you don't.

 

[whitecrook]

Drove to london and back the other day and through some variable speed cameras - where is the average speed detected? Is it between the sets of cameras or between the first and last cameras ?

As I was maybe doing 43 for a bit, and then 60 through some cameras, and then back down again. I have no idea if I was averaging above 50 or what.

 

[Sirrel Squirrel]

Are you sure they don't have cameras, lots of them have a speed camera sign on them and if you look at the back of them there are a load of cameras on the gantry?

I always assumed they were active if the speed was lit up on the front and inactive if they weren't lit?

 

[Barks]

It's actually quite stressful driving with average cameras as you're constantly looking at the speedo to make sure you're not going too quickly, and not everyone has cruise control.

 

[Disco Boy]

I'm very glad that I don't travel much on any managed motorways (like the M25) because, in my experience, the highways agency are retarded. 90% of the signs I see which say "congestion ahead, 50mph speed limit" on the motorways are seemingly put there just for fun, as no heavy traffic ever materialises. When this happens on an ordinary motorway it's no problem, because everyone (myself included) ignores said signs and carries on their merry way. If this had happened on a managed motorway, we'd all get speeding tickets.

Managed motorways are a bad idea until such a date that the highways agency isn't completely ****.

It's actually quite stressful driving with average cameras as you're constantly looking at the speedo to make sure you're not going too quickly, and not everyone has cruise control.

Especially when people think that because it's roadworks it's acceptable to drive in the outside lane and not move over for someone behind who doesn't want to drive at 50mph indicated. Muppets.

 

[InvaderGIR]

Anyway it is only used when there is heavy traffic in front of you.

Well no, I've seen them light up for low speeds when there has been no traffic and not light up when there is nigh-on gridlock.

Drove to london and back the other day and through some variable speed cameras - where is the average speed detected? Is it between the sets of cameras or between the first and last cameras ?

As I was maybe doing 43 for a bit, and then 60 through some cameras, and then back down again. I have no idea if I was averaging above 50 or what.

I always understood them to calculate your average speed between however many cameras you pass. So for example you come on at one junction and come off at the next and there are average cameras before you join and after you leave then the ones you pass will be your average. I also understood it to be time rather than speed, so if you go through camera 1 and 10 in under a set time but go through all of them bang on whatever the limit is (ie speeding in the 'gaps' and slowing for cameras) you'll be done for speeding.

This could be and most likely is wrong though!

 

[Sirrel Squirrel]

Seems the ones I'm thinking of are active all the time although only after 5 minutes of the limit changing.

http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/gatso10.htm

 

[Disco Boy]

Well no, I've seen them light up for low speeds when there has been no traffic and not light up when there is nigh-on gridlock.



I always understood them to calculate your average speed between however many cameras you pass. So for example you come on at one junction and come off at the next and there are average cameras before you join and after you leave then the ones you pass will be your average. I also understood it to be time rather than speed, so if you go through camera 1 and 10 in under a set time but go through all of them bang on whatever the limit is (ie speeding in the 'gaps' and slowing for cameras) you'll be done for speeding.

This could be and most likely is wrong though!

You can be done between any two points
So, in a 50 limit, if you travel between cameras 1-5 at 40mph then cameras 5-6 at 70mph then cameras 6-10 at 40mph you will still get done, despite your average speed for the whole length of the roadworks being less than 50mph.