Average Speed Camera's

[The Loan Ranger]

Just watching Top Gear recorded from last night and saw Jezza go through a couple of those average speed cameras so it got me thinking has anyone ever been caught by these things or know anyone who has been done by these??

I've stuck to them most of the time but been passed by all sorts out on the road even a bl00dy National Express coach, are they there just for show as I've never seen any workmen protected by them...

discuss !

 

[echo 3 delta]

Average speed camera's

Average speed camera's

Unfortunately for me the ones on the A616 were working last October when I got caught out. Had come over the Wood Head pass from Manchester and followed slow moving traffic for miles and miles, nice bit of purpose built overtaking lane and off I went past them all. Isnt that what overtaking lanes are for? Not according to South Yorkshire police and the road safety partnership people. Still they offered me a "nice" speed awareness course instead of the fine and 3 points. Not bad you may say but it cost me £71 for the course and an afternoons wages to boot.

No real complaints I guess, I got caught and paid the price.

So yes, at least some of the average speed cameras do work. Allegedly the ones on the A14 do too!!

 

[Stevienics]

Yes, they work but also they have to be there; Explanation.

The M25 roadwork creeps round in a clockwise direction expanding 3 lanes to 4, but it takes time for them to move the cameras to synch with the roadworks, so you just have to stay a little bit observant until you see the first one appear which can be some way into the roadworks, then notice where the last one is placed for the next journey.

Also note that not only is there a tolerance, but also that the vast majority of speedometers over-read by 3-5 MPH as well. Also, regular users know that they can speed after the last camera before their exit which may be before the next camera and remain immune.

 

[Rigga]

Unfortunately for me the ones on the A616 were working last October when I got caught out. Had come over the Wood Head pass from Manchester and followed slow moving traffic for miles and miles, nice bit of purpose built overtaking lane and off I went past them all. Isnt that what overtaking lanes are for? Not according to South Yorkshire police and the road safety partnership people. Still they offered me a "nice" speed awareness course instead of the fine and 3 points. Not bad you may say but it cost me £71 for the course and an afternoons wages to boot.

No real complaints I guess, I got caught and paid the price.

So yes, at least some of the average speed cameras do work. Allegedly the ones on the A14 do too!!

Got caught by the same ones about four/five years ago! (going over the top of Sheffield on a bit of dual carriageway?) I didn't know what they were at the time - I do now

The first of many points and courses - I now have a good detector/warning system.

 

[Wonky Tonka]

I have it on good authority that in A Wee Country over the water, there are a series of these cameras that due to variable speed linits along the stretch of road, require you to be travelling in excess of 85mph in order to set them off.

Not bad, considering the max speed at any point along the road in question is 60mph!

 

[beowulf]

A few years ago I read somewhere (not from an official source) that these cameras were only "rated" for a single lane of traffic. So if you passed the first set in the inside lane and then passed the second set in the middle or outside then they were not calibrated or programmed properly to record your speed.

So as long as you weave in and out of traffic you could go at any speed you liked.

Never had the guts to deliberately try that one out mind you!!!!

 

[Jim_P_Pulfrew]

I sometimes work on Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems, and even the basic ones deployed in this country have the ability to track record and process 'events' far in excess of the traffic flow on even a four lane motorway at its busiest, so don't count on changing lanes!

Without giving too much away, ANPR is in its infancy as to what it can be used for and even though it galls me to say it; I hope that the civil rights monkeys get wind of some of the plans and stamp all over them. Invasion of privacy? You ain't seen nothing yet!

On the upside, the vehicle borne ANPR kit used on police cars has seen a massive reduction in the amount of uninsured vehicles on our roads. I personally think that Insurance companies should pay for every police car to be fitted with them as that means they couldn't use the excuse of massive premiums caused by uninsured losses anymore.

Jimps

 

[busby1971]

So yes, at least some of the average speed cameras do work. Allegedly the ones on the A14 do too!!

Not really needed though as my average speed on the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge is around 14 mph.

 

[beowulf]

I sometimes work on Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems, and even the basic ones deployed in this country have the ability to track record and process 'events' far in excess of the traffic flow on even a four lane motorway at its busiest, so don't count on changing lanes!

Without giving too much away, ANPR is in its infancy as to what it can be used for and even though it galls me to say it; I hope that the civil rights monkeys get wind of some of the plans and stamp all over them. Invasion of privacy? You ain't seen nothing yet!

On the upside, the vehicle borne ANPR kit used on police cars has seen a massive reduction in the amount of uninsured vehicles on our roads. I personally think that Insurance companies should pay for every police car to be fitted with them as that means they couldn't use the excuse of massive premiums caused by uninsured losses anymore.

Jimps

A bit of research has thrown up that when the average cameras were introduced they were only licensed by the home office (due to time and budget constraints) for single lane but that this has now changed.

Still - it was nice to think, even for 20 minutes, that we could fight back against the state!!!!

 

[propersplitbrainme]

I've stuck to them most of the time but been passed by all sorts out on the road even a bl00dy National Express coach, are they there just for show as I've never seen any workmen protected by them...

Depends what you mean by 'stuck to them'. Most drivers learn that there is a certain amount of leeway, in that they can still exceed the posted limit without being flagged up by the system. In a 50 limit I usually cruise through with the speedo indicating 55 ish, that means I probably doing about 51-52. This speed generally keeps me up with the flow and prevents me from becoming a rolling roadblock although there are still those who sail past who must be doing over 60 so what the threshold is I don't know.
As for their usefulness, well I tend to be of the view that the amount of time we lose going through even a couple of miles or so of roadworks at 50 ish doesn't make a significant amount of difference to journey times, unless you are in teh habit of fine tuning your arrival times down to the minute. They are not only there to protect the workforce either, if certain pieces of road equipment and furniture (e.g.signs and armco) or surface has been replaced then they compounds used to fix them in place may not withstand the kinetic energy unleashed when hit at 80mph and so lowering the limit is a compromise evn though drivers may not think so!

 

[Hoof_Hearted]

I sometimes work on Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems, and even the basic ones deployed in this country have the ability to track record and process 'events' far in excess of the traffic flow on even a four lane motorway at its busiest, so don't count on changing lanes!

Interesting response, thanks.

Without giving too much away, ANPR is in its infancy as to what it can be used for and even though it galls me to say it; I hope that the civil rights monkeys get wind of some of the plans and stamp all over them. Invasion of privacy? You ain't seen nothing yet!

But do you really think anything will be done? Just like the cash cows that are speed cameras, anything which can make money for the Gov't / Plod forces from these ANPR systems will be defended to the death - irrespective of weather their 'new' applications are good for road safety or not.

On the upside, the vehicle borne ANPR kit used on police cars has seen a massive reduction in the amount of uninsured vehicles on our roads. I personally think that Insurance companies should pay for every police car to be fitted with them as that means they couldn't use the excuse of massive premiums caused by uninsured losses anymore.

Jimps

Now that's a brilliant idea. Sadly, I see a flaw - the Ins Cos will not then be able to defend their extortionate premiums when ripping off otherwise safe motorists.

 

[Hoof_Hearted]

I'm lead to believe the ones on the M25 between Heathrow and the M1 don't seem to bother upto around 90 clicks . . .

 

[Stevienics]

I'm lead to believe the ones on the M25 between Heathrow and the M1 don't seem to bother upto around 90 clicks . . .

The speed of some of the white van men that pass me on that section would seem to support that assumption.