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Reports in the Sunday paper suggest that average speed checking devices are to become widespread. they are apparently being trialled in Scotland and elsewhere. Years ago the police pulled you over and gave you a lecture and that cured you of speeding and you didn't hold a grudge as they were right. Now its a speed camera, a fine and impersonal and that breeds resentment.
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Average Speed Check is signposted at the roadworks on the A1(M) at Wetherby.
Limit was well observed on the occasions I've been through.
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They seem to be in most long term roadworks (M1 junctions 6 to 10) and the A 14 has got them from near the Junction with the A1 down to Cambridge. BTW I am regularly overtaken in these section by people going well in XS of the limit; does anyone have any stats on how many tickets are issued in these systems or do the drivers know something that I don't?
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. BTW I am regularly overtaken in these section by people going well in XSof the limit; does anyone have any stats on how many tickets are issued in these systems or do the drivers know something that I don't?
Cars not registered with DVLA, cloned plates.............just a few of the people that might not care about speeding tickets
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I presume it's just a way of installing road-charging system without the sheeple noticing until a software update and announcement that it will be here within a few months.
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Did a trip today from Leicestershire up through to north of Stoke on Trent (A444 though Burton then A50, 500 etc). Was AMAZED at the number of speeding drivers. Particularly on the 50mph section through Stoke - passed by many cars doing way over the limit (80+ in some cases). OK, weather was not too bad and roads not too busy - but a lot of speeding. Came upon an accident on the A50 with a car spun round onto the verge, airbags gone off etc. , maybe hit the barrier.
I guess with GPS camera detectors etc then people just open up where they can and then hit the brakes when they get a camera warning.
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Had to laugh yesterday - was driving down the M69 and they had roadworks with average cameras - got overtaken at the beginning by a guy who then braked hard down to 50 at the first camera, then speeded up and braked again at the next one and did the same again (I could see the brake lights come on in the distance!) - obviously did not know the meaning of the word "average" I think!
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Had to laugh yesterday - was driving down the M69 and they had roadworks with average cameras - got overtaken at the beginning by a guy who then braked hard down to 50 at the first camera then speeded up and braked again at the next one
I see this every day on the SPECS equipped section of the Southbound M3 between J2 and J3. I can't believe people are so stupid.
I liked Clarkson's idea though. Drive through the first camera and pull up in a safe place. Read the paper, have a coffee. Then drive the rest of the section at whatever speed you like. :-)
Cheers
DP
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I agree with Barney100 who said: Years ago the police pulled you over and gave you a lecture and that cured you of speeding and you didn't hold a grudge as they were right. Now its a speed camera, a fine and impersonal and that breeds resentment.
When I passed my test I drove around as fast as I could in my dad's Mk I Cortina. After getting stopped and thinking I was going to get booked, then being let off with a lecture a couple of times, I slowed down a bit. And came to the conclusion that coppers weren't too bad.
I'd rather see a police car or two at the side of the road than any number of speed cameras.
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Had to laugh yesterday - was driving down the M69 and they had roadworks with average cameras - got overtaken at the beginning by a guy who then braked hard down to 50 at the first camera then speeded up and braked again at the next one and did the same again (I could see the brake lights come on in the distance!) - obviously did not know the meaning of the word "average" I think!
Yes, I've seen a few idiots going through the average speed traps on the M27 roadworks exhibiting the same ignorance of the word 'average'.
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I cannot think of anything better for our roads. On roads with average speed cameras (particularly noticeable on motorways with roadworks) traffic is calm and well behaved.
"ordinary" speed cameras are wicked, as a momentary lapse of concentration - because you're concentrating on something more important - can give you a ticket. With average speed cameras you have to be driving pretty stupidly to be caught.
Personally I'd put them on all roads.
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I cannot think of anything better for our roads.
The better solution would be to remove speed limit signs, dismiss the concept of a numerical limit, take speedometers out of cars and only give licences to people who can still demonstrate an ability to make good progress safely and continuously adapt to the changing conditions. I'm not sure how many of us that would leave though...
Personally I'd put them on all roads.
As long as the posted limit is not lower than the maximum average speed that that section of road can be travelled under the most favourable road, traffic, weather and hazard conditions that can exist, then that would be a sensible compromise.
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I'd put traffic police back on the roads. At least they catch the false platers, uninsured, drunk, unregistered, unlicensed, unroadworthy.......
Sensibly placed speed cameras, as part of a wider strategy - no problem. Speed cameras as the strategy - lunacy.
IMHO of course.
Cheers
DP
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I'd put traffic police back on the roads. At least they catch the false platers uninsured drunk unregistered unlicensed unroadworthy.......
..... the people doing stupid or dangerous things below the speed limit ......
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>>I cannot think of anything better for our roads. .. Personally I'd put them on all roads.
Agree entirely. IMO, it is a far better solution for dealing with congestion, smoothing the flow of traffic, and removing the concertina jams, than any number of congestion charging or road-pricing schemes.
The only thing I would add would be to combine variable speed limits as on the western M25 section with average speed cameras.
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I would have thought it would be too expensive to have widespread use of the overhead gantry type of average speed cameras. Perhaps there are cheaper types.
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I would have thought it would be too expensive to have widespread use of the overhead gantry type
The mooted plans for "hardshoulder" running do just that, except that spot speed cameras are used instead of average speed cameras.
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Someone thought roadside police wouldn't catch the cloners and the uninsured if they were keeping to the limit. I thought ANPR took care of that.
Put speed and average cameras where there are real problems and many accidents. Leave the traffic police to handle the rest.
One or two people have pointed out the way drivers brake hard when they see a speed camera sign. That's how you get shunts. Cameras make money for the "partnerships" that run them, and I quote HJ himself here.
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Quote......"Years ago the police pulled you over and gave you a lecture and that cured you of speeding and you didn't hold a grudge as they were right. Now its a speed camera, a fine and impersonal and that breeds resentment. "
Err.... I think people used to get fines and endorsements for speeding. I have no personal experience as I've never been done for speeding but I've known people who have been!
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news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7358372.stm
You can't help but laugh. About halfway through they show a driver lose control when he sees the camera van and writes his car off, nearly taking out two other cars in the process.
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I have nothing against average speed cameras at road works, and in fact I think they are probably a good thing. All too often in the absence of camera I see irresponsible drivers zoom past road works at full tilt despite the presence of work men.
But otherwise they can only really be used on motorways, which are safe anyway, and dual carriageways with long stretches, where they do little more than earn a nice tidy sum. But they cannot be used in residential areas, which I think are the most dangerous, but where IMO cameras are actually needed.
Worry not. Soon we will have electronic chips in our cars with wireless transmitters, which will allow 'our betters' (ha ha) to know exactly what speed we are doing where. Not that the roads will be any safer though.
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If they had cameras everywhere I wouldn't complain. I'd just have to be a bit more careful that I didn't exceed the limit.
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Optimist wrote>>One or two people have pointed out the way drivers brake hard when they see a speed camera sign. That's how you get shunts.
Spot on. That's why average cameras are much better than fixed point cameras.
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I've seen people jamming their brakes on passing average speed cameras - then rocketing off into the distance!
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If they had cameras everywhere I wouldn't complain. I'd just have to be a bit more careful that I didn't exceed the limit.
Problem is that speed limits are sometimes not well marked. All it takes is a truck to obscure the sign(s) indicating a lower limit, and you get a ticket. Or for signs to be missing. Or placed in stupid places. Or obscured with vegetation.
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Worry not. Soon we will have electronic chips in our cars
You mis-splet "ears"....
with wireless transmitters
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You mis-splet "ears"....
mis-splet?
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Can two average speed cameras check the speeds of cars across three lanes of motorway?
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I understood each camera monitored a single lane and did not 'share' its data ie enter the zone in lane 1 and exit it in lane 2 and you can do whatever speed you like - never tried it myself 'just in case.'
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I understood each camera monitored a single lane and did not 'share' its data ie enter the zone in lane 1 and exit it in lane 2 and you can do whatever speed you like - never tried it myself 'just in case.'
Originally approval was 1 camera / lane and no sharing of data - hence pass in lane 1 and speed in lane 2. However, there is no great reason for this other than technical approval.
Years have passed so may be now there is approval for "camera sharing" of data.
The A77 Glasgow - Ayr road is cameras all the way - the road has been improved on large sections and now mostly dual carriageway rather tha wide 3 x lane. Marked reduction in speeding Vs Gatsos and also reduction in fatalities on dualled section - still big problems nearer you are to Ayr where 50mph restrictions apply.
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