ADVICE PLEASE - NOTICE OF INTENDED PROSECUTION - M1 SOUTHBOUND MIDNIGHT - VARIABLE SPEED LIMIT

[esscee]

Driving up past J11 on M1 last evening, camera flashed on someone in the outside lane. Luckily for me living around this area I was not in the outside lane being aware of these cameras. Reckon he was doing 75 - 80 mph in the 60 signed zone.

 

[Dryce]

Dryce, it's the ever-increasing onward march of the Nanny State.

I think there's a tendency to concentrate on frills rather than basc substance.

So you can drive through a city with lots of advance stop lines and shaded areas for cyclists with hardly a cyclist to be seen butmuch of the basic road markings and road surfaces allowed to deteriorate to nothing over the rest of the junction.

I see various yellow boxes on the opposite side of the joining road at non traffic light junctions. What do these mean? If traffic on the main road stops and leaves the yellow box free then traffic trying to enter the road and turn right will be stationary in the box until the traffic moves - which undermines the basic rule of the yellow box. I can see what the perpetraors of this inconsistncy are trying to acheive but I think they rather missed the whole point of keeping markings and signage clear and consistent and *unambiguous*.

As regards the overhead speed limit signs at the root of this thread then I have to say that I am uncomfortable with the implementation though agree with the principle. I think the flaw is that in busy traffic - and they are often in areas where there is merging - that they are yet another piece of information that a driver has to assess. I find that in motorways that I am unfamiliar with they are an unpleasant distraction - a 50 in a red circle on a rainy night looks pretty similar to a 60 in a circle on the previous gantry - and at the same time as assessing that change the traffic is typically dense. My feeling is that there should be a rule that if there is a speed reduction controlled by these overheads that a sign that is lower than the previous two gantries should have an extra form of differentiation - such as an additional colour or symbol.

 

[Big Janner]

#1
Just got my first of these things ever and it all seems a little harsh to me. Anyone had one similar and have opposed it?

I had left home at 5.30am to drive to Leeds to do a job on Weds 1st Aug last week. Nice drive up the A1 as I'm not far from A1. Took 3 hours and 15 mins with a 15 mins stop. Left Leeds after a nice successful days work at 9pm. Decided to go down M1 home as more services/stopping points and a bit safer (so I thought!) as mainly 3-4 lanes. Also less dark areas etc. so all good starting off. Unbeknown to me there was to be a ton of roadworks and a myriad of variable speed limits contraflows and all sorts. End up taking me 4 hours to get home with less traffic than there was driving up the A1 earlier that morning. However I'm no rush so take it easy and I get home whatever time it takes.

Starts to get very confusing with Lanes 1-3 closed then 40mph contraflow along 4th lane. Then national speed limit/70mph for a bit. Then more roadworks coming up so 70mph to 60mph then 50mph, then 70mph. Then they close Lanes 22-4 and contraflow down Lane 1. Goes on like this for many miles of roadworks, then none, then roadworks, then none etc. All the time there are a ton of lorries, cars going past me, me going past slow cars/lorries. Flashing lights everywhere with massive bright flood lights for some areas. Tons of traffic with bright headlights coming the other way. All very difficult to keep in the right lane, not crash, keep at the right speed to the ever changing variable limits.

I am doing about 60mph through variable 60mph overhead gantry sign, then 60mph again through another then a car comes flying passed me and jumps on his brakes a bit. I get to the next gantry sign and it is suddenly 50mph so I start to ease off my speed to get down to somewhere near 50mph but too late. As I go through the first 50mph overhead gantry sign I get flashed. A little annoying as it is hard to see what the sign says in advanced to reduce the speed before you hit the camera. The first 50mph camera is in the gantry so it doesn't really give you any warning to slow your speed in advanced of the camera at all. A few yards after the camera I have slowed enough and am at roughly 50mph now before I hit the next 50mph then I'm OK. Then it is 40mph through contraflow then 70mph national speed limit as you come out again. This must have continued for 10 junctions it seemed.

I had just invested in a cheap dashcam after a little recent incident where some idiot decided on purpose to jump on the brakes to a stop immediately after leaving a red to green light. Currently all being investigated it looks as though it is one of these crash on purpose, whiplash, cash claim things. Anyway I had the new dashcam that day so have all the footage of the drive back. It is midnight on a main motorway that would normally would be fairly quiet and safe. The constant roadworks and variable speed limits with flashing lights and floodlights makes it utterly confusing and downright dangerous in my opinion. Without the roadworks or with better planning and smoother flow there are no issues. Instead we have chaos and confusion. Also I get a ticket when I am not driving silly and not doing too much wrong really.

For anyone interested the footage of this bit is here:
https://rocksolutions-my.sharepoint...1EtMlxMHrwQUsBFq5LGytWqEiAGOwe4XoNyg?e=xV3exx

Sorry for the audio....you might want to turn it down or off! Not sure what I was listening to or what radio station. Just wanted something soothing and relaxing

My question is if anyone has had a similar incident? Or any advice or help as to if I should pay the fine and take the points or do the Speed Awareness Course? Or oppose the situation as it seems a little unfair, dangerous and gives no real time to adjust your speed safely. Surely it can;t be a good thing to jump on your brakes to wipe off circa 10mph in a few yards. Should you not be given until the next gantry to have adjust your speed or 30 secs to safely do so?

Anyone know if there are any rules, regulations or practices around any of this?

Thanks in advanced all or any of you hopefully wiser more experienced heads.

All I can offer is;
Long, long story short;
Got pulled over by a police car on the M40 in Bucks, they clocked me at 99.28mph.
I took legal advice, which was;
You are going to get points and a fine, the arguement is about how much and how many
Maximums; 6 points £210 fine, Costs, generally within the remit of the magistrates
Go to court
BE prepared.
Explain your circumstances and plead your case.
Result; 4 points £180, £60 costs

This indicates to me that, going to stand eye to eye with the court, standing your ground and being clear, polite and honest, will ease the pain
You have dash cam footage, phone the courts in advance and ask if you can submit the footage either befors or during your case.

Good luck.

 

[Germgh0st]

A lot of the 50 and 60mph limits on these gantries are triggered by people driving too close - there are sensors in smart motorways that measure the gap between cars and if they deem it dangerous they automatically set a lower limit to try and reduce the risk and spread people out a bit - so it's often caused by bad driving.

 

[st13phil]

Bearing in mind that the event that lead to this thread occurred almost four years ago, I fancy that any further advice will be of little use to the OP…

 

[Germgh0st]

Bearing in mind that the event that lead to this thread occurred almost four years ago, I fancy that any further advice will be of little use to the OP…

Granted, but it wasn't really advice to the OP just some information that people may not know

 

[MEMERC7]

I really do empathise with your situation & frustration, no wonder many seek alternative employment that doesn't require motorway travel, impossible for many I know. Add the Dover ****-up then why would anybody want to be a driver of commercial vehicles? Driving is no longer a pleasure however fancy your mode of transport. After 50 years in jobs that required UK & some continental travel if I had to start
my life again no way would it be one that required long journeys on todays roads.
Now retired but still needing to travel in the UK for holidays I allow masses of time, avoid motorways (now so dangerous with no hard shoulders plus the speed issues expressed here so many times), & research lovely places to stop for refreshment breaks. This means of course I with others increasingly clutter up all the nice B roads but still get lumbered with their endless blanket 40/50 mph restrictions. Now longer am I bothered with or need a high powered car with a poncy badge, being an al fresco fan as long as I can drop the roof, smell the diesel fumes enjoy the freezing air cold air & hear the cackle of Magpies above the beeping horn of white van-man wanting to overtake by a school/at a junction/ on a blind bend. I have no idea if or how I would cope as many Forum members have to on todays roads but respect for the fact that you do.

 

[optimusprime]

Big Janner Some how my friend ,,you have opened up an old post that Dryce started back on the 19 August 2018