Average Speed Cameras

[Beetnik]

Driving through the many miles of roadworks on the M1 yesterday at a steady 50 mph (with no-one working; why can't they let traffic through at 70 mph when this is the case) and a thought occurred to me:

Does the 10% + 2 mph ACPO guidance apply with average speed cameras?

 

[wemorgan]

Was there any plant machinery parked nearby and all crash barriers completed?

There is a stretch just north of Luton airport which is similar. It looks as if they simply forgot to remove the cones.......doh.

 

[Seamster15]

I drove from Guildford to Nottingham and back yesterday and was thinking exactly the same...

 

[jocasta]

How do these cameras work at night?

 

[x332race]

Drove down the M1 on Sunday and there was one section of roadworks north of Nottingham, I think, where the 50mph speed restriction had been removed and there were signs saying that the cameras were not in use. I did note that they had left the "derestricted" speed sign in place at the end of the roadworks though...

The lack of 50mph speed limit signs and the presence of cameras did seem to create confusion amongst drivers though....some appearing to think speed limit of 50mph still applied and others who realised that national speed limit applied.

 

[corned]

How do these cameras work at night?

The two large 'eyes' on either side of the camera are infra-red lamps. Sometimes at night you can see them dimly glow. Unless they are switched off, or dummies, of course.

 

[flango]

Driving through the many miles of roadworks on the M1 yesterday at a steady 50 mph (with no-one working; why can't they let traffic through at 70 mph when this is the case) and a thought occurred to me:

Does the 10% + 2 mph ACPO guidance apply with average speed cameras?

The reason they don't let traffic through at 70 mph when no one is working is due to the fact that the lanes are narrowed through the road works and 50 mph is considered the safest maximum allowable for the width of the lanes at which the minimum collisions will occur.

Dont think ACPO guidelines apply to Specs, mate of mine was prosecuted at 64 mph in a 60 mph limit near Sheffield.

Also worth noting in any given set of specs cameras there will only be 2 sets working at any one time, only trouble is you don't know which two? as you cant detect them like ones with radar sources.

 

[alanf]

So they do work then. I and many friends thought they were just for show. I wiil bear this in mind on Sunday when driving to Luton Airport and even more-so on Thursday morning midnight onwards coming home.

Alan

 

[davidjpowell]

I quite like the Florida system which imposes limits when workers are in places and doubles the points/fine. Seems to aim at protecting the workers.

With the majority of these roadworks they are self policing. In that when lane 3 (which is normally the especially narrow one) is used a lot, the volume of traffic slows the pace anyway. It would be nice to see a higher roadspeed limit when no one is working and traffic is light.

 

[amwebby]

Does the 10% + 2 mph ACPO guidance apply with average speed cameras?

I think it depends on the police force/safety camera partnership responsible for the SPECs in question. The ACPO guidelines are only just that and I have heard reports before of Yorkshire police not following the guidelines with respect to any speed camera. Some police forces/safety camera partnerships let you know on their website if they follow ACPO guidelines, some do not. A little consistency would be nice.

 

[Peter DLM]

Has anyone ever been fined for speeding through these average speed camera zones? I see people travalling very fast through them, but I've never heard of a prosecution.

Do they actually work? I know about the switching lanes idea, and do that just in case, but all they all just for show?

 

[PXW]

The set on the M25/M3 intersection were put in for the roadworks when they re-layed the junction. The roadworks have now gone, but the 50 mph limit is still there, as are the average speed cameras. I thought they were just for temporary use, but that may be that I've only seen them at roadworks sites. Does anyone know if they are licensed for permanent siting?

 

[jaymanek]

my dad got fined recently for the average speed section on the M6 north before birmingham, he was doing an average of 57.

 

[Peter DLM]

my dad got fined recently for the average speed section on the M6 north before birmingham, he was doing an average of 57.

Damn, I was rather hoping they were all a giant wind up.

 

[amwebby]

my dad got fined recently for the average speed section on the M6 north before birmingham, he was doing an average of 57.

I'm assuming the limit there is 50 mph, so that is 10% + 2mph, bang on the ACPO guidelines limit.

 

[BTB 500]

I also see people flying through SPECS zones, and others treating the cameras like GATSOs and standing on the brakes before each one

I usually pass through when the roads are deserted (very early morning) and set the cruise to 55 (50 limit).

One weird thing I've seen on the M4 and also M25 at Dartford is signs saying "cameras not in use" by each gantry. Why would they publicise that?!

Maybe it's a trick and the ARE working

 

[SLK350]

I use the M40 and M6 a lot and usually set my speed limiter to 55 MPH. I hope the indicated speed on the dash is lower than real speed and so will avoid a fine and points.

 

[flango]

Has anyone ever been fined for speeding through these average speed camera zones? I see people travalling very fast through them, but I've never heard of a prosecution.

Do they actually work? I know about the switching lanes idea, and do that just in case, but all they all just for show?

I know plenty of people that have been fined for speeding through specs cameras, the changing lanes thing is now an urban myth used to be true but now one camera can cover 3 lanes the second is used for confirmation.

Also people dont understand how they work in a recent survey most people thought camera 1 took a snapshot of your speed and then camera 2 did the same the average was then the average of these 2 figures

They simply did not understand it was a time distance calculation between the 2

 

[st13phil]

Does the 10% + 2 mph ACPO guidance apply with average speed cameras?

As amwebby has already said, the ACPO guidelines are just that: guidelines. Depending upon who you believe, they are there either to provide for a margin of error and thus give the driver "the benefit of the doubt" or because the prosecution / sanctions system wouldn't be able to process the volume of drivers who would otherwise fall foul of breaking the limit. There's probably truth in both views.

Relying on the ACPO prosecution threshold to give leeway and keep yourself free of prosecution is a gamble though. An offence is committed as soon as you drive at 1mph more than the posted limit, but you maybe won't be reported for the offence unless you're doing something else stupid. BTW, the ACPO 10% +2mph is the threshold at which it is recommended prosecution be considered, not the threshold above which prosecution is to be considered. An important difference.

 

[Beetnik]

Agree that it's a gamble but all part of life's rich pattern. I expect to have points on my licence from time to time and the 10% + 2 is a risk worth taking imho (where I think it safe to do so). I've had three lots of speeding fines/points in 30 years of driving and you just have to stand up and take them if caught.