Best Speed Camera Warning App

[BTB 500]

They’re only a money maker if you happen to pass one above the posted limit that has cameras installed?

AFAIK mandatory reduced limits on motorways are always enforced by cameras? Not at every gantry of course, but enough to catch people.

A simple case of slow down and speed up, if you happen to be above the limit? That is what I (allegedly) do……

I suspect quite commonly people already driving in (say) a temporary 60 limit fail to spot that it has changed to a lower number, rather than intentionally speeding. A lot drive way below the posted limit when they know (or think) there are speed cameras about.

 

[BTB 500]

Speed cameras are meant to deter people from speeding. A speed camera that racks-in the fines, is clearly not doing it's job.

Unfortunately though there are many well-documented cases of this e.g. from a FOI request to UK police forces for the financial year 2021/22 (ten forces didn't supply any data):

1. A40 between Long Drive and Wellands Gardens E/B: 49,050 intended prosecutions by Metropolitan Police

2. M25 Junction 7-16, Surrey: 23,134 intended prosecutions by Surrey Police

3. M4 Junction 20-19, Bristol: 18,317 intended prosecutions by Avon & Somerset Police

4. A5460 Narborough Road, Leicester, Jnc with Fullhurst Avenue: 16,634 intended prosecutions by Leicestershire Police

5. M6 Junction 1-4 (Northbound and Southbound): 15,410 intended prosecutions by Warwickshire Police

6. Garston Way/ Dock Road, Liverpool: 15,295 intended prosecutions by Merseyside Police

7. M5 Junction 4a-6, Birmingham: 15,062 intended prosecutions by West Mercia Police

8. A282 Dartford Tunnel Approach Road: 14,423 intended prosecutions by Kent Police

9. Lewes Road, Brighton, Jnc with Coldean Lane: 14,172 intended prosecutions by Sussex Police

10. M6 Junction 7 & 8 N/B, Birmingham: 12,762 intended prosecutions by West Midlands Police

Another on a A road near me 'down South' got over 19,000 people in 2017 - there had never been a fatality or serious injury on that stretch. Although painted yellow (as required) it happened to be positioned behind a small tree:



There was a less heavily used stretch of B road directly opposite that had seen five 'serious' accidents in the previous 3 years, but they didn't put a camera there.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

I suspect quite commonly people already driving in (say) a temporary 60 limit fail to spot that it has changed to a lower number, rather than intentionally speeding.

A good point, and the reason a growing number of people are interested these devices, apps and technology. It’s not because they wish to exceed the speed limit and get away with it, it’s in case they miss a speed limit change or unintentionally creep over the limit.

 

[E55BOF]

There is one thing to consider that I can’t see anyone else has mentioned, the OP has an iPhone 5S - I’d be surprised if any of the apps mentioned on this thread will even install, let alone work on a phone they is at best 11 generations out of date.

The 5S is basically an iPhone 5 with the innards of an iPhone 8, brought out for people who did not want a larger phone than the 5. The Ooono app will run on any phone using IOS 15.0 or higher. Mine is using IOS 18.2.

 

[ALFAitalia]

Another on a A road near me 'down South' got over 19,000 people in 2017 - there had never been a fatality or serious injury on that stretch. Although painted yellow (as required) it happened to be positioned behind a small tree:

Its a common misconception that there had to have been a fatality before a camera is put up in a built area.....its only "guidance" in the governments advice for speed cameras.

 

[markjay]

I suspect quite commonly people already driving in (say) a temporary 60 limit fail to spot that it has changed to a lower number, rather than intentionally speeding. A lot drive way below the posted limit when they know (or think) there are speed cameras about.

To compound matters further, my Hyundai has 'Highway Driving Assist 2', which received speed limit information on realtime when driving on the motorway and adjusts the car's speed automatically. Great, except that when I am driving say 70mph, and the gantry has 60mph displayed, the car starts slowing down as soon as we pass the gantry... which means that if there was a camera on the gantry, I'd get flashed.

I suspect that similarly, some driver do detect the restricted speed sign, but react slowly, and while they are indeed slowing down, they still pass the gantry at a speed above the restricted speed limit.

 

[E55BOF]

To compound matters further, my Hyundai has 'Highway Driving Assist 2'....

Like start/stop, something else to turn off as soon as you start the engine, then.... (And before the mealie-mouthed would-be Peugeot drivers throw up their hands in horror and start whinging and chuntering, I'm not saying such things do not have their place, merely that I will decide when they are in operation, not the car's electronics...)

 

[markjay]

Like start/stop, something else to turn off as soon as you start the engine, then.... (And before the mealie-mouthed would-be Peugeot drivers throw up their hands in horror and start whinging and chuntering, I'm not saying such things do not have their place, merely that I will decide when they are in operation, not the car's electronics...)

LOL, the Highway Driving Assist 2 is actually a feature that you switch on, it's essentially Hyundai's 'self-driving', which - in spite of being nowhere near as clever as Tesla's - is great for long motorway drives. Apart from the real-time speed restrictions element, that is, which is poorly-implemented in my view (possibly it's a configurable option in one of the very many menus, I didn't check).

 

[sgregory124]

The 5S is basically an iPhone 5 with the innards of an iPhone 8, brought out for people who did not want a larger phone than the 5. The Ooono app will run on any phone using IOS 15.0 or higher. Mine is using IOS 18.2.

The minimum iPhone that’ll take iOS 18.2 is an IPhone XR so I suspect you have at least that and not a 5S?

 

[E55BOF]

My memory played me false; it's a Gen 3 SE. (I got the S right at least...Doh!)

 

[BTB 500]

Its a common misconception that there had to have been a fatality before a camera is put up in a built area.....its only "guidance" in the governments advice for speed cameras.

The guidance is (or certainly used to be) a minimum of four accidents resulting in death or serious injury within 1 km of the camera site in the previous 3 years. Also that cameras must be clearly visible and not obscured by trees etc., so a fail on all counts for the example I posted! Seven years ago it was pulling in £5,200 a day in fines - unfortunately the Police website showing ticket and accident data in the vicinity of each speed camera has gone now. Latest Google Street View picture of the camera is April 2021:

 

[ALFAitalia]

There is quite a difference between guidance and rules though.

They have actually removed a couple of cameras on Bognor in recent time...... probably not making enough money!!!

 

[sgregory124]

AFAIK mandatory reduced limits on motorways are always enforced by cameras? Not at every gantry of course, but enough to catch people.

Not always. I use the M1 North (> J25) a lot and when the limits are lit, there are only 2 pairs of cameras on the gantries between J25 and J33. Southbound there are 3 pairs (from memory) over the same stretch, in fact they recently removed a pair on an extremely straight (fast) section prior to J26.

In my opinion, cameras on motorway gantries have just made things more dangerous. Because the Highways Agency saw fit to paint timing marks in all lanes after almost all gantries, those unfamiliar with the road end up hitting the brakes each time they go under. Furthermore, those timing marks are still there, even without a pair of cameras, so the same thing happens now.

As far as I'm aware, the digital gear doesn't need timing marks to prove you're over the limit, so to my mind they should be getting rid of the timing marks toot-sweet!

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

As far as I'm aware, the digital gear doesn't need timing marks to prove you're over the limit, so to my mind they should be getting rid of the timing marks toot-sweet!

Those marks are slowing some people down,which in turn slows down the general flow of traffic, so it’s unlikely that they’ll remove them.

 

[Mickyh7]

I g

Unfortunately though there are many well-documented cases of this e.g. from a FOI request to UK police forces for the financial year 2021/22 (ten forces didn't supply any data):



Another on a A road near me 'down South' got over 19,000 people in 2017 - there had never been a fatality or serious injury on that stretch. Although painted yellow (as required) it happened to be positioned behind a small tree:

View attachment 166027

There was a less heavily used stretch of B road directly opposite that had seen five 'serious' accidents in the previous 3 years, but they didn't put a camera there.

I guarantee, if I was local to that camera, the tree/trees involved would have been cut down long ago.

 

[gianton]

Interesting that it's a German app when in Germany it is forbidden to use GPS navigation systems that warn you about speed cameras.

Maybe the data is deleted for Germany.

It works fine in Germany just had a road trip with my new car from Hamburg to Greece.

 

[clk320x]

AFAIK mandatory reduced limits on motorways are always enforced by cameras? Not at every gantry of course, but enough to catch people.

Barely any of the actual gantries have cameras though, I’ve done the M1 J15-1 so many times now the ones with cameras are implanted in my head.

 

[E55BOF]

Are there actually any cameras on the gantries themselves? Afaik, all fixed enforcement cameras on motorways are now HADECS installations, not actually directly over the lanes. You know you are approaching a HADECS site by the two or three small cylindrical grey cameras mounted side-by-side atop a pole about fifty yards before the actual camera installation.

 

[BTB 500]

Yep the yellow HADECS cameras are mounted off to the side, although nearly always alongside a gantry (I guess because they need the same power and comms. connections).

 

[clk320x]

Are there actually any cameras on the gantries themselves? Afaik, all fixed enforcement cameras on motorways are now HADECS installations, not actually directly over the lanes. You know you are approaching a HADECS site by the two or three small cylindrical grey cameras mounted side-by-side atop a pole about fifty yards before the actual camera installation.

Yes that’s what I meant. The yellow units to the left.