M1 Variable Speed Limits

[Peter T]

Took a trip from the midlands to London today, there and back on the M1.

On the way there, the variable limits were in operation between Luton and Hemel, slowing us down to 50 for several miles. The gantry signs said something about an accident, but there was no evidence of one. No Police, no cars on the shoulder, no debris, nothing. Trafic was also quite light.

On the way back the variable limits were also in operation but, this time, they didn't bother making up an excuse. Again there was no evidence of anything wrong, and, again, trafic was light.

In the old days, when it was just advisory speed limits, you could see there was no reason for it and ignore it. Now these limits are enforced by dozens of cameras so there's no was they can be ignored.

Can anyone explain what goes on with these stupid limits?

 

[baxlin]

They possibly thought it was Monday..........

 

[Peter T]

They possibly thought it was Monday..........

why didn't I think of that?

 

[Dieselman]

Perhaps they monitor forums looking for a laugh.

 

[cinek]

It is to do with easing congestion, in particular during peak traffic.

 

[Peter T]

It is to do with easing congestion, in particular during peak traffic.

Could be, except that it was Sunday morning, there was no traffic, and no congestion!

 

[Peter T]

Perhaps they monitor forums looking for a laugh.

Could be. I wonder how they knew I would be on the M1 this morning?

 

[cinek]

Maybe there was debris in the road. The control room would set lower speed for HATOs to clear it and by the time you drove through, it was cleared.
It can take them some time to clear the VMSs, especially if the field ops dont call it straight in.

 

[Peter T]

Maybe there was debris in the road. The control room would set lower speed for HATOs to clear it and by the time you drove through, it was cleared.
It can take them some time to clear the VMSs, especially if the field ops dont call it straight in.

Wonderful!!

So on a clear, bright, dry Sunday morning, on a 4 or 5 lane, newly re-surfaced M/way with light traffic, we have to do 50mph because a bunch of worthless t0ssers can't be bothered to turn some signs off.

 

[Deleted member 6183]

Wonderful!!

So on a clear, bright, dry Sunday morning, on a 4 or 5 lane, newly re-surfaced M/way with light traffic, we have to do 50mph because a bunch of worthless t0ssers can't be bothered to turn some signs off.

I forget things all the time.

 

[Mr. B]

Wonderful!!

So on a clear, bright, dry Sunday morning, on a 4 or 5 lane, newly re-surfaced M/way with light traffic, we have to do 50mph because a bunch of worthless t0ssers can't be bothered to turn some signs off.

Correct.

 

[Satch]

Welcome to the creeping nightmare of lane management and "Controlled Motorways."

There are thirty (northbound) and thirty one (southbound) gantries over a 9.4 mile stretch of road between the M1 6A and J10 displaying mandatory speed restrictions.

It all sounds wonderful: a "Controlled Motorway" is supposed to ease congestion by keeping traffic moving, preventing bunching and thus phantom traffic jams. It works through adjusting the (mandatory) speed limits using sensors buried in the road which detect the speed and flow of traffic and does automatically, no humans involved, and also dreams up its own "reasons" that get displayed.

And there is the problem: not really smart enough, defaults to low speeds and produces hideously annoying reduced speed limits with no apparent reason because the "problem" it is trying to sort out is some traffic bunching miles ahead of you, or more accurately what it considers to be traffic bunching.

 

[Dieselman]

Wow.

It could take an extra 3 minutes to cover the 9.4 miles.

Serious stuff.

 

[Peter T]

Welcome to the creeping nightmare of lane management and "Controlled Motorways."

There are thirty (northbound) and thirty one (southbound) gantries over a 9.4 mile stretch of road between the M1 6A and J10 displaying mandatory speed restrictions.

It all sounds wonderful: a "Controlled Motorway" is supposed to ease congestion by keeping traffic moving, preventing bunching and thus phantom traffic jams. It works through adjusting the (mandatory) speed limits using sensors buried in the road which detect the speed and flow of traffic and does automatically, no humans involved, and also dreams up its own "reasons" that get displayed.

And there is the problem: not really smart enough, defaults to low speeds and produces hideously annoying reduced speed limits with no apparent reason because the "problem" it is trying to sort out is some traffic bunching miles ahead of you, or more accurately what it considers to be traffic bunching.

Nice explaination, thank you.

I didn't realise it was as automated as that. Sounds like a good reason to avoid that stretch of m/way. Pity, it's a really good bit of road!!

 

[Peter T]

Wow.

It could take an extra 3 minutes to cover the 9.4 miles.

Serious stuff.

Quite right, maybe we should all travel everywhere at 30mph?

Or maybe the highways agency could employ people to drive tractors up and down the motorways to force everone to do 19mph.

That would also reduce unemployment!

 

[Mr. B]

Quite right, maybe we should all travel everywhere at 30mph?

Or maybe the highways agency could employ people to drive tractors up and down the motorways to force everone to do 19mph.

That would also reduce unemployment!

They already do.

They are called "Traffic Officers".

 

[John Jones Jr]

I lived off J10 and that sh1t has being going on for the past 15 years or more. Mind, Saturday and especially Sunday were prime days for accidents on that section of the M1 as all the morons came out to play. Glad I moved.

 

[wilsodg]

I'd been meaning to post a question and this has prompted me.
Do the cameras even work on the M1?

iirc, no-one has been caught by the M25 cameras in over a year now. I've travelled the M1 a couple of times in the last month and noticed little regard for the enforced limits, and not seen a camera flash (even though a guy passed me at what must have been 85 in a 60 limit as we went under a camera). The guys in the office reckoned they often cruise at 95 when the limit is displaying 60 and have not been caught.

So - has anyone actually been caught by an M1 camera?

 

[GordonTarling]

there was no traffic, and no congestion!

The system was working as designed then!

 

[baxlin]

. Sounds like a good reason to avoid that stretch of m/way. Pity, it's a really good bit of road!!

Fortunately I can do!

Living in Tring, if I go M1 northbound, I join at J14, if southbound I join at J6 or J5