Speed limit M4 Swindon

[x332race]

Does anyone know if there is a temporary speed limit in force along the M4 at Swindon between J16 & J18?

I drove along this stretch of road 5.00pm yesterday at 70mph at the same speed as everyone else. I went under a temporary speed camera mounted on a bridge and think I was "flashed".

I do not recall seeing any warning of a reduced speed limit although the hard shoulder was coned off. After the camera I did notice 50mph signs in the ditch at the side of the road, but not on the main carridgeway.

All three lanes were open and moving at about 70mph.....I had plenty of time ot see the camera and to adjust my speed accrodingly (although I was only cruising at around 70mph anyway), so if I thought the speed limit was 50, I would have been doing 50 when I passed the camera.

Will I have been "caught" for speeding?

 

[Shude]

Will I have been "caught" for speeding?

If you have, it will only be a fine rather than fine & points. AFAIK temporary speed limit/roadworks cameras only dish out fines.

The ones that were on the M62 last year flashed like a strobe the first couple of weeks they were there, they must have pulled in a fortune!

 

[glojo]

As far as I'm aware if the signs have red rings around them then 'points make prizes'.

If you failed to see the signs then that is frightening, you are clearly not paying attention. If however you are a dilgent driver, and there were no restriction signs, temporarey speed signs then it will be the national limit of 70mph.

Good luck,
John

 

[x332race]

I am a diligent driver and am normally very careful to adhere to the speed limts....I would normally expect to spot any change in speed limit and adjust my speed accordingly.

Everyone else was doing at least 70mph....its just that there is some very strange signage on that stretch of motorway at the moment, including end of speed restriction signs where there appears to have not been any speed restictions and 50mph signs in the ditch at the side of the road but not on the main carridgeway

 

[Shude]

Everyone else was doing at least 70mph....its just that there is some very strange signage on that stretch of motorway at the moment, including end of speed restriction signs where there appears to have not been any speed restictions and 50mph signs in the ditch at the side of the road but not on the main carridgeway

What I hate is the "end" sign but no national speed limit sign, how are we supposed to know if the temporary speed limit has been lifted?

 

[GrahamC230K]

A bit harsh John I think.

I have been on stetches of motorway that have road works and am not always impresed by the management of signs.

One example was the M4 a few weeks ago.

I KNOW there was no temporary speed limit signs. There was NO temporary speed limit as I assume it was the weekend and although there were signs of works in progress, no staff working on site.


What I found very unerving in todays world of camera policing was that they had removed the 40 or 50mph signs, but left the signs returning you to the national speed limit. This of course made me think twice everytime I saw one ahead but was already doing 70mph!

I suspect your case is the same as mine - however if I had been flashed I would have had to have returned with a camera to try and get some evidence. If your account is correct, you will not be the only.

The whole description rings a bell of a previous case on the M4 where thousands of drivers were incorrectly issued with tickets. Try googling it.

 

[BTB 500]

Last weekend I did the M4 from junctions 10 (A329 M) to 13 (Newbury) and back, on both Saturday and Sunday. Each time on the way home there was a 50 limit displayed for a couple of miles on the big matrix displays off to the left of the carriageway. Perfect visibility, light traffic, no roadworks / breakdowns / accidents (or any sign that there had been)

 

[Shude]

Each time on the way home there was a 50 limit displayed for a couple of miles on the big matrix displays off to the left of the carriageway. Perfect visibility, light traffic, no roadworks / breakdowns / accidents (or any sign that there had been)

Those signs are advisory only though, not an enforceable limit.

 

[glojo]

I am a diligent driver and am normally very careful to adhere to the speed limts....I would normally expect to spot any change in speed limit and adjust my speed accordingly.

A thousand apologies if my previous post came across OTT, that was NOT my intent. Perhaps pain is over ruling my brain.

Like Bob has posted, we regularly see stretches of three lane motorway that have speed restrictions for mile after mile without any reasoning??? The link between the M5 to the M6 had this for well over a year

I am sure there must be a legal requirement for the placing of the LEGAL endorsable signing? (Not sure abot the temporary straight fixed penalty one)

Again many apologies if my post came across in a rude, or condescending manner.

Thanks Graham for pointing it out (hopefully I know when to admit a wrong?)

Yours sincerely,
John the admonished

 

[x332race]

Apology accepted....

 

[DieselE]

Does anyone know if there is a temporary speed limit in force along the M4 at Swindon between J16 & J18?

I drove along this stretch of road 5.00pm yesterday at 70mph at the same speed as everyone else. I went under a temporary speed camera mounted on a bridge and think I was "flashed".

I do not recall seeing any warning of a reduced speed limit although the hard shoulder was coned off. After the camera I did notice 50mph signs in the ditch at the side of the road, but not on the main carridgeway.

All three lanes were open and moving at about 70mph.....I had plenty of time ot see the camera and to adjust my speed accrodingly (although I was only cruising at around 70mph anyway), so if I thought the speed limit was 50, I would have been doing 50 when I passed the camera.

Will I have been "caught" for speeding?

Can you recall what type of camera it was "mounted on a bridge"? The reason I ask is that Wiltshire police were putting "safety camera" vans on bridges over the M4 to enforce the national speed limit. There was a flurry of interest in the national press and if you search the forum you'll also find discussion about it.

If it was one of those cameras then whilst you will have been speed checked, if you were doing 70 then a ticket is unlikely to follow.

 

[Benzowner]

There have been speed cameras on that particular stretch of motorway for some time Aledgely it is an accident black spot and cameras were introduced to "slow" the traffic. AFAIK it is still the national spped limit there.

 

[x332race]

The camera was a "temporary" with a white transit van in attendance.

The only problem is that it was not clear whether there was a 50mph speed limit in force on this stretch of road.....I do not recall clear singage indicating a redcuced speed limit although there were 50mph signs in the ditch.

 

[Huntertitus]

The camera was a "temporary" with a white transit van in attendance.

The only problem is that it was not clear whether there was a 50mph speed limit in force on this stretch of road.....I do not recall clear singage indicating a redcuced speed limit although there were 50mph signs in the ditch.

It seems so unfair - I was done in Essex on the Mway and saw cones so slowed to 50 didn't see camera but did get a fine and 3 points, all for a crime that any policeman would have ticked me off for but not prosecuted. Almost everyone I know now has points on their licenses after years of a clean license, I never had a point on my licence in over 20 years of driving until these damn cameras went up. The sting in the tail is that after getting the points you drive AT the speed limit and get irate looks and rude manual gestures from other drivers you are holding up. Happy days...

 

[kensalriser]

The only time I've ever had a fine + points was in similar circumstances on the A12 in Essex. No roadworks in progress and normal width dual carriageway but a restriction to 40mph - I saw the restriction signs late and managed to slow to about 56mph when the camera got me. Local opinion was that they were raking it in on that stretch and were taking advantage by leaving the restriction in place at the weekends when no work was going on.

 

[A-AvantGarde]

...The sting in the tail is that after getting the points you drive AT the speed limit and get irate looks and rude manual gestures from other drivers you are holding up. Happy days...

True.

I once had 11 points (2 SP30's & 1 SP50), you won't believe how other road users reacted to me. On a number of occassions I was actually followed home by marked police cars as they obviously thought that by driving to the book I had something to hide...