More on "Smart Motorways" speeding fines.

t-tony

t-tony

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I watched this report on the One Show.
There's only comment you can make.
Cash Cow
 
Yes it's a cash cow, very annoying, but some people really do need to slow down.

I spend a lot of time on the road like many others on here, what I would like to see is specific cameras everywhere to stop people using their phones whilst driving.
 
Interesting article and I must admit I have split opinions....

Firstly, I don't trust the rozzers, never have and never will... as such I find the article interesting when it says the cameras are switched off if the speed signs are either National Speed Limit or off because personally I don't believe this, my question would be what happens if you pass one at 70 the second they turn them on to 50...? Hence I believe they are always on.

Secondly, I then wonder how people don't realise which ones have the cameras on them... not every gantry has a camera but (whilst not 100% bullet proof) the general rule of thumb is that if the gantry on the opposite side has cameras on it then your side will too and the majority of single sided gantries don't have them. I have however noticed that the new cameras around Stafford on the M6 are on the left hand side of the motorway and not on a gantry...

Thirdly... Whilst I maintain my early comments and beliefs, if the sign says 50 on a smart motorway then do it. It's not rocket science and they aren't average speed. If you approach a gantry that very obviously says 50 and you don't know if there is a camera then do 50... they are hardly hiding away behind a bush to jump out at you are they???
 
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bertiejaffa said:
Interesting article and I must admit I have split opinions....

Firstly, I don't trust the rozzers, never have and never will... as such I find the article interesting when it says the cameras are switched off if the speed signs are either National Speed Limit or off because personally I don't believe this, my question would be what happens if you pass one at 70 the second they turn them on to 50...? Hence I believe they are always on.

Secondly, I then wonder how people don't realise which ones have the cameras on them... not every gantry has a camera but (whilst not 100% bullet proof) the general rule of thumb is that if the gantry on the opposite side has cameras on it then your side will too and the majority of single sided gantries don't have them. I have however noticed that the new cameras around Stafford on the M6 are on the left hand side of the motorway and not on a gantry...

Thirdly... Whilst I maintain my early comments and beliefs, if the sign says 50 on a smart motorway then do it. It's not rocket science and they aren't average speed. If you approach a gantry that very obviously says 50 and you don't know if there is a camera then do 50... they are hardly hiding away behind a bush to jump out at you are they???
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The new cameras tend to be on the left side of gantries rather than behind the speed signs. One camera does 3 or 4 lanes. They are grey and difficult to see unless you know what to look for.

Most of the signs are automatically controlled using radar and sensors in the road, but, I don't think they've got the algorithms correct yet. I don't see any point in having one set at 50mph and then the next and 40 and then back up to 50 and so on. Just creates frustration. The solution is to add some smoothing and delays in the system which means at times your doing 50 when you could be doing 60 or 70. Yet more frustration.

But, having spent many years doing traffic engineering (in telecoms not roads but the maths are similar theories), you can see that if everyone obeys the lower limits, then everyone actually travels at good speed and gets through more quickly. As soon as some start exceeding the set limits and accelerating and braking, the whole system decays into chaos and pretty much everyone suffers. The maths really do work. It isn't done just to because they can - it does make a difference.

I find that if it says 50 - do 50 and everyone does 50 and you will get through at 50 and less stressed. When the traffic builds up a little or people start doing more, everyone including those doing over the limit frequently end up slowing themselves and everyone else down. You frequently get an inverted motorway where lane 1 travels much faster then lane 3. Stick to Lane 1 with the trucks and you win more often than not.

People also complain at how much extra time it added to their journey - The 21 miles of 50 limit that were on the M1 from Jn28 up to the M18 junction only added an additional 7-9 minutes to your journey when everyone was doing 50. What exactly I ask are you going to do with those extra minutes by complaining about the 50 limit? It is the selfish that end up causing problems and massive delays for everyone.
 
You generally find that in a section of 50mph average speed on a motorway, traffic does go a little more than 50 anyway and as you say over a 20 mile stretch you gain very little by going faster. On my 12.5 mile run into work in a morning I see all sorts of idiots breaking their necks to get to the front of the queue but I usually catch up with them at the roundabout 1 mile out of town. I generally travel at 50-55mph so they don't gain much by driving like idiots.

Tony.
 
t-tony said:
You generally find that in a section of 50mph average speed on a motorway, traffic does go a little more than 50 anyway and as you say over a 20 mile stretch you gain very little by going faster. On my 12.5 mile run into work in a morning I see all sorts of idiots breaking their necks to get to the front of the queue but I usually catch up with them at the roundabout 1 mile out of town. I generally travel at 50-55mph so they don't gain much by driving like idiots.

Tony.
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You always get those doing 50 + 10% +2 as well as those that don't care.

Know what you mean about the run into work. I do a section of the A5 - dead straight for a mile. You often get people overtaking just to get in front of you even if there's a whole gaggle of cars/lorries in front that they can't get past - thats despite the fact there's 1/2 mile of dual carriageway just before the motorway.
Same both ways on that stretch. Had a van overtaken something at about 70 or more across a junction the opposite direction on Thursday - straight into cars turning right - goodness only knows how he missed everything. Just 50 yards further on it turns into dual carriageway. I looked in the mirror expecting to see carnage.
The night before I has someone overtake me on a back street as I was turning right. 2 seconds later he or I would have been history.
Its a scary world out there at times.
 
The end result is you speed you pay! End of!
 
I do 30 to 40k a year and so far have a clean licence. I use my satnav as my speed monitor. When it reads 50 to 52 then i put cruise on and sit at that. When you check the cars speedo it reads around 56mph. I know the satnav is correct as when i come into towns where they show what speed you are doing it is always spot on to my satnav.
The trouble i have with motorists is the people who do 55mph and sit in the middle lane when its a 70mph limit on motorways and those that do 40mph on national limited roads. They cause more trouble than most motorists as you either have to sit behind them or break the speed limit to safely pass them. I think they should pull those drivers over and fine them like they would with the ones breaking the speed limits
 
Don't get me started on the middle lane road hogs =))
Just have to treat them as drivers with their brain disconnected!
Don't know why they are there.
Don't know what they are doing.
No idea why they upset everyone else.
 
billz said:
They cause more trouble than most motorists as you either have to sit behind them or break the speed limit to safely pass them. I think they should pull those drivers over and fine them like they would with the ones breaking the speed limits
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The point most talked about when I went on my Speed Awareness course Bill. Either that or they should also post a minimum speed limit too.

Tony.
 
Bedfordshire has increased its camera numbers and has admitted its to gain revenue, so if the government are willing to stand by and let it happen I'll just have to stick to the speed limits, maybe some where in the rules it says they shouldn't, not can't, so there you have it, I believe their lawyers have looked at it and found that as long as there's a recognised appeal procedure and that they can show they're not adusing this procedure they will put even more cameras up. Only one way to beat em and that is for every one to stick to the limits hence starving there revenue to the point that the cost outways the use, easy ain't it.=)) Think I'll just welcome the day when they tell me Im too old to drive, now where's that length of rope I've been saving.:whistle:..............=))
Rha, Roy.:happy:
 
I agree @ Rha and that's exactly how we drive. If everyone drove like that for just one week imagine how much $$$$ they'd lose!! You should organize a drive the limit for a week and see if it will fly nationwide. I drive the limit only but get there pretty damn quick even with the little M44!! JIM
 
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