Speed Cameras

ShootersHillGuru

on Sunday I was making the journey down to Devon and from my home at Shooters Hill took the A2 towards Darford in order to join the M25 at Darenth. I got onto the M25 at about 10:30 ish. As I was roughly mid point between the A2 junction and the A20 junction there is a speed camera on the opposite carriageway. As I was approaching from the other direction I could see this flashing from perhaps 500 metres away. From the moment I saw it go off first time until the point I was past it I saw it flash 6 or seven times. 

Now I’m not making any comment here as to the rights or wrongs of speed cameras and their purpose but if I saw that camera in the course of 20 seconds flash let’s say six times I wonder just how much revenue was made that day and in general. The traffic flow was not huge but steady and all moving well. 

I thought that speed cameras were now supposed to be placed at strategic spots where accidents are common and not just on long stretches of carriageway in order to make money. I’ve no idea if this stretch of the M25 is an accident black spot.

my motivation for the post is the shear number of potential prosecutions this would generate and the resulting income.

ForeverAddickted

Its the SMART Motorways that are in place now

If your going in either direction between those two junctions and other sections of the M25 etc. now and see a Speed limit sign within a red circle then do that speed limit as its not a speed limit sign "suggesting" that you drop to that speed

They're bloody annoying when its obviously clear that your being reduced down to 50-mph for no reason and have clear roads, plus its bloody dangerous if the first sign tells you to drop to 60mph and then the next tells you to drop to 40mph as you've not got much time to reduce your speed accordingly

hoof_it_up_to_benty

It's very confusing on some roads where the speed limit varies between 40 and 50 - if drivers see a camera or the road markings nearby they'll often hit the brakes as they're not sure what the limit is. They sometimes seem to detract from road safety if people become focussed on avoiding a ticket.

Easy way to raise revenue.

Rizzo

ShootersHillGuru said:

on Sunday I was making the journey down to Devon and from my home at Shooters Hill took the A2 towards Darford in order to join the M25 at Darenth. I got onto the M25 at about 10:30 ish. As I was roughly mid point between the A2 junction and the A20 junction there is a speed camera on the opposite carriageway. As I was approaching from the other direction I could see this flashing from perhaps 500 metres away. From the moment I saw it go off first time until the point I was past it I saw it flash 6 or seven times.

I hope you weren't too distracted by the camera on the other carriageway as there's one on your side too!

hoof_it_up_to_benty

The M23 has been a nightmare to use for ages while they turn it into a 'SMART' motorway - can anyone explain what purpose 'Smart' motorways serve?

Rizzo

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

The M23 has been a nightmare to use for ages while they turn it into a 'SMART' motorway - can anyone explain what purpose 'Smart' motorways serve?

Justification for permanent average speed cameras, which I would imagine are a great source of revenue.

Crusty54

The A2 has average speed cameras from the first dual carriageway to the M25. 

hoof_it_up_to_benty

Rizzo said:

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

The M23 has been a nightmare to use for ages while they turn it into a 'SMART' motorway - can anyone explain what purpose 'Smart' motorways serve?

Justification for permanent average speed cameras, which I would imagine are a great source of revenue.

But do they save lives?

ForeverAddickted

They're also to remove the Hard Shoulders and make them usable for traffic when the roads are really busy

Its a great idea but a load of shit... Was travelling back down the M6 between Birmingham and the M1 a few weeks ago and likewise there are loads of roadworks whilst they're in turn installed - Some poor bloke broke down a few cars in front of me, put their hazards on but because there was no hard shoulder had to just sit there, because it was so sudden I'm still yet to understand how the car between us and me didnt go into the back of him (Thankfully because we left enough room)

Of course if they didnt bother installing SMART Motorways and just left as is; the broken down car would have been able to move out of everyones way and so avoid any potential accidents!!

stevexreeve

Think this is really all about capacity.

If everybody drives steadily at the same speed with no overtaking you can pump more cars down the road and we don't have to build new ones. 

I don't think the government really care about raising a few hundred million from speeding fines. But they do want to save themselves spending billions on more infrastructure.

SE10Addick

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

Rizzo said:

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

The M23 has been a nightmare to use for ages while they turn it into a 'SMART' motorway - can anyone explain what purpose 'Smart' motorways serve?

Justification for permanent average speed cameras, which I would imagine are a great source of revenue.

But do they save lives?

I nearly always kill myself jamming on my brakes to slow down from 110mph to 50mph...

hoof_it_up_to_benty

stevexreeve said:

Think this is really all about capacity.

If everybody drives steadily at the same speed with no overtaking you can pump more cars down the road and we don't have to build new ones. 

I don't think the government really care about raising a few hundred million from speeding fines. But they do want to save themselves spending billions on more infrastructure.

Agreed.

ShootersHillGuru

Rizzo said:

ShootersHillGuru said:

on Sunday I was making the journey down to Devon and from my home at Shooters Hill took the A2 towards Darford in order to join the M25 at Darenth. I got onto the M25 at about 10:30 ish. As I was roughly mid point between the A2 junction and the A20 junction there is a speed camera on the opposite carriageway. As I was approaching from the other direction I could see this flashing from perhaps 500 metres away. From the moment I saw it go off first time until the point I was past it I saw it flash 6 or seven times.

I hope you weren't too distracted by the camera on the other carriageway as there's one on your side too!

I never go over the limit well not since I was flashed last year.

ForeverAddickted

stevexreeve said:

Think this is really all about capacity.

If everybody drives steadily at the same speed with no overtaking you can pump more cars down the road and we don't have to build new ones. 

I don't think the government really care about raising a few hundred million from speeding fines. But they do want to save themselves spending billions on more infrastructure.

Thats never going to happen though... Even when the Motorway tells you to do 50mph there is always going to be the bloke tailgating wanting to speed past and risk the speed camera not going off or you'll have someone poodling along at 40mph

Addickted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wUGJmOsN88

Lincsaddick

I am in Lincoln Mags Court next Monday to fight a potential ban. I have been caught 7 times in the past 2 & 1/2 years by speed cams .. 7/8 miles over the limit every time and on one day I was nicked twice, near Lincoln and in Nottingham.
 In the previous 47 years of driving I had been nicked twice for speeding. It's the rural areas where the money is made, silly limits and empty straight roads. 
YES I know I should have kept to the limits bla bla blah but even so. It's this cavalier attitude by the gov towards the general public/road user that makes me determined not to pay a penny more in tax and rates and all the other demands the gov makes on my money, than is necessary.   
As @ShootersHillGuru writes, the gov is cashing in big time. On at least three occasions when I was nicked I was in a stream of traffic when presumably all of us were nicked and will fork out a minimum £60. A curse on the speed cams and the computers which churn out the summonses.

DaveMehmet

ShootersHillGuru said:

Rizzo said:

ShootersHillGuru said:

on Sunday I was making the journey down to Devon and from my home at Shooters Hill took the A2 towards Darford in order to join the M25 at Darenth. I got onto the M25 at about 10:30 ish. As I was roughly mid point between the A2 junction and the A20 junction there is a speed camera on the opposite carriageway. As I was approaching from the other direction I could see this flashing from perhaps 500 metres away. From the moment I saw it go off first time until the point I was past it I saw it flash 6 or seven times.

I hope you weren't too distracted by the camera on the other carriageway as there's one on your side too!

I never go over the limit well not since I was flashed last year.

I don't blame you. You don't want to be gong too fast to see him again.

smudge7946

Most cars come with three foot pedals. 
By pressing your foot on the middle peddle your motor vehicle will travel a little slower. 

Crusty54

ShootersHillGuru said:

Rizzo said:

ShootersHillGuru said:

on Sunday I was making the journey down to Devon and from my home at Shooters Hill took the A2 towards Darford in order to join the M25 at Darenth. I got onto the M25 at about 10:30 ish. As I was roughly mid point between the A2 junction and the A20 junction there is a speed camera on the opposite carriageway. As I was approaching from the other direction I could see this flashing from perhaps 500 metres away. From the moment I saw it go off first time until the point I was past it I saw it flash 6 or seven times.

I hope you weren't too distracted by the camera on the other carriageway as there's one on your side too!

I never go over the limit well not since I was flashed last year.

The average speed cameras don’t flash. They are just linked to a system that issues tickets. Exceed the speed limit on the A2 and you stand a very good chance of getting a ticket. 

Covered End

Lincsaddick said:

I am in Lincoln Mags Court next Monday to fight a potential ban. I have been caught 7 times in the past 2 & 1/2 years by speed cams .. 7/8 miles over the limit every time and on one day I was nicked twice, near Lincoln and in Nottingham.
 In the previous 47 years of driving I had been nicked twice for speeding. It's the rural areas where the money is made, silly limits and empty straight roads. 
YES I know I should have kept to the limits bla bla blah but even so. It's this cavalier attitude by the gov towards the general public/road user that makes me determined not to pay a penny more in tax and rates and all the other demands the gov makes on my money, than is necessary.   
As @ShootersHillGuru writes, the gov is cashing in big time. On at least three occasions when I was nicked I was in a stream of traffic when presumably all of us were nicked and will fork out a minimum £60. A curse on the speed cams and the computers which churn out the summonses.

Wow. Once or even twice is unfortunate, but 7 times in 2.5 years is astounding.

SuedeAdidas

Lincsaddick said:

I am in Lincoln Mags Court next Monday to fight a potential ban. I have been caught 7 times in the past 2 & 1/2 years by speed cams .. 7/8 miles over the limit every time and on one day I was nicked twice, near Lincoln and in Nottingham.
 In the previous 47 years of driving I had been nicked twice for speeding. It's the rural areas where the money is made, silly limits and empty straight roads. 
YES I know I should have kept to the limits bla bla blah but even so. It's this cavalier attitude by the gov towards the general public/road user that makes me determined not to pay a penny more in tax and rates and all the other demands the gov makes on my money, than is necessary.   
As @ShootersHillGuru writes, the gov is cashing in big time. On at least three occasions when I was nicked I was in a stream of traffic when presumably all of us were nicked and will fork out a minimum £60. A curse on the speed cams and the computers which churn out the summonses.

Some may say that your cavalier attitude to the speed limit is looking more likely to be the issue.....

Addickted

SMART motorways are what cruise control was invented for.

ShootersHillGuru

Worth a read if you travel west at any time.

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/cars/article-6290175/Britains-prolific-speed-cameras-revealed.html

AddicksAddict

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

The M23 has been a nightmare to use for ages while they turn it into a 'SMART' motorway - can anyone explain what purpose 'Smart' motorways serve?

It negates the slamming on of brakes when people are going far too fast and see a camera up ahead.

guinnessaddick

smudge7946 said:

Most cars come with three foot pedals. 
By pressing your foot on the middle peddle your motor vehicle will travel a little slower. 

Autos only have two and the new Nissan Leaf only has one.

Chizz

I used to work with a woman who, whenever she saw an "average speed check" warning sign, would look around her to see what speeds the other cars were doing.  And, if there were some going quite slowly, she would feel free to speed up a bit. 

ForeverAddickted

Chizz said:

I used to work with a woman who, whenever she saw an "average speed check" warning sign, would look around her to see what speeds the other cars were doing.  And, if there were some going quite slowly, she would feel free to speed up a bit. 

Please tell me this is a joke and that it didnt actually happen... Would be happy to take a whoosh if so

charltonkeston

Addickted said:

SMART motorways are what cruise control was invented for.

Ive got adaptive cruise control on my car. I set it for about 75ish and other people do the braking for me.

NorwichRed

Lincsaddick said:

I am in Lincoln Mags Court next Monday to fight a potential ban. I have been caught 7 times in the past 2 & 1/2 years by speed cams .. 7/8 miles over the limit every time and on one day I was nicked twice, near Lincoln and in Nottingham.
 In the previous 47 years of driving I had been nicked twice for speeding. It's the rural areas where the money is made, silly limits and empty straight roads. 
YES I know I should have kept to the limits bla bla blah but even so. It's this cavalier attitude by the gov towards the general public/road user that makes me determined not to pay a penny more in tax and rates and all the other demands the gov makes on my money, than is necessary.   
As @ShootersHillGuru writes, the gov is cashing in big time. On at least three occasions when I was nicked I was in a stream of traffic when presumably all of us were nicked and will fork out a minimum £60. A curse on the speed cams and the computers which churn out the summonses.

Having worked in this field for many years the reason why there are speed restrictions in rural locations is because of numerous hazards...no footpaths, cyclists, road widths, blind bends and running curves and hidden junctions and house and farm entrances. The highways authorities look at all roads sympathetically and these factors are determined in the maximum speed deemed safe for the particular road. The speed limits are simply just not made up.

ShootersHillGuru

Starts to look like a money making enterprise when 8 out of the ten most active speed cameras in the entire country are in one Policing area, in this case Avon and Somerset. I know that this area has both the M4, M5 and M32 over the bridges into Wales but I’m sure that other Police forces must have equally as much motorway and when looking at the M1 much more dangerous sections of motorway too. Seems disproportionate and goes against the current ethos of only having cameras in known areas of accidents.

Greenie

We've done this on here quite a few times, speed cameras are nothing more than roadside Tax collectors.

The main cause of accidents is bad driving, not going a few MPH over the speed limit, its cheap policing, safety has bugger all to do with it, if the government were concerned about speed causing deaths, they have the technology whereby every vehicle on the road could have a device fitted that works via GPS and would restrict the vehicle to the speed of whatever road it is on, but why dont they do it? Well you know the answer to that, its a stealth tax. To think anything different is naive.

RE The M25 (and other motorways), look for the yellow boxes attached to the side of over head gantries, these are used to register a vehicle for when the variable smart speed limits are switched on, however two years ago they were also employed for general speeding (although the road agencies said they wouldn't be). 
On a lighter note a good mate of mine is a car dealer, he was ripped off by another dealer so found out what car and colour he owned, got the same model car, copied the number plates and blatted through half a dozen speed cameras. I bet it took some explaining when the NIP letter came through.