Speed cameras M1 & M25


The trouble is that there are next to no police patrol cars out there these days, the poor boys in blue who would love to be out there doing their job are tied both hand and feet completing endless amounts of red tape!!
One of my friends is high speed patrol driver, he quite often passes comment about how impossible his job is to do these days due to all the
needless red tape paperwork.
Whereas in years gone by he loved his job, these days all he is doing is counting down the days before he can finally get away from all of the needless faff and retire.
 
This is crazy. Just a money making exercise but I would also argue that its dangerous especially with a zero tolerance setting. People will spend half their time concentrating on their speedos instead of looking at the road. I can see a justification for a variable limit in times of congestion and fines for thundering down the outside lane at 80+ in a 50mph restriction but all this will do is likely increase accidents and make a wedge of cash in fines.

The smart bits of the M3 and M25 I use regularly seem quite tame these days. On the M3 most cars travel at a steady 70 and just stay in line. A good cruise control and speed alarm help. When we leave the smart section just before Fleet everything suddenly seems to get more competitive, including me. I suspect the future will involve averaging speed cameras on all motorways, which might be easier to live with than no tolerance fixed ones.
 
The smart bits of the M3 and M25 I use regularly seem quite tame these days. On the M3 most cars travel at a steady 70 and just stay in line. A good cruise control and speed alarm help. When we leave the smart section just before Fleet everything suddenly seems to get more competitive, including me. I suspect the future will involve averaging speed cameras on all motorways, which might be easier to live with than no tolerance fixed ones.

Well from memory if you could get along at 70 on the M25 you were doing pretty well! I dont travel like I used to thank goodness. I have noticed a distinct drop in general speed though when I do. I think your right, variable speed limits when needed are better. If your driving along the M1 at 2am and its empty though in a modern car crawling along at 70 would send me to sleep.
 
Well from memory if you could get along at 70 on the M25 you were doing pretty well! I dont travel like I used to thank goodness. I have noticed a distinct drop in general speed though when I do. I think your right, variable speed limits when needed are better. If your driving along the M1 at 2am and its empty though in a modern car crawling along at 70 would send me to sleep.

You are of course right about the M25 speeds. I heard they didn’t need cameras, portrait painters would would be just as effective.
 
People will spend half their time concentrating on their speedos instead of looking at the road.


People always poo-poo this argument - "No-one is that bad a driver", or "It just doesn't happen", or "Keep up with the traffic, you'll be alright".

However - I have first-hand experience that speedo watchers DO have accidents, BECAUSE they are watching the speedo and not the road.

About 10 years ago I was working with TRL (Transport Research Lab) as a roving accident investigator on the Thames Valley Traffic patch - incorporating the M4/M40/M25 sections of the motorway network. One bright sunny morning we attended an incident on the M4, just at the M25 junction, eastbound. If you know the area, you'll know there's a slight left curve just as you approach the M25 slip-road.
There was a stationary queue, due to weight of traffic joining the M25, and so the overhead gantries for at least a mile or more were showing a 40mph limit (as they do).
The accident we attended was caused by a driver piling into the back of the stationary traffic at 40 mph.
I know for a fact that it was caused by the driver watching the speedo and not the road and traffic conditions because her very words when describing the accident to me were "But I was only doing 40 miles per hour!"

Driving a car is a hazardous occupation that requires full concentration and a high level of situational observation and awareness at all times. We, as a society, now have such safe vehicles that we have forgotten this very salient fact.

/steps off soapbox
 
Beware there are a LOT of unmarked old bill cars on the M25, we live near the Dartford tunnel, most of the old bill cars are fast jobs
 
Has anyone actually seen a NIP for less than the speed limit +10% + 2mph i.e 79mph in a 70mph, 68mph in 60 etc?
I strongly advise anyone getting a NIP for a speed of less than 10% over the limit to opt for a day in court. Magistrates are very unlikely to pass a guilty verdict unless there are other factors to take into account.
 
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I accept that speeding is a problem, but what really gets up nose is the people that sit out in the middle lane and don bother to get into the correct lane, rant over
 
Does anyone know if these cameras are smart enough to work out the speed limit for individual vehicles ? For example a lorry or large motorhome ?
As ANPR is so good now surely it doesn't take much to cross check ?

I hope these Smart motorway cameras are also monitoring for Tax/insurance/mot as a priority over speeders ?

I guess it can't spot a speeding car towing a caravan since same reg whether car is towing or not ......

Paul
 
Does this speed camera switch on include the new Smart motorway sections of the M1 around Nottingham ?

Paul
Don't think anyone knows if they have been turned on, or if they have always been on, just set to a much higher speed than 70.
 
Many know better than the many studies that have bean mad to make our roads safe for us and other road users be it padestrian or driver
It's not nice burring a child and your last fiscal contact is the cord you lowered them in to the ground with
Becus sum twat igrors the speed limit
Bill
 
Many know better than the many studies that have bean mad to make our roads safe for us and other road users be it padestrian or driver
It's not nice burring a child and your last fiscal contact is the cord you lowered them in to the ground with
Becus sum twat igrors the speed limit
Bill

Sobering Bill. Much food for thought there.
 
Speed Limits....love em or hate em? There should be no emotion when regarding a speed limit, it is purely an instruction that informs you of the max speed you are allowed to travel up to, if it is safe to do so! All part of the HIGHWAY CODE, which is designed to keep us all safe, including pedestrians and cyclists. On my PSV test back in 1976, I was asked the question, "If you are driving along the road and you come across a pedestrian walking along the road, who has the right of way" I answered the question with, "pedestrian" I passed the test. If I had said, I do, I would have failed!
 
70mph on the M25? :unsure:



The variable speed limit was down to 40mph on my way to the New Year meet... I was lucky to get up into 2nd gear, let alone do 40 :cry:
 
Many know better than the many studies that have bean mad to make our roads safe for us and other road users be it padestrian or driver
It's not nice burring a child and your last fiscal contact is the cord you lowered them in to the ground with
Becus sum twat igrors the speed limit
Bill

Thank you for sharing that.

Speed may not be the cause of every accident but even when it is not, it can certainly make matters so much worse.
 
Speeding on motorways is not something I ever have to worry about !
Maybe, a big maybe, i just might threaten it but it would have to be down a long steep hill :eek:

Yep, me too, my old gal rarely likes going over 60!
 

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