Average Speed Cameras

I run a set of roadworks on the M5, the police very rarely tell us how many people they prosecute however we pay for the system based on the number of NIPs the cameras generate. It's a substantial figure...

 

Apparently the ones on the A14 around Cambridge / Huntingdon area only pick up forward facing number plates....Is this true of all ASC installations?

 

Not all systems, the majority have front facing cameras however some installations include a rear facing camera too.

 

I've contacts in the MET and several officers have received NIP in the M3 section leading to Sunbury.
One being 58mph in a 50 zone. Apparently they have recently reduced the threshold for prosecution.

 

I have a tendency to get a plate made up using the Reg number of an under cover police car.
Personally, I've not had a ticket yet.

 

What irritates me is the way in which the last camera is always positioned some distance beyond the end of the obstruction, presumably to catch those extra few who floor it when the road clears.

 

So you have to take plod on trust ?

 

No they just don't tell us on site, the PM and the QS get the information but it's considered too sensitive to be shared with the delivery teams.

 

The Cat & Fiddle road famously has an average speed camera system aimed at rear number plates, specifically to catch bikes.

 

There's always someone that speeds by you when you're doing 50mph and I often wonder whether they actually get a ticket. Is it average speed over the entire distance of the Specs cameras or can you be done for exceeding 50mph between intermediate cameras?

 

Good question.

What irritates me is the arsehole who insists on driving 6 inches away from your rear bumper through these restrictions.

 

It's the average speed between points that is measured. However, if a separate camera ( hand held, patrol car ) clocks you over the limit at ANY point, you can be prosecuted.

 

It might be an undercover police car. Or somebody with cloned number plates on. Or somebody who is planning to leave the UK permanently tomorrow. Or somebody who just doesn't give a shit. Whoever it is, it doesn't hurt you to get out of their way.

 

Happens far too often to be all of those. I'm often left sitting there thinking "what do they know that I don't; do they have a secret on/off switch for the cameras, under their dash?"

 

I agree.

In the car I hit the cruise control at 50 in roadworks . On the bike I honestly wish I had a cruise control for that reason. It's so boring and difficult to hold it at 50.

I was hit from behind on the M4 3 years ago.It totalled my car and could have totalled my passenger and I.
Since then I'm very aware that at any moment a large vehicle could turn me into something resembling a fly on a windscreen. Either in a car or on a bike.

When I'm doing 50mph through loooooooong roadworks in the car, as I said, I hit the cruise. I look in my mirror to see nothing but an Artic Lorry grill closing on me, doing a good impersonation of a scene from Dual. It scares the shit out of me.

They come so close it's clear intimidation. Do they know they won't get a ticket for speeding? Have they been through here so many times they know it's all nonsense. Don't they care about other road users or that road workers have families too? To be fair you very rarely see a road worker but these arses drive for a living. They should behave better but no, they want to do 60 in roadworks and they're going to nudge you up to it or flatten you on the way.

This is on the inside lane, the 3rd lane is coned off, I presume they aren't allowed into lane two. So they take the wax off your rear bumper. Or if I'm lucky I expect to spin off at any moment like something nudged from behind in a demolition derby.

I give in and pull violently out of the way into lane two, the overtaking lane, if there is such a thing in a 50mph zone with average speed cameras.

Sure enough he speeds past me on the inside and commits offence number two. It's illegal to pass on the inside but it's getting to epidemic proportions now. I hate it and just like in Dual you never get to see the driver.

Offence number three is to call it 'undertaking'.

One of these days I'm going to have a passenger with me that can take a picture and I must be getting old because I want to report them to their companies at least, for dangerous driving and attempted murder.

When we clear the road works I feed the horses and go past them giving them plenty of car horn. It does sod all good but makes me feel better.

When people go past me in motorway roadwork sections in the outside lane it's up to them. I just wonder how long they expect to keep their licences. It's not as if it's even a fun way to add up points.

I don't get it.

Signed Victor Meldrew.


Oh I feel so much better now but it's been bugging me for a while now too.

 

I too use the cruise control but I have a separate TomTom satnav that hopefully gives a more accurate speed read-out because it is invariably higher. I tend to set my cruise control from this, so maybe the truck drivers are doing something similar. It's also possible they know the exact speed at which the computerised system is set to trigger a prosecution and set their cruise control according to that.
Still no excuse for undertaking or driving intimidatingly close but it might explain some of it.

I know it's difficult to do sometimes but it's really worth avoiding the violent pulling in etc. You never know who you're dealing with and some people are seriously nasty.

 

Also agreed. It was a swift move out of the way though and it was pulling out, into lane two from lane one.
That is after having a good look in the door mirror for anything coming past.

These guys don't seem to be marginally faster, they put their toe down until they reach the next bumper up the road.

 

Just yesterday, A13 roadworks with a 50 limit a car came flying past me at 70 odd. Definitely not an undercover car, just an old punto. That's too big a speed differential to be 'speedo differences'. I always do a speedo 55 anyway but people just flying past at the usual 70 happens all the time. Are these cams a giant ruse. I know technically they can make these things but is the cost prohibitive and are they just lying to us?!? [emoji23]

 

Try it, see how you get on and let me know.

I met a guy at Box Hill a little while ago that announced to the assembled crew,
" Oh by the way, the cameras on the M25 are back on now and anything over 10% +1 mile an hour
and you're done".

"I didn't know they were off, how do you know that?" Said I.

"I work in the main screening building".

"Faaaaaiiirr enough".