Up to now, motorway cameras have been used primarily on stretches undergoing roadworks, or to enforce variable speed limits on stretches of managed motorway, where they have only been switched on when the limit has been reduced to 60mph or below. The decision to use cameras to enforce the 70mph limit coincides with a recent increase in the number of deaths on Britain’s motorways, which rose 14% last year to 100.
The crackdown is being led by Avon and Somerset police. The constabulary started enforcing the 70mph limit on June 27, using speed cameras mounted on gantries over stretches of managed motorway along the M4 and M5. Within two weeks the cameras had caught 549 drivers travelling above 79mph who were subsequently issued with fixed penalty notices or a court summons.
Other forces are preparing to use a new generation of speed camera, called Hadecs3 (Highways Agency digital enforcement camera system). These are not installed on gantries but mounted discreetly on poles at the roadside. They are painted grey and require no white lines on the road to verify their speed readings, which makes them more difficult to spot than current systems.
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>> Other forces are preparing to use a new generation of speed camera, called Hadecs3 (Highways
>> Agency digital enforcement camera system). These are not installed on gantries but mounted discreetly on
>> poles at the roadside. They are painted grey and require no white lines on the
>> road to verify their speed readings, which makes them more difficult to spot than current
>> systems.
Not preparing to use them, they are now using them on the M25 between junctions 6 and 5
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 17 Aug 14 at 19:44
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Hope I'm OK. On little-known bits of motorway I take my cue from the obvious aficionados and try not to go much faster than they do. But I do remember seeing 90 on the M4 the other day, following a couple of vehicles I assumed to be aficionados.
Goodness... I hope they were.
In familiar areas, London itself included, I quite often hustle along faster than the traffic when I think I can get away with it. But I'm always reassured by cars going faster than I am and no longer feel the need to keep up with them or even overtake them.
Driving is a tussle between joy and paranoia.
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>>The decision to use cameras to enforce the 70mph limit coincides with a recent increase in the number of deaths on Britain's motorways, which rose 14% last year to 100.
I really hope it is coincidence, not a response to what is well within the limits of random variation.
85 has always been, tacitly, the acceptable speed I think - but that probably means an indicated 85. Not unadjacent to the 79mph for which a friend of mine was done on the empty eastern end of the M62 at about 6am one day in 1990 I think, by a proper jam sandwich hiding up a slip road.
The cruise / speed warning will be set at 78. And I'll still be dodging faster traffic.
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>> 85 has always been, tacitly, the acceptable speed I think -
Not sure where you got that number from. Motorway Police, on the whole are distinctly uninterested in you if you do 80mph max (given reasonable road and traffic conditions) go above that mark and as fiends have proven they will be become very interested indeed.
Given the fact that cameras will flash at 70mph plus and a NIP will follow if that is 79 and above then the two don't really differ that much.
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>> >> 85 has always been, tacitly, the acceptable speed I think -
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>> Not sure where you got that number from.
Pub talk really but I've heard it several times. I did say I would take it to be 'indicated'.
At an indicated 90+ I would expect to attract attention at least now and again.
The point of posting was really to note that I know of somebody being done for 79mph as long ago as 1990, so apart from the trawler rather than rod and line approach, not much has changed.
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Lately I have taken to cruising at about 75 (per my satnav - speedo showing just under 80) when traffic permits. Saying that it seems virtually every motorway between here and Gloucester has long term road works, so 50 is as much as you are allowed.
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This is surely a non-story, remember in 2010:
"In May 2010 the new Coalition government said that the 'Labour's 13-year war on the motorist is over' and that the new government 'pledged to scrap public funding for speed cameras'."
If the crackdown is being lead by Avon & Somerset police has the BBC missed the coup when the police took over the running of the country?
I've read about these things abroad but I didn't think I'd see it in Europe.
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I'm such a goody-goody 'cos I don't bother to speed. Being retired, I really am never in any rush to get anywhere so I just mimse along the m'way at no more than 65. Often less. I'm quite happy to knock me brain out of gear and follow a truck at 55 or so.......keeping a good gap, of course. Seems to gobble the miles up without any stress. Works for me.
I've had the Grand Vitara up to about 70 on the clock but watching the fuel gauge soon slows me down a bit. Anyway, I did my speeding when I was younger, with government permission and got paid for it !
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>> I'm quite happy to knock me brain out of gear and follow a truck at 55 or so.......keeping a good gap, of course.
Which does wonders for your fuel consumption ;>)
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You can only go as fast as the traffic will bear if you don't want to attract attention, and who does? It means knowing what's going on all around you at all times, using all three lanes if it's a motorway, undertaking seldom, with caution and only when necessary, and able to stay out of an overtaking-lane stormer's way with a squirt of throttle when necessary... so many people are obsessed with economy at all costs. That's quite wrong.
I don't try to go fast these days, just to keep up with the upper third. There are people who go fast, usually quite tidily too. But it's harder work than just skimming along at, I suppose, the limit on average. I can still beat the traffic hollow I hope but I am getting very out of practice.
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But it isn't always about being in a rush to get there. Sometimes it's exciting and very enjoyable to go fast and stuff the mpg. I'm not talking about motorways and dual carriageways. But lightly trafficked roads, both A & B, when both the mood and conditions allow, still brings a grin to my face at the end of a licence losing blast. Especially following an equally fast, tidily driven piece of machinery whose driver knows both road and potential hazards.
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Tsk. Think I don't know that legacy? Really!
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I knew that AC....on motorways & dual carriageways I just like to mimse myself at between 65 & 80 provided conditions allow. Exceeding that on motorways over long distances is asking for a ticket! Your speed creeps up and before you know it you can be cruising along at a ton, especially on some of the quieter motorways in my part of the world.
It's only on local roads I know well that I enjoy my ' need for speed' and those occasions are becoming rarer.
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For a long time there are speed cameras on M1 to impose limits. I have seen them flashing several times. It is difficult to guess what was the threshold speed but I went under them at indicated 80 MPH and didn't flash.
I think those who got flash were very likely going over 90 MPH.
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New Motorway Speed Cameras - Zero
