M4 Speed Cameras (Wiltshire, UK)

[neil_davidson2]

For those of you that use the M4 through Wiltshire (UK) on a regular basis and haven't seen the news yet, the police are clamping right down on the speed limit. Mobile cameras units will be placed on bridges.

Article here

It seems as though people who are breaking the speed limit by 9mph are being booked according to some of the stories linked from the one I've posted.

It's interesting to note that both sides of the argument are using the fact that the motorway is virtually straight to make their case: it's straight therefore speed can't be causing the accidents OR it's straight therefore it can only be speed that causes the accidents. And of course there are people claiming that it's a cynical way of providing extra revenue (surely not! )

My own feeling on this is that excessive speed can potentially make a bad situation worse because you have less chance of avoiding the incident, but the cause of many of the accidents I've seen on that stretch is down to poor lane discipline and observation. People joining the motorway and cutting straight across to the outside lane, People cutting across from the outside lane to make an exit at the last minute are regular sights, as are people simply switching lane without looking.

I guess the bottom line is that 70mph is the legal limit regardless of what we'd like it to be.

[Daimlerman]

One of the dangers of using these cameras in marked locations is, that as soon as moyorists spot a camera when travelling at btheir usual 85 -90 mph, they will hit the breaks to slow to 70 or even less.

This could well cause a "shuttle effect" behind and probably the inevitable shunts a few cars back.

It remains to be seen whether it saves or causes accidents.

[garcon]

I'm sure the figures will show it saves accidents...

I know the limit is 70mph, and there's nothing new in 79mph being the lowest speed at which you might get a ticket, but if they really wanted to reduce accidents on motorways they need to prosecute for tailgating. Surely that isn't beyond our technological capabilities?

[Craig]

Same result as happens on the M25 when the temporary speed limits are in force - hammer up to the camera, stand on the brakes, gun the throttle again until the next gantry. I've seen countless idiots hit the anchors causing ridiculous amounts of near misses and several accidents as i direct result also. Crazy. Isn't it about time the speed limits were raised on motorways anyway?

[garcon]

Maybe they should return to setting speed limits according to the 85th percantile average.

On the M25 that'd be about 15mph...

[Bluebottle]

Originally Posted by neil_davidson2

Mobile cameras units will be placed on bridges.

Passed one yesterday....

[Bluebottle]

Incidentaly, one of the side effects of increasing camera use is that many insurance companies now treat one speeding conviction as inevitable rather that an extra risk, so there's no increse to your premium.

[CombeMarshal]

At rush hour they won't get any one (there either going to slow or 2" form the car behind, so they cant read the plate) and most other times of day theres no need for them
Lee

[topwelshman]

I hate these things & it's high time we increased the limit but that won't happen as it'll affect revenue, this is ALL about money & NOT about safety.

I got stopped as a teenager coming from Cardiff to Swindon doing 98mph & the copper let me off & didn't even give me a warning. He said that hea wasn't bothered about my speed on the motorway as it was made for it but was more concerned if i also went that fast off it.

Our speed limits are out of date & going 70mph now causes congestion & frustration. How many times have you been in heavy traffic where everyone in the inside, middle & outside lanes are doing 50-70mph & not getting anywhere. I know this is mainly down to volume, but alot of it is down to people not pulling over as 70 is the limit & they're gonna stick to it. If it was raised to 85 things would flow alot better & those that are going to do 90 & over will still do it so what's the problem

PS there are also police cars parked in the exit to the Leigh Delamere & Membury services

[RTH]

Speed cameras are just an interim solution , the government plans to mechanically limit cars to the speed limits using engine management systems linked to GPS satellites and the cars are already being tested by motoring journalists - you may have seen the TV demonstration, just recently.

This is to be coupled to 20 mph urban limits ( there is alot of this in towns like Norwich already ) and the introduction of 10 mph limits in city centres, also being trialled now ready to be rolled out across the nation.

The revenue will be made up by road pricing on top of all the present taxes.

[Bluebottle]

Originally Posted by RTH

Speed cameras are just an interim solution , the government plans to mechanically limit cars to the speed limits using engine management systems linked to GPS satellites.......

Thankfully three out of my four cars have carbs and no electronics....

[RTH]

Originally Posted by topwelshman

Our speed limits are out of date & going 70mph now causes congestion & frustration. How many times have you been in heavy traffic where everyone in the inside, middle & outside lanes are doing 50-70mph & not getting anywhere. I know this is mainly down to volume, but alot of it is down to people not pulling over as 70 is the limit & they're gonna stick to it. If it was raised to 85 things would flow alot better ..........

I don't know if it is printed in the manifesto published this week but the Conservatives are on record if elected to raise the speed limit on motorways to 80mph, to remove cameras from all non-black spot areas, remove speed humps from all but the most dangerous stretches of urban road e.g. in the vicinity of schools etc and to undertake to do a complete review of the criteria for the various speed limit levels.

The 70 mph speed limit was imposed in 1965 when cars had stopping distances of over twice what they are capable of today.

[Woolley]

This is only worthwhile if it's done as part of a clamp down on misuse of lanes ('centre lane owners club' and 'don't leave the oustside unless you have to') and penalising drivers for going too slowly as well. It astonishes me when I overtake a solo car while I'm towing my caravan. If you can't go faster than a 'van you shouldn't be on the motorway.

It's not excessive speed that's the problem, but the speed differential. If everyone's doing a ton then, mechanical failure aside, there's no greater danger than if everyone's doing 50. It's when some are doing 90 and some 40 and everyone else in between is searching for the right space that it can get hairy.

[Bluebottle]

I'm still waiting for the Tailgater Cameras to be installed, along with the Driver Holding Mobile Phone Cameras......

The lane-hogging thing could be solved at a stroke by getting rid of the 'No Undertaking' rule, freeing up many miles of the motorway system. All new cars since a few years ago have two door mirrors so it shouldn't cause a problem and it would get rid of the 'Fast Lane' myth as well!

[TimD]

Had to chuckle at the tailgater on the A43 yesterday. Stuck like glue to the back of a Porsche 996 for two miles, at speeds between 65 and 80, never more than a car's length behind it.

A white Vauxhall Police Van!

[maximus]

Originally Posted by Woolley

This is only worthwhile if it's done as part of a clamp down on misuse of lanes ('centre lane owners club' and 'don't leave the oustside unless you have to') and penalising drivers for going too slowly as well. It astonishes me when I overtake a solo car while I'm towing my caravan. If you can't go faster than a 'van you shouldn't be on the motorway.

How about the "even though there is a car in front of you thats not doing the speed I want and you don't want to use the third lane and theres no point getting into the slow lane as there is a caravan there but you should still get out of my way and I'll flash my lights at you until you do" club?

Sorry one driver did that to me the other week and he just really p*****d me off.

[Paul V]

I went up and down the M4 on Saturday going to Combe - I did not see any sign (except for the signs) of any cameras.

What there were lots of, were footy fans off to Wales and back. I wonder if there is any relationship with the announcements?

In general tho' there were few cars going much faster than me, and very few rocket ships.

[CombeMarshal]

They probably only come out in the week, It's easier money then!

[Dave Brand]

Just for the record, despite what the BBC & other 'national' media have said, this is NOT the first time mobile cameras have been used to enforce the 70mph limit on British motorways. They have been used on the M180 in Humberside for a couple of years.

[johnh875]

Just be glad you don't live here in Victoria, you can be booked for more than 3km/h over the limit (aka 2mph)... And I have, 64km/h in a 60 zone. To tell the complete story that was a detected speed of 67 less 3km/h for radar/equipment tolerance - never mind the fact that under Aust vehicle design rules speedometers have to be accurate within a 10% tolerance.

By the time you are 9mph or 15km/h over you are into the second tier of fine/licence points, and for 25km/h (15mph) it is 1 month loss of licence. Better still is on the equivalent of your motorways with a 110km/h / 70mph limit the 25km/h-over is still counted from 100km/h of normal open road speed limits - yes by an amazing bureaucratic piece of logic just 15km/h over the actual limit! So 9mph over the limit you would be looking at loss of licence...

The saving grace is that police manning radar guns are allowed to use discretion, even if speed cameras can't. On a final note, the road toll has actually risen over the last few years, in case you thought these sort of tactics would actually work...

Sorry, rant over!

[RTH]

That is outrageous, really people should not tolerate that.

[johnh875]

The next state election will be interesting!

[jase]

Originally Posted by Bluebottle

The lane-hogging thing could be solved at a stroke by getting rid of the 'No Undertaking' rule, freeing up many miles of the motorway system. All new cars since a few years ago have two door mirrors so it shouldn't cause a problem and it would get rid of the 'Fast Lane' myth as well!

I hate MLM's (Middle Lane Morons) who drive at 60 with nothing in lane 1 and a build up behind as people Have to go to lane3 to pass. Thing is, a drop to lane1 and gently pass them on the left often gets the message accross to these people.

Thing is, as said before, Scameras cannot pick up on poor road discipline - I expect and have no problem with someone passing me on my left (I do it myself) - as long as it's done at a reasonable speed and safely.