Speed Cameras M4 M5
Discussion
This article was in the times. It tells the tale of how Avon & Somerset police are now using the cameras on the M4 M5 managed section to enforce the 70mph limit. The article also goes on to mention the new Hadec cameras on the M25 which is being trialled by the Kent force, which if successful will see these being rolled out. Yet more ways to take money of the motorists
New developments in the use of speed camera technology
The Times has reported that drivers who exceed the 70 mph limit on stretches of motorway are being routinely targeted by speed cameras for the first time.
The move means any driver who travels considerably faster than the national limit — defined as 10% plus 2 mph above the limit — will receive a fixed penalty
notice.
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 60 mph or below.
The announcement comes after the recent news that the number of deaths on Britain’s motorways increased by 14% last year.
The crackdown, which is being led by Avon and Somerset police, began enforcing the 70 mph limit on June 27, using speed cameras mounted on gantries over stretches of managed motorway along the M4 and M5.
A gantry mounted HADECS3 camera
549 drivers travelling at 79 mph were caught within two weeks. These drivers were subsequently issued with fixed penalty notices or a court summons.
‘We have looked into the value of speed cameras and come to the conclusion that they encourage most drivers to comply with the national speed limits. It
makes total sense from a road safety point of view to enforce the speed limits on this managed section — whatever limits are in force at the time,’ said
Temporary Chief Superintendent Ian Smith.
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.
The cameras have already been installed on the M25 between junctions 5 and 7 and are being tested by Kent police before they are used to enforce the speed
limit.
New developments in the use of speed camera technology
The Times has reported that drivers who exceed the 70 mph limit on stretches of motorway are being routinely targeted by speed cameras for the first time.
The move means any driver who travels considerably faster than the national limit — defined as 10% plus 2 mph above the limit — will receive a fixed penalty
notice.
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 60 mph or below.
The announcement comes after the recent news that the number of deaths on Britain’s motorways increased by 14% last year.
The crackdown, which is being led by Avon and Somerset police, began enforcing the 70 mph limit on June 27, using speed cameras mounted on gantries over stretches of managed motorway along the M4 and M5.
A gantry mounted HADECS3 camera
549 drivers travelling at 79 mph were caught within two weeks. These drivers were subsequently issued with fixed penalty notices or a court summons.
‘We have looked into the value of speed cameras and come to the conclusion that they encourage most drivers to comply with the national speed limits. It
makes total sense from a road safety point of view to enforce the speed limits on this managed section — whatever limits are in force at the time,’ said
Temporary Chief Superintendent Ian Smith.
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.
The cameras have already been installed on the M25 between junctions 5 and 7 and are being tested by Kent police before they are used to enforce the speed
limit.
I am always a little suspicious of newspaper reports like these.
Firstly:
Firstly:
article said:
The Times has reported that drivers who exceed the 70 mph limit on stretches of motorway are being routinely targeted by speed cameras for the first time.
Not true. The camera vans were at it all the time, and still are in Wales as far as I am awarearticle said:
549 drivers travelling at 79 mph were caught within two weeks. These drivers were subsequently issued with fixed penalty notices or a court summons.
I find this hard to believe. How many people, I wonder, would get summons for 79 in a 70? Come to that, in the era of speed awareness courses, how many people are going to get a FPN for 79? Perhaps the journalist meant to say "travelling at over 79 mph" which would put a different light on the matter, but it would also then be sloppy journalism. And sloppy journalism in one part of the story calls into question the accuracy of the rest of it.spaximus said:
The article also goes on to mention the new Hadec cameras on the M25 which is being trialled by the Kent force, which if successful will see these being rolled out.
No it doesn't. It says:article said:
The cameras have already been installed on the M25 between junctions 5 and 7 and are being tested by Kent police before they are used to enforce the speed limit.
Which is not the same thing at all.Sorry if you disagree with the standard of reporting, however my aim was to make locals aware of what is being said and that these are being used fully all the time.
As reported it is the first time the fixed cameras are being used to enforce the 70mph limit, you are correct that camera vans are in use in some areas on Motorways, Cumbria on the M6 and Avon & Somerset on their bit of the M4, South Wales did do this when the mad Mullah was there but I haven't seen any for a long time except on the 50mph bit by the toll booths.
As for the Hadec, yes this was not in that article but it has been reported before in other publications that as more managed motorways come live, these are seen as the future.
As reported it is the first time the fixed cameras are being used to enforce the 70mph limit, you are correct that camera vans are in use in some areas on Motorways, Cumbria on the M6 and Avon & Somerset on their bit of the M4, South Wales did do this when the mad Mullah was there but I haven't seen any for a long time except on the 50mph bit by the toll booths.
As for the Hadec, yes this was not in that article but it has been reported before in other publications that as more managed motorways come live, these are seen as the future.
spaximus said:
Sorry if you disagree with the standard of reporting, however my aim was to make locals aware of what is being said and that these are being used fully all the time.
As reported it is the first time the fixed cameras are being used to enforce the 70mph limit, you are correct that camera vans are in use in some areas on Motorways, Cumbria on the M6 and Avon & Somerset on their bit of the M4, South Wales did do this when the mad Mullah was there but I haven't seen any for a long time except on the 50mph bit by the toll booths.
As for the Hadec, yes this was not in that article but it has been reported before in other publications that as more managed motorways come live, these are seen as the future.
I wasn't really having a go at you, but these sort of stories that come up from time to time - the ones where there is always something "bad" just around the corner.As reported it is the first time the fixed cameras are being used to enforce the 70mph limit, you are correct that camera vans are in use in some areas on Motorways, Cumbria on the M6 and Avon & Somerset on their bit of the M4, South Wales did do this when the mad Mullah was there but I haven't seen any for a long time except on the 50mph bit by the toll booths.
As for the Hadec, yes this was not in that article but it has been reported before in other publications that as more managed motorways come live, these are seen as the future.
I am old enough (perhaps you are too?
) to remember Avon & Somerset police coming out with bullshyte like this before. "If you do over 70 on our motorways we're going to nick you." The facts of the matter are that, since the changes to funding arrangements. local authorities and the police see nothing of any speeding fines they generate. Therefore there isn't the financial incentive any more. In other words, they can issue as many FPNs and court summonses as they like, but the funding for the operation will not come from the fines that result. And budgets are tight at the moment for both police and local authorities.Speed Awareness courses are, of course, another matter because the money from those can be kept locally, but the ACPO guidelines (see here: http://www.acpo.police.uk/documents/uniformed/2011... ) say that the threshold should be somewhere between limit + 10% + 2 mph to limit + 10% + 9. This would probably mean that anybody clocked at less than 86 is unlikely to get an FPN.
From my experience of driving on the section of the M4/ M5 in question, you would probably be quite lucky to get a clear enough road to do 86 at most times of the day or night.
It will be interesting to see whether the "old chestnut" of people getting nicked for 95 at 2am actually comes to pass. Whilst I can, if I'm feeling charitable, understand the rationale behind enforcing the NSL between, say, 0600 and midnight, I personally have my doubts that anybody is going to bother doing it in the wee small hours. There are political ramifications when this sort of thing goes on (ie. its a fecking PR disaster for the local Plod if they do it) so somehow I doubt the complete accuracy of the story on that fact alone.
You are correct about the money, but they do get the money via a back door. I have an email from Sue mountstevens where she tells me how the money is split between the council and the police. The Goverenment only get the money if a fine is levied. They have moved the point at which the courses are offered so they can keep more.
I agree there is a lot of bad stories but I believe the gist of this one.
I agree there is a lot of bad stories but I believe the gist of this one.
spaximus said:
You are correct about the money, but they do get the money via a back door. I have an email from Sue mountstevens where she tells me how the money is split between the council and the police. The Goverenment only get the money if a fine is levied. They have moved the point at which the courses are offered so they can keep more.
I agree there is a lot of bad stories but I believe the gist of this one.
Which comes back to my point.I agree there is a lot of bad stories but I believe the gist of this one.
Speed awareness courses = a local revenue stream
Fines = money going to the Treasury
Ergo:
article said:
549 drivers travelling at 79 mph were caught within two weeks. These drivers were subsequently issued with fixed penalty notices or a court summons.
= complete and utter rubbish I can confirm that the section of the M5 near Cribbs Causway shopping center, can't remember junctions sorry, does have working cameras. Only happened on this by chance when driving a very sick car back at 60mph and seeing a flurry of flashes at every gantry from cars going through in lane 3 (fast lane 
)
) B3NNL said:
I can confirm that the section of the M5 near Cribbs Causway shopping center, can't remember junctions sorry, does have working cameras. Only happened on this by chance when driving a very sick car back at 60mph and seeing a flurry of flashes at every gantry from cars going through in lane 3 (fast lane )
Were any limits illuminated?) Was driving on the Eastbound carriageway between the M5 and M32 yesterday and the number of gantry cameras flashing cars on the Westbound carriageway (there were no reduced speed limits posted in either direction at the time) was quite worrying, so it would appear the cameras are very much alive all the time.
As an aside, I don't quite understand the point of the newly posted 40 (previously 60) limit between junctions 2&3 on the M32 itself!
As an aside, I don't quite understand the point of the newly posted 40 (previously 60) limit between junctions 2&3 on the M32 itself!
There was a separate thread on this on SP&L a few weeks back, specifically relating to the variable speed section around Cribbs Causeway.
The gist of the conversation was that while there is a lot of hearsay on people getting done when there is no reduced speed limit in force, no lots of cases of "my mate got done" nobody has actually had a FPN themselves or can produce evidence of their mate being done.
I travel to South Wales regularly, normally at silly times of day when there is very little traffic and normally cruise through the at 80+ and have yet to be flashed or receive any FPN.
The gist of the conversation was that while there is a lot of hearsay on people getting done when there is no reduced speed limit in force, no lots of cases of "my mate got done" nobody has actually had a FPN themselves or can produce evidence of their mate being done.
I travel to South Wales regularly, normally at silly times of day when there is very little traffic and normally cruise through the at 80+ and have yet to be flashed or receive any FPN.
Your call. You know there's speed cameras there and you know what the speed limit is. Personally, I tend to find that consciously speeding past speed cameras in the hope they're not on is statistically more risky than sticking to the speed limit. Through that section of 2 miles on the M4, travelling at 85mph will gain you 18 seconds over doing 70mph. That's about 6 seconds per point and less time than it's taken you to read this.
I agree Andy.
We travelled up to London on the A303 last weekend. We were overtaken by a BMW M3 who continued on at silly speeds and some pretty stupid overtaking on the single lane sections.
Pulled into Popham Services for petrol and Mr M3 was already there with the nozzle in his tank, after queuing and paying we left about 30 seconds after he did.
We travelled up to London on the A303 last weekend. We were overtaken by a BMW M3 who continued on at silly speeds and some pretty stupid overtaking on the single lane sections.
Pulled into Popham Services for petrol and Mr M3 was already there with the nozzle in his tank, after queuing and paying we left about 30 seconds after he did.
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