Traffic Control Asleep ?
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Discussion

reddiesel

Original Poster:

2,773 posts

64 months

Driving North on the M1 this morning and about a mile before Junction 18 an overhead board comes up saying 60 mph queue after junction . At 68 mph I drop to 60 mph , no queue at junction and no other overhead warning boards are alight . I then go back to 68 mph and am promptly flashed by the next camera . I then travel another 30 miles with no warning boards lit not even one advising the National Speed Limit has been restored . I never triggered any other camera at my preset 68mph . I shall be going to Court to defend this if prosecuted and I think their failure to display the resumption of the National Speed Limit as well as no further Cameras triggered could make the result interesting

BertBert

20,472 posts

228 months

If as you say you went under an unlit limit sign you won't be prosecuted as there's no photo evidence of the lower limit when the camera flashed.

Rusty Old-Banger

5,937 posts

230 months

Yep the way fixed, non-average speed cameras are set up, the image of your car speeding should also show the speed limit sign, be that matrix or otherwise. No sign visible, no ticket, in my experience. (highways engineer who has installed many cameras)

cobra kid

5,397 posts

257 months

I thought it stayed at the displayed limit until it is then displayed back to NSL?

blueg33

42,226 posts

241 months

reddiesel said:
Driving North on the M1 this morning and about a mile before Junction 18 an overhead board comes up saying 60 mph queue after junction . At 68 mph I drop to 60 mph , no queue at junction and no other overhead warning boards are alight . I then go back to 68 mph and am promptly flashed by the next camera . I then travel another 30 miles with no warning boards lit not even one advising the National Speed Limit has been restored . I never triggered any other camera at my preset 68mph . I shall be going to Court to defend this if prosecuted and I think their failure to display the resumption of the National Speed Limit as well as no further Cameras triggered could make the result interesting
If you are going to court you will need lots more evidence than the story.

Did you have dash cam?

anyoldcardave

881 posts

84 months

reddiesel said:
Driving North on the M1 this morning and about a mile before Junction 18 an overhead board comes up saying 60 mph queue after junction . At 68 mph I drop to 60 mph , no queue at junction and no other overhead warning boards are alight . I then go back to 68 mph and am promptly flashed by the next camera . I then travel another 30 miles with no warning boards lit not even one advising the National Speed Limit has been restored . I never triggered any other camera at my preset 68mph . I shall be going to Court to defend this if prosecuted and I think their failure to display the resumption of the National Speed Limit as well as no further Cameras triggered could make the result interesting
If you were flashed with no limit signs showing I doubt you will hear anything.

I was double flashed @ an indicated 85 in the early hours with no limit showing and not heard a thing.

Incorrect speed restrictions on the variable roads is so regular in this part of the world recently, I regularly pass one on the A14, just before it splits to the A1, set at 40mph very early in the morning with virtually zero traffic . the cynic thinks a money making exercise lol.

Pica-Pica

15,381 posts

101 months

BertBert said:
If as you say you went under an unlit limit sign you won't be prosecuted as there's no photo evidence of the lower limit when the camera flashed.
Agreed
(not this old question again, and again, and again)

BertBert

20,472 posts

228 months

Pica-Pica said:
Agreed
(not this old question again, and again, and again)
Yup

BertBert

20,472 posts

228 months

blueg33 said:
If you are going to court you will need lots more evidence than the story.

Did you have dash cam?
How will it go to court with no evidence of the reduced limit?

JustDerv

296 posts

225 months

Rusty Old-Banger said:
Yep the way fixed, non-average speed cameras are set up, the image of your car speeding should also show the speed limit sign, be that matrix or otherwise. No sign visible, no ticket, in my experience. (highways engineer who has installed many cameras)
Hi, sorry to jump on this topic but a genuine question from me - I always thought the cameras were mounted on the opposite side of the gantry displaying the speed limit, so how do they get a picture of the vehicle and the speed limit sign?

reddiesel

Original Poster:

2,773 posts

64 months

blueg33 said:
If you are going to court you will need lots more evidence than the story.

Did you have dash cam?
Not really . I will simply ask them to produce evidence of any other warning alight after the camera which there wasn't and any evidence of the resumption of the National Speed Limit which again was non existent .
Thanks for everyone's kindness in replying , sadly another wait over the weekend to see if the Postman arrives .

blueg33

42,226 posts

241 months

reddiesel said:
blueg33 said:
If you are going to court you will need lots more evidence than the story.

Did you have dash cam?
Not really . I will simply ask them to produce evidence of any other warning alight after the camera which there wasn't and any evidence of the resumption of the National Speed Limit which again was non existent .
Thanks for everyone's kindness in replying , sadly another wait over the weekend to see if the Postman arrives .
Whilst I like your optimism and agree with your stance, I don't think it will work. Magistrates tend to side with plod on these matters (if you are not convinced - read "the Secret Barrister") Speeding offences tend be treated as guilty until proven innocent.

GasEngineer

1,598 posts

79 months

cobra kid said:
I thought it stayed at the displayed limit until it is then displayed back to NSL?
Same here. Unless a new sign changes it - I thought that the last sign showing applies.

I suppose if you pass a junction and joining traffic has no sign displayed then you could assume the lower limit has finished.

TUS373

4,960 posts

298 months

JustDerv said:
Rusty Old-Banger said:
Yep the way fixed, non-average speed cameras are set up, the image of your car speeding should also show the speed limit sign, be that matrix or otherwise. No sign visible, no ticket, in my experience. (highways engineer who has installed many cameras)
Hi, sorry to jump on this topic but a genuine question from me - I always thought the cameras were mounted on the opposite side of the gantry displaying the speed limit, so how do they get a picture of the vehicle and the speed limit sign?
There are two sets of cameras. The yellow ones are as you say, mounted behind the gantry, but there is another pair on a pole before the gantry. The photos are grouped together.

RSTurboPaul

12,186 posts

275 months

GasEngineer said:
cobra kid said:
I thought it stayed at the displayed limit until it is then displayed back to NSL?
Same here. Unless a new sign changes it - I thought that the last sign showing applies.

I suppose if you pass a junction and joining traffic has no sign displayed then you could assume the lower limit has finished.
2020vision will arrive shortly to insist that never happens.

JustDerv

296 posts

225 months

TUS373 said:
There are two sets of cameras. The yellow ones are as you say, mounted behind the gantry, but there is another pair on a pole before the gantry. The photos are grouped together.
Thanks for the explanation, that makes sense to me smile

RSTurboPaul

12,186 posts

275 months

JustDerv said:
TUS373 said:
There are two sets of cameras. The yellow ones are as you say, mounted behind the gantry, but there is another pair on a pole before the gantry. The photos are grouped together.
Thanks for the explanation, that makes sense to me smile
I thought all the cameras mounted on/behind the gantries (i.e. above the carriageway and usually hidden behind signs) had been removed and replaced with the cameras that are cantilevered off the left hand gantry support column?

Yellow Lizud

2,694 posts

181 months

RSTurboPaul said:
I thought all the cameras mounted on/behind the gantries (i.e. above the carriageway and usually hidden behind signs) had been removed and replaced with the cameras that are cantilevered off the left hand gantry support column?
There is still another camera mounted on a pole before you get to the gantry (maybe 50yds before, not sure) that takes a photo of the gantry displaying the limit. It has nothing to do with monitoring the speed, that is done by the cameras on the gantry, either behind the gantry or on the left hand edge of it. The 2 photos are then matched, by the time they were taken.

Have a look on Google street view and you will see the pole and camera just off to the left before the gantry.

Southerner

2,169 posts

69 months

Just another day on the utter shambles that is Britain’s “managed motorways” - I presume that name is by now some sort of running joke in the offices where the 11 year olds who operate the signage all sit.

What I find particularly frustrating is that very obviously the kit exists to do this properly and the understanding of how to achieve this is really very straightforward, but yet the whole operation appears to be done with a huge dose of Can’t Be Arsed. Use the signs properly, or don’t, whatever, no one cares…

As I said, 11 year olds.

Skodillac

7,956 posts

47 months

RSTurboPaul said:
GasEngineer said:
cobra kid said:
I thought it stayed at the displayed limit until it is then displayed back to NSL?
Same here. Unless a new sign changes it - I thought that the last sign showing applies.

I suppose if you pass a junction and joining traffic has no sign displayed then you could assume the lower limit has finished.
2020vision will arrive shortly to insist that never happens.
Not only will he/she/they insist it never happens, he'll/she'll/they'll also insist that it's impossible.

Edited by Skodillac on Thursday 11th September 12:54