[mistryn]

Apologies if this has been covered but one thing baffles me with some drivers. Coming back on M1/M6 this morning at 2am there is a long stretch where a 50MPH SPECS cameras are.

I normally set the cruise to 50 and stay in the left hand lane as it was clear. But I saw a number of cars hitting 70+ going through this stretch, even a couple of lorries overtaking me must have been doing 60MPH for 5+miles.
Now do these people get caught? Am I missing something here and these cameras are not switched on or these people speeding through have inside info as to whether the cameras are active?

[Epic404]

Maybe they have this:

http://www.nophoto.com/

[IanS100]

Maybe they're stupid or like living dangerously. If I know there's a camera, or I get a warning from CamerAlert, I stick to the speed limit, even if half the population say it's switched off - my attitude is better safe than sorry!

[AlanQS]

Can anyone confirm that you can cheat these cameras (on a dual carriageway for example) by just going past the next camera on the outside lane when you travelled past the previous camera on the inside lane?

I think I remember reading about this flaw in the system and the makers pathetic response was that you shouldn't change lanes between cameras!

[xPETEZx]

Originally Posted by Epic404

Maybe they have this:

http://www.nophoto.com/

That wont work with average speed cameras. There is no flash.


I have always wondered, I do not know anybody who has had a ticket from an average speed check.
Does make me laugh when the idiots who have been speeding at 70+ brake down to 50 for the camera.
Dosent work like that ...

[ian_m]

Originally Posted by AlanQS

Can anyone confirm that you can cheat these cameras (on a dual carriageway for example) by just going past the next camera on the outside lane when you travelled past the previous camera on the inside lane?

I think I remember reading about this flaw in the system and the makers pathetic response was that you shouldn't change lanes between cameras!

you used to able to, but that loop hole was closed now they are type approved for all lanes.

The tolerance is quiet high, unless the road is very straight, two cars on a motorway with a slight curve in will arrive at different times as the one on the inside of the bend will have been traveling less of a distance than the other (that is why in a 200 and 400 m race they stagger the start so they all cover the same distance), despite attaining the same speed, so they cover the same distance at different times so tolerance are set high as the system would think one was speeding, which is why lorries carry on at 56/58 mph.

[zltm089]

Originally Posted by Epic404

Maybe they have this:

http://www.nophoto.com/

group buy anyone?

[Frobius]

Would be interesting to know what they're set at.

[makkan00]

Originally Posted by IanS100

Maybe they're stupid or like living dangerously. If I know there's a camera, or I get a warning from CamerAlert, I stick to the speed limit, even if half the population say it's switched off - my attitude is better safe than sorry!

Safest and best approach.

Originally Posted by xPETEZx

I have always wondered, I do not know anybody who has had a ticket from an average speed check.
Does make me laugh when the idiots who have been speeding at 70+ brake down to 50 for the camera.
Dosent work like that ...

Ditto on 70-50 harsh braking.


Re: speeding ticket. Yes, one of my mate got the love letter when he was doing 65MPH in 50MPH zone with average speed cameras (2-3 am).
His logic: Roads were empty but who cares. He had to get those points on his pink card.


Mind you, approx 50% of these average cameras are non-functional especially when construction is rapid and they keep moving the cameras to next postion in 1-2 weeks.

The only time you can take an advantage to this system is on entrance to 50MPH zone.
There are usually plenty of warning signs on 50MPH zone. Warning signs + 50MPH zone starts usually 1-2 miles before first yellow camera pole (grace distance). That is the only distance where you can keep flying till you hit the first actuall camera.
From there onward, BEHAVE and don't risk.
It is very tempting when other are travelling at 55MPH. Set CC and get into inner lane and relax!

[lolololol]

I have driven through average speed cameras above the requested speed limit 1000's of times and not once had a ticket. At one point there were avg speed cameras on a junction of the M4 that I drive down daily for months and still no ticket.

For me, I have been on these speed awareness courses and they state that most of the fixed cameras in my area (berks) dont work. I just have applied that thought process to the average speed cameras.

By the way I havent met anyone who has got a ticket via one either !!!

[acerboo]

i think they are arseholes, its 50mph for a reason, there are people working on these roads, i imagine its not fun being hit by a car doing 50mph!

[chris_s1]

Originally Posted by acerboo

i think they are arseholes, its 50mph for a reason, there are people working on these roads, i imagine its not fun being hit by a car doing 50mph!

If the cameras were only up whilst work was going on then people might actually stick to the limit but unfortunately the health and safety brigade ruin it for themselves.

Normal sequence of events seems to be:
50mph signs go up, Cameras appear
3 weeks pass,
2 guys turn up and spend 2 hours cutting the grass or changing a manhole cover.
2 more weeks pass.
Signs and cameras get removed.

Its just like the warning signs on the gantrys. Nobody pays a blind bit of notice to the warnings because the information is 99.9% of the time related to an incident that happened 3 days ago.......

[norman1979]

Originally Posted by ian_m

you used to able to, but that loop hole was closed now they are type approved for all lanes.

The tolerance is quiet high, unless the road is very straight, two cars on a motorway with a slight curve in will arrive at different times as the one on the inside of the bend will have been traveling less of a distance than the other (that is why in a 200 and 400 m race they stagger the start so they all cover the same distance), despite attaining the same speed, so they cover the same distance at different times so tolerance are set high as the system would think one was speeding, which is why lorries carry on at 56/58 mph.

How was this loophole closed? On most motorways, you tend to see two spec cameras covering three lanes. I doubt that the spec cameras can cover more than one late at a time. Surely then, one lane is not covered by the average speed checks.

[J44KPR]

I always "speed" through them
your speedo won't read 100% correct so you've got some give there, then they probably use the +10% rule as well, I normally do between 55-60, hide behind lorries etc. and never been given a ticket

I never see people working where they are, the lanes are squished into 3 smaller lanes or anything, and they've been there over a year, so dunno what's the crack

[AlanQS]

The A77 dual carriageway has a 50mph zone down to the outskirts of Prestwick which continues on past Ayr (with part being a 70mph zone) and all of it has average speed cameras as a permanent installation (no roadworks of any kind). It is in the middle of the countryside, with no pavements and no pedestrian traffic. There is one cross road on the entire length - not uncommon on dual carriageways.

I don't understand the logic that, after fifty years of 70mph it is now 50 with no changes to land use or environment and they think they need average speed cameras to reinforce it. Completely bonkers.

[Hotcoupe]

Originally Posted by norman1979

How was this loophole closed? On most motorways, you tend to see two spec cameras covering three lanes. I doubt that the spec cameras can cover more than one late at a time. Surely then, one lane is not covered by the average speed checks.

Not according to the manufacturer - Speed Check Services:

How does it work?

SPECS uses linked video cameras to monitor a length of road. Linked cameras do not have to be adjacent; they may bracket other cameras within the speed control zone.
Despite what you may read in the press, SPECS is not lane specific, or limited to vehicles that enter and exit the zone in the same lane.

The video cameras continuously capture images of vehicles as they pass through the field of view of the camera. Their number plates are read using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and the average speed of the vehicle is calculated between the linked cameras, over the known baseline distance. If this exceeds the Police speed threshold, an offence record is created and violation images and data are logged.


All you need to know about SPECS

http://www.speedcheck.co.uk/specs.htm

Originally Posted by AlanQS

I don't understand the logic that, after fifty years of 70mph it is now 50 with no changes to land use or environment and they think they need average speed cameras to reinforce it. Completely bonkers.

Not bonkers - just - Kerching!

[wheelie good]

all the shr00dies that I know blitz down the outside lane at 100 mph at 2 am in the morning then wack it in reverse just before you get to second camera, go back for abit then smash it back into 3rd gear and start doing a ton again.

The camera aint got a fooking clue whats going on

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by ian_m

you used to able to, but that loop hole was closed now they are type approved for all lanes.

The tolerance is quiet high, unless the road is very straight, two cars on a motorway with a slight curve in will arrive at different times as the one on the inside of the bend will have been traveling less of a distance than the other (that is why in a 200 and 400 m race they stagger the start so they all cover the same distance), despite attaining the same speed, so they cover the same distance at different times so tolerance are set high as the system would think one was speeding, which is why lorries carry on at 56/58 mph.

If the distance measured is long enough, minor differences caused by varying radii will be minimized, which is why long distance track events don't have a staggered start

[Mart1000]

There was a myth about the lane changing on specs cameras a while back, but that is no longer the case. I hate specs areas. You have the highest chance of bieng caught because boredom creeps in and speeds rise. The amount of people that barrel up to the camera, brake, then shoot off really surprises me. The are called average speed cameras for a reason braking last minute does nothing.

I often just set cruise control to 55mph. Fast enough to go past some cars, but within the realms of the law.

I'd just rather not take the chance, the only time your on a know if they really are live is when an NIP comes through the door. Take it for granted that fixed sites are always live.

[kaishang]

Originally Posted by Mart1000

There was a myth about the lane changing on specs cameras a while back, but that is no longer the case. I hate specs areas. You have the highest chance of bieng caught because boredom creeps in and speeds rise. The amount of people that barrel up to the camera, brake, then shoot off really surprises me. The are called average speed cameras for a reason braking last minute does nothing.

Yes I was in a Specs area once and forgot I was in it mid-way through. Was interesting driving at 25mph the rest of the way to get the average speed down.

[lolololol]

Originally Posted by Mart1000

There was a myth about the lane changing on specs cameras a while back, but that is no longer the case. I hate specs areas. You have the highest chance of bieng caught because boredom creeps in and speeds rise. The amount of people that barrel up to the camera, brake, then shoot off really surprises me. The are called average speed cameras for a reason braking last minute does nothing.

I often just set cruise control to 55mph. Fast enough to go past some cars, but within the realms of the law.

I'd just rather not take the chance, the only time your on a know if they really are live is when an NIP comes through the door. Take it for granted that fixed sites are always live.

Sorry mate not all fixed cameras are live whatsoever as stated on the speed awareness courses I've been on.

Plus I've read all the comments on this thread but does anyone know someone who has got a ticket via avg speed cameras ??

Like I said I have always travelled through these specs areas over 50mph on M4, M25 and M5. It's all bullshit - big brother / control of the masses !!!

[Mart1000]

What I meant was take all fixed sites as live, because its not worth the risk finding out the hard way. I didn't say they all were.

Yes, I know of shit loads of people who have had tickets from avg speed cameras. I guess in my line of work its a given.

On a side note, some specs sites are linkable to others, meaning that on a long journey you go through site A, then a few hours later enter site B on a different road, and they will calculate avg journey speed. However, I have never known a prosecution this way, and I don't think it would be feasible either.