Motorway Speed Cameras

[NTECUK]

There effectivenes in reducing collisions seams today in need of more research.
People jumping on the brakes when they pass every gantry over the M25 is plain worrisome.
And allot of the time it's a jerck reaction even though they are travelling on the posted limit.

Originally Posted by keith_d

As someone has already pointed out, if the main goal was road safety they should use clearly visible average speed cameras. They're a proven technology, and judging by their effect in road works they do work.

Originally Posted by keith_d

The locations of the new cameras will quickly become common knowledge among the people using the affected roads regularly, so they can still drive as badly as before.

And you don't find those two statements in any way contradictory?

Originally Posted by L3nny

you can also drive impeccably and extremely safely while breaking the speed limit.

I think you just redefined "impeccable", the highest standards would usually include obeying all the rules of the road, like the one on speed.

[Bluepete]

Signs of a U turn?

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co....torway-8578508

Pete

Originally Posted by Luckypants

But none of these scare stories state at what speed the cameras were triggered. We don't know if got a ticket for 71 or 81 or 101. So 700 odd folks got tickets in two months, but how many thousands didn't. You're basically getting worked up on rumour, because we don't know what speed triggers these cameras.

Sent from my HTC One

I'm not sure what speed they go off at, but I've seen them flash other cars plenty of times when driving around the M25. It's certainly not a rumour as they've recently installed a lot of these cameras, as they're definitely working.

Originally Posted by Spank86

Quote:
Originally Posted by keith_d
As someone has already pointed out, if the main goal was road safety they should use clearly visible average speed cameras. They're a proven technology, and judging by their effect in road works they do work.

Quote:
Originally Posted by keith_d
The locations of the new cameras will quickly become common knowledge among the people using the affected roads regularly, so they can still drive as badly as before.

And you don't find those two statements in any way contradictory?

Quote:
Originally Posted by L3nny
you can also drive impeccably and extremely safely while breaking the speed limit.

I think you just redefined "impeccable", the highest standards would usually include obeying all the rules of the road, like the one on speed.

No, Keith's statements aren't contradictory. With normal speed cameras, people can drive badly and then slam their brakes on when they see a camera. With average speed cameras, they measure speed over a long distance, and this usually causes drivers to stick rigidly to the limit over that distance. They make a big difference to the way that people drive.

I don't think that L3nny has redefined 'impeccably' either. It's entirely possible to drive safely and quickly, whilst breaking an arbitrary speed limit. Sometimes they might change the speed limit on a road, e.g. from a 70 to a 50 (as has happened on sections of the A1 recently). This doesn't mean that someone who still drives at 70mph is driving any worse than they did before.

Originally Posted by wyrdness

No, Keith's statements aren't contradictory. With normal speed cameras, people can drive badly and then slam their brakes on when they see a camera. With average speed cameras, they measure speed over a long distance, and this usually causes drivers to stick rigidly to the limit over that distance. They make a big difference to the way that people drive.

ah, I see. I missed the significance of 'average'.


although i'm not sure how safe average speed cameras are since they usually have me looking at my speedo far more often than I otherwise would and that's all time my eyes are off the road.

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by wyrdness

I'm not sure what speed they go off at, but I've seen them flash other cars plenty of times when driving around the M25. It's certainly not a rumour as they've recently installed a lot of these cameras, as they're definitely working.

Cannot argue with any of that, but it does back up my point of until we know what speed these cameras are enforcing, we don't know if it is reasonable or a money making scam.

Originally Posted by wyrdness

With average speed cameras, they measure speed over a long distance, and this usually causes drivers to stick rigidly to the limit over that distance. They make a big difference to the way that people drive.

Agreed, properly deployed these definitely make a difference. With a lot of modern cars having cruise control, sticking to the 50 (or whatever) limit average speed cameras are enforcing is easy.

[NTECUK]

Originally Posted by Luckypants

With a lot of modern cars having cruise control, sticking to the 50 (or whatever) limit average speed cameras are enforcing is easy.

My car has a limit button .You can stamp the pedal and override it but its very handy in the roadworks 50 mph

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by NTECUK

My car has a limit button .You can stamp the pedal and override it but its very handy in the roadworks 50 mph

Does it look like this

[Sir Trev]

Originally Posted by NTECUK

My car has a limit button .You can stamp the pedal and override it but its very handy in the roadworks 50 mph

My car has one too, but it's just as easy to switch the cruise control on at 50 and just steer. Also gets over the issue Spank rightly raises about constantly watching your speedo.


I know some people dislike CC but I find it more relaxing to activate it and go at my own speed in the (usually empty) lane 1 of the M25 than constantly speeding up/down as people tailgate each other in lanes three and four.