M1 variable speed limits actually working?

[Eleven]

I've not used the M1 much of late, but returning from London this week I ended up doing so. I was quite dreading it as I hit it about 5pm. It was VSL for a long way out of London and although that was a nuisance, at no time did we actually stop. I don't recall that happening since... well for a long time.

So were we lucky or are the VSLs working?

[QBee]

Eleven said:

I've not used the M1 much of late, but returning from London this week I ended up doing so. I was quite dreading it as I hit it about 5pm. It was VSL for a long way out of London and although that was a nuisance, at no time did we actually stop. I don't recall that happening since... well for a long time.

So were we lucky or are the VSLs working?

[start old fart mode]
We have had average speed cameras on the A14 (not the same thing I know, but read on) around the Cambridge-Huntingdon section for a number of years now. The road is far too narrow (mainly 2 lanes each way) for the volume of East-West and North-South traffic (look at the map) so gets very congested.
Since they replaced the fixed cameras with average speed cameras there are far fewer accidents. The accidents were mainly caused by idiots who didn't know the speed limits slamming on without warning from around 80mph down to below 50mph, and catching poor sods who knew the limit was 70 mph completely unawares. Baffles me why they thought it was acceptable to drive at over 30 mph above what they thought the speed limit was in the first place.

There was some video shown on telly a while back that showed the concertina effect of one car just showing its brake lights (ie not even slowing) in a stream of traffic - first car brakes slightly, next driver brakes a bit harder.....20th driver has to absolutely slam everything on and come to a standstill to avoid the arse of the car in front.

So in conclusion, I am afraid that while we sometimes wonder why they are on at all at quieter times, on the whole I think they do smooth traffic flow somewhat and reduce avoidable accidents.
[end old fart mode]

[MartyG1987]

I cant comment on what the M62 was like before they put them in but I travel most Fridays across from Huddersfield to the A1 and its extremely rare that I get held up even when traffic is very heavy. They tend to put a 50/60 limit on early in the afternoon regardless of the actual traffic levels in some sections.

Then I get onto the A1 and traffic seems to slow considerably everytime we reach a junction...

[Davidonly]

QBee said:

Eleven said:

I've not used the M1 much of late, but returning from London this week I ended up doing so. I was quite dreading it as I hit it about 5pm. It was VSL for a long way out of London and although that was a nuisance, at no time did we actually stop. I don't recall that happening since... well for a long time.

So were we lucky or are the VSLs working?

[start old fart mode]
We have had average speed cameras on the A14 (not the same thing I know, but read on) around the Cambridge-Huntingdon section for a number of years now. The road is far too narrow (mainly 2 lanes each way) for the volume of East-West and North-South traffic (look at the map) so gets very congested.
Since they replaced the fixed cameras with average speed cameras there are far fewer accidents. The accidents were mainly caused by idiots who didn't know the speed limits slamming on without warning from around 80mph down to below 50mph, and catching poor sods who knew the limit was 70 mph completely unawares. Baffles me why they thought it was acceptable to drive at over 30 mph above what they thought the speed limit was in the first place.

There was some video shown on telly a while back that showed the concertina effect of one car just showing its brake lights (ie not even slowing) in a stream of traffic - first car brakes slightly, next driver brakes a bit harder.....20th driver has to absolutely slam everything on and come to a standstill to avoid the arse of the car in front.

So in conclusion, I am afraid that while we sometimes wonder why they are on at all at quieter times, on the whole I think they do smooth traffic flow somewhat and reduce avoidable accidents.
[end old fart mode]

Can I point out that by just removing the distracting fixed cameras (and not erecting avg ones) the same reduction in accidents is quite likely to have been observed on A14. The change in road characteristics cannot be attributed to the new cameras as two changes were made at the same time. I am a fellow frequent (local) user of that stretch. I am also not sure it flows any better, or that accidents are reduced significantly either.... Thats based on the numbers of serious incidents I see (or hear about on traffic reports) and how long it is at a stand still - not on data however.

I used to come down there on Sunday evening when it was empty in 2006 when first moved to the area. You could easy and safely do 90 + before cameras in those conditions - easing off to pass the old gatsos. So I also wonder why these systems need to work all the time. Much more acceptable to signal when they are active and switch off when not needed (same as Italy's ASC - TUTOR system).

[rswift]

I was caught in the M1 Northants roadworks, at 57 MPH late one night, so I can confirm they work !

[ratboiler]

I was caught on the section 12 to 13 doing 57 in a 50 and went for re training, so re confirmed they do work and I take great care now.

Have you seen the newish one's that look like a large grey box on the far left gantree support?

I have seen those going off, there is one going south just before the M25 turn off and another going north around junction 12/13

[Eleven]

Seems that some people have misread my post (or didn't read it at all). I was referring to the fact that I found traffic flow to be improved and was querying whether others had found the same. This refers to the VSL section south of the Northampton mayhem.

[lewisco]

I agree. I used to commute from Northampton to London on the M1 and during rush hour I was often stopped in jams. I now use the M1 every Friday and Sunday night and the VSL is always on for at least part of it, usually at 60, and I've never come to a standstill.

Although the northbound carriageway was at a standstill on Sunday night but it seems an accident had just taken place.

[QBee]

I used that section on a Friday early evening a couple of months ago (so dark). I had my wife following in an unfamiliar car we had just bought her. No exaggerating to say she is to geography and navigation what Nigel Farrage is to macramé.
It was steady progress, no major sudden halts, but I breathed a sigh of relief when the A421 came up at J13 and we were able to get on with it.