SMART Motorway cameras - how long before they switch on?
Discussion
Hi guys
I was travelling laong the M1 last weekend cruise set at a speed i'm comfortable with on the motorway for the conditions. I noticed the next gantry up ahead flip to a "50" limit, so I knocked the cruise control off. I would estimate around 2 seconds later i passed the camera, and i was clocked at 57mph and have received a NIP as such this morning. I didn't brake for the gantry as I felt at the time it wasn't right to do so as traffic was built up, it was raining and it was 6pm, so just getting dark.
I'll roll over and take my punishment like a good citizen and indeed have written back to the "Casualty Reduction Unit"
already.
My question is more of curiosity, is there not a "grace" period between the new variable limit being presented and the camera becoming "active"? Maybe there is and i woefully underestimated the delay before i Passed the camera, it genuinely felt short, only a couple of seconds.
I was travelling laong the M1 last weekend cruise set at a speed i'm comfortable with on the motorway for the conditions. I noticed the next gantry up ahead flip to a "50" limit, so I knocked the cruise control off. I would estimate around 2 seconds later i passed the camera, and i was clocked at 57mph and have received a NIP as such this morning. I didn't brake for the gantry as I felt at the time it wasn't right to do so as traffic was built up, it was raining and it was 6pm, so just getting dark.
I'll roll over and take my punishment like a good citizen and indeed have written back to the "Casualty Reduction Unit"
already.My question is more of curiosity, is there not a "grace" period between the new variable limit being presented and the camera becoming "active"? Maybe there is and i woefully underestimated the delay before i Passed the camera, it genuinely felt short, only a couple of seconds.
I don't think there is a consistant approach to this...but...I read on Pistonheads before...and now found it ...Avon and Somerset on the M4 cameras have a 1 minute grace period. Who knows about the M1 though?
"When the AMIs are not illuminated or are showing a National Speed Limit sign, the 70mph speed limit is in effect and enforced. There is a one minute grace period following a change of speed limit being displayed, to allow drivers time to adjust their speed safely."
Source - https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/advice/vehic...
"When the AMIs are not illuminated or are showing a National Speed Limit sign, the 70mph speed limit is in effect and enforced. There is a one minute grace period following a change of speed limit being displayed, to allow drivers time to adjust their speed safely."
Source - https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/advice/vehic...
On the M25, I've heard that the grace period to change speed is either 5 or 10 seconds. Frankly, I think 10 seconds is sufficient.
In my experience, the problem isn't that we can't reduce our speed (most of the time), but it's that SO many other road users ignore said limits for all the gantries without cameras, that those of us who are sitting at the required speed get a hell of a lot of tailgating, flashing, beeping and so forth - simply following the law to the letter.
In my experience, the problem isn't that we can't reduce our speed (most of the time), but it's that SO many other road users ignore said limits for all the gantries without cameras, that those of us who are sitting at the required speed get a hell of a lot of tailgating, flashing, beeping and so forth - simply following the law to the letter.
Thanks chaps
Seems I must have mis-read them somehow. My period was nothing like 10 seconds or 1 minute. Maybe they flickered off and on again and caught my attention. The previous set were 100% NOT illuminated or i'd have been down to 50 with the cruise on.
Ah well, I guess I'll call my insurer and bend over in a couple of weeks. I already have an SP30 from '15 so don't think i will be offered SAC
Seems I must have mis-read them somehow. My period was nothing like 10 seconds or 1 minute. Maybe they flickered off and on again and caught my attention. The previous set were 100% NOT illuminated or i'd have been down to 50 with the cruise on.
Ah well, I guess I'll call my insurer and bend over in a couple of weeks. I already have an SP30 from '15 so don't think i will be offered SAC
eltax91 said:
My question is more of curiosity, is there not a "grace" period between the new variable limit being presented and the camera becoming "active"? Maybe there is and i woefully underestimated the delay before i Passed the camera, it genuinely felt short, only a couple of seconds.
It's 10 seconds until the new [lower] limit takes effect.M1 Motorway Junction x to y Variable Speed Limit Regs 20xx said:
Variable speed limits
3.—(1) No person shall drive a vehicle on a section of a road which is subject to a variable speed limit at a speed exceeding that indicated by a speed limit sign.
(2) A section of a road is subject to a variable speed limit in relation to a vehicle being driven along it if—
(a)the road is specified in the Schedule;
(b)the vehicle has passed a speed limit sign; and
(c)the vehicle has not subsequently passed—
(i)another speed limit sign indicating a different speed limit; or
(ii)a traffic sign which indicates that the national speed limit is in force.
(3) In relation to a vehicle, the speed limit indicated by a speed limit sign is the speed shown at the time the vehicle passes the sign, or, if higher, the speed limit shown by the sign ten seconds before the vehicle passed the sign.
(4) For the purposes of this regulation a speed limit sign is to be taken as not indicating any speed limit if, ten seconds before the vehicle passed it, the sign had indicated no speed limit or that the national speed limit was in force.
3.—(1) No person shall drive a vehicle on a section of a road which is subject to a variable speed limit at a speed exceeding that indicated by a speed limit sign.
(2) A section of a road is subject to a variable speed limit in relation to a vehicle being driven along it if—
(a)the road is specified in the Schedule;
(b)the vehicle has passed a speed limit sign; and
(c)the vehicle has not subsequently passed—
(i)another speed limit sign indicating a different speed limit; or
(ii)a traffic sign which indicates that the national speed limit is in force.
(3) In relation to a vehicle, the speed limit indicated by a speed limit sign is the speed shown at the time the vehicle passes the sign, or, if higher, the speed limit shown by the sign ten seconds before the vehicle passed the sign.
(4) For the purposes of this regulation a speed limit sign is to be taken as not indicating any speed limit if, ten seconds before the vehicle passed it, the sign had indicated no speed limit or that the national speed limit was in force.
Edited by SS2. on Friday 24th February 13:40
eltax91 said:
Thanks chaps
Seems I must have mis-read them somehow. My period was nothing like 10 seconds or 1 minute. Maybe they flickered off and on again and caught my attention. The previous set were 100% NOT illuminated or i'd have been down to 50 with the cruise on.
Ah well, I guess I'll call my insurer and bend over in a couple of weeks. I already have an SP30 from '15 so don't think i will be offered SAC
They can not increase the premium mid term though as the contract is for the year.Seems I must have mis-read them somehow. My period was nothing like 10 seconds or 1 minute. Maybe they flickered off and on again and caught my attention. The previous set were 100% NOT illuminated or i'd have been down to 50 with the cruise on.
Ah well, I guess I'll call my insurer and bend over in a couple of weeks. I already have an SP30 from '15 so don't think i will be offered SAC
PorkInsider said:
the letter says that if you do it again you'll be prosecuted, but at the bottom it says that if you weren't driving you should pass it to the person who was.
So they make no assumption about who was driving but whoever it was will be prosecuted if caught again.
Seems fairly straightforward, the letter says "pass the warning to the person that was" - so you pass the letter to the driver and they are warned that they'll be prosecuted the next time, and you cease to be warned. So they make no assumption about who was driving but whoever it was will be prosecuted if caught again.
PorkInsider said:
the letter says that if you do it again you'll be prosecuted, but at the bottom it says that if you weren't driving you should pass it to the person who was.
So they make no assumption about who was driving but whoever it was will be prosecuted if caught again.
What would you prefer? A NIP?So they make no assumption about who was driving but whoever it was will be prosecuted if caught again.
covboy said:
EU_Foreigner said:
They can not increase the premium mid term though as the contract is for the year.
But they should be informed Interestingly I changed insurers on Monday and the nip landed today. Offence was before renewal date.... I could not have told them at policy inception.
Gavia said:
Received today by a friend. No prosecution, just a warning, not bad for 63 in a (variable) 50 and certainly something I've never heard of before for a bang to rights offence.
Wow! Mine was just down the road at j29a, over the border in Derbyshire they are prosecuting me to the full extent of the law. Durzel said:
Seems fairly straightforward, the letter says "pass the warning to the person that was" - so you pass the letter to the driver and they are warned that they'll be prosecuted the next time, and you cease to be warned.
Not sure if I'm due a parrot here, but if caught again how could the police say 'you've been warned once, so now we're prosecuting you', when it could have been anyone who was driving? They're just sending a letter out and asking you to pass it to whoever was driving if it wasn't you. They're not asking you to name the driver as per the usual process.The point I'm making is that if you can get off wth a warning once, then you can get off with a warning again by saying it wasn't you driving last time a warning was issued. Or will the police just assume 'same car, so this time we prosecute' ?
Gavia said:
Them why start picking holes in what they've done? Plod have used discretion here, that's to be applauded IMO.
Right. I'll try again...Yes, it's to be applauded.
Yes, I'm pleased they're doing this.
All I'm doing is questioning the logic that's written out in the letter.
When receive this letter, you're getting a warning that they've 'seen' you speeding and not to do it again. If you do it again, you'll be prosecuted.
BUT... at the end of the letter it says that if you weren't the driver, you should pass it whoever was driving.
So what happens if the same vehicle is seen speeding again?
Do they assume it must be the same driver? So no warning this time, you're going to get prosecuted?
Or given that the first time this vehicle was seen speeding you might have passed the letter on to someone else, since it wasn't you driving..., do you get another chance?
That's all I'm saying!
Edited by PorkInsider on Friday 24th February 21:13
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