M4 / M5 Gatsos are now live - beware!
Discussion
ds.......1502 caught in 14 days...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-28329...
[cynical mode]
Why is it every time I’ve done the M4 to M5 drag Friday, Saturday and Sunday, midday, morning or late eve are the Matrices on set for 60? 60 appears to be the default with an odd 40 thrown in to keep you on your toes.
In "most" cases the road was no busier than a normal day where traffic does not require "management". Granted its going to be bad when the kids break up but they seem to be permanently on over weekends.
[/cynical mode]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-28329...
[cynical mode]
Why is it every time I’ve done the M4 to M5 drag Friday, Saturday and Sunday, midday, morning or late eve are the Matrices on set for 60? 60 appears to be the default with an odd 40 thrown in to keep you on your toes.
In "most" cases the road was no busier than a normal day where traffic does not require "management". Granted its going to be bad when the kids break up but they seem to be permanently on over weekends.
[/cynical mode]
I've only been that far Oop North thrice since they went on, one evening trip and an early Friday afternoon one, when they weren't lit at all, and a wet Weds rush hour when they were at (IIRC) 50 and traffic was actually moving OK much to my surprise.
From the figures, about 90% were offered a Speed Awareness course, 10% FPN, and about 1% got a summons. For the latter thay must have been doing 30mph or so over the posted limit, despite the signs, so really there's little hope for them. From my understanding there is a delay between the limit dropping and the camera becoming active at the lower limit, which is kind of reasonable.
Perhaps they left them inactive for ages just to lull people into a false sense of security
From the figures, about 90% were offered a Speed Awareness course, 10% FPN, and about 1% got a summons. For the latter thay must have been doing 30mph or so over the posted limit, despite the signs, so really there's little hope for them. From my understanding there is a delay between the limit dropping and the camera becoming active at the lower limit, which is kind of reasonable.
Perhaps they left them inactive for ages just to lull people into a false sense of security
I can confirm that the Gantry Cameras on the M5 Southbound around the Cribbs Causeway area are active and they are issuing tickets. Received one today, offering speed awareness school for doing 81 mph in a 70mph limit. There were no active limits displayed on the gantries so this is a straightforward ticket for exceeding the national speed limit. Beware if you are passing the area. It was night time so I cannot recall which particular gantry set flashed me but it was in the section between the m4 junction with the M5 and the cribbs causeway area heading southbound on the M5
Speedo accuracy varies from car to car, you'd need to do your own tests. I'm just pointing out people are getting notices for 57 in a 50. ie they aren't giving much of a buffer. It's my understanding that at the time conditions were good, minimal traffic, no queues to get off the motorway etc.
Got flashed going North on the M5 just about to turn off onto the M4.
As per previous posts, it was 60 60 60 60 etc and then a quick single 40 right at the end and I was too busy merging and driving etc. Still my fault, of course, but pretty pointless as I was slowing down and looking at my speedo showed just under 50 I think and I was already on the brakes. Ho hum, let's see if I get my government issued christmas present of a picture of my car.
I don't know the ins and outs of the tech behind the Gatsos. As I understand it, the radar is monitoring the speed of the car. If it hits the trigger, it fires off the two flashes with the corresponding photos. Is it the calculation done by the photos or the radar itself that determines if I was speeding? In theory, if the trigger was 46mph and I was doing 46.1mph, as determined by the radar, then I am done. But if I am already slowing, and I was doing 46.1mph at the first photo and 42mph at the second, then my average would be lower than the threshold for being caught - see what I mean? Anyone have any ideas???
As per previous posts, it was 60 60 60 60 etc and then a quick single 40 right at the end and I was too busy merging and driving etc. Still my fault, of course, but pretty pointless as I was slowing down and looking at my speedo showed just under 50 I think and I was already on the brakes. Ho hum, let's see if I get my government issued christmas present of a picture of my car.
I don't know the ins and outs of the tech behind the Gatsos. As I understand it, the radar is monitoring the speed of the car. If it hits the trigger, it fires off the two flashes with the corresponding photos. Is it the calculation done by the photos or the radar itself that determines if I was speeding? In theory, if the trigger was 46mph and I was doing 46.1mph, as determined by the radar, then I am done. But if I am already slowing, and I was doing 46.1mph at the first photo and 42mph at the second, then my average would be lower than the threshold for being caught - see what I mean? Anyone have any ideas???
They flash at half second intervals and apart from taking your registration number they are used to corroborate your speed with the secondary markings on the carriageway.
With only a half a second difference you will not have enough time to react and brake and reduce your speed at all. If you got flashed you're likely to get done
With only a half a second difference you will not have enough time to react and brake and reduce your speed at all. If you got flashed you're likely to get done
LordBretSinclair said:
They flash at half second intervals and apart from taking your registration number they are used to corroborate your speed with the secondary markings on the carriageway.
With only a half a second difference you will not have enough time to react and brake and reduce your speed at all. If you got flashed you're likely to get done
Normally I would agree with you but I was already on the brakes anyway, so there will be certain amount of truth to what I suggest. Obviously, if I get caught, I get caught and so be it - my fault entirely, but just trying to work out methodically how they work.With only a half a second difference you will not have enough time to react and brake and reduce your speed at all. If you got flashed you're likely to get done
Does the ticket come from the radar calculation or the two photos calculation? Impression I get is that the radar does the speed calc, one of the photos then gives the reg, and the two photos calculation is brought out to verify things if required. But I dont know this for certain, hence the question
I've moved offices to Aztec West and I can't believe the way they are using the gantries...
Monday morning, All of the gantries set to 60 apart from one gantry which showed 40 and then the next one was 60. Trust the one that was 40 to be the one with cameras on!!! (not all of them have cameras, if you look underneath the matrix sign you will see the camera - square box). I saw 4 people get flashed by that camera in the space of 20 seconds!
Monday morning, All of the gantries set to 60 apart from one gantry which showed 40 and then the next one was 60. Trust the one that was 40 to be the one with cameras on!!! (not all of them have cameras, if you look underneath the matrix sign you will see the camera - square box). I saw 4 people get flashed by that camera in the space of 20 seconds!
Wing Commander said:
Impression I get is that the radar does the speed calc, one of the photos then gives the reg, and the two photos calculation is brought out to verify things if required.
In a nutshell yes, by the time the camera flash goes off for the first time the speed reading has already been taken - good luck Wing Commander said:
Got flashed going North on the M5 just about to turn off onto the M4.
As per previous posts, it was 60 60 60 60 etc and then a quick single 40 right at the end and I was too busy merging and driving etc. Still my fault, of course, but pretty pointless as I was slowing down and looking at my speedo showed just under 50 I think and I was already on the brakes. Ho hum, let's see if I get my government issued christmas present of a picture of my car.
I don't know the ins and outs of the tech behind the Gatsos. As I understand it, the radar is monitoring the speed of the car. If it hits the trigger, it fires off the two flashes with the corresponding photos. Is it the calculation done by the photos or the radar itself that determines if I was speeding? In theory, if the trigger was 46mph and I was doing 46.1mph, as determined by the radar, then I am done. But if I am already slowing, and I was doing 46.1mph at the first photo and 42mph at the second, then my average would be lower than the threshold for being caught - see what I mean? Anyone have any ideas???
I got flashed there doing about 45 or so. It was about 3 weeks ago and so far nothing through. I understand it takes two photos and they count how many white dashes you pass between photos to determine speed.As per previous posts, it was 60 60 60 60 etc and then a quick single 40 right at the end and I was too busy merging and driving etc. Still my fault, of course, but pretty pointless as I was slowing down and looking at my speedo showed just under 50 I think and I was already on the brakes. Ho hum, let's see if I get my government issued christmas present of a picture of my car.
I don't know the ins and outs of the tech behind the Gatsos. As I understand it, the radar is monitoring the speed of the car. If it hits the trigger, it fires off the two flashes with the corresponding photos. Is it the calculation done by the photos or the radar itself that determines if I was speeding? In theory, if the trigger was 46mph and I was doing 46.1mph, as determined by the radar, then I am done. But if I am already slowing, and I was doing 46.1mph at the first photo and 42mph at the second, then my average would be lower than the threshold for being caught - see what I mean? Anyone have any ideas???
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