Speed cameras on M20 (Maids), do they work?
Discussion
jammy_basturd said:
Southbound in the evening is just as bad. I leave work at 17.45-18.00, getting on at junction 3. Other than traffic around junction 3, up to 4 (where there are no variable limits), I generally get a nice clear run through, though I can guarantee that the limits will be on 50/60mph through junctions 4-7 despite the motorway being clear.
I've come to the conclusion now that they put them on everyday during "rush hour" whether the traffic is bad or not, because to only put them on when traffic is bad (which would amount to once or twice every fortnight) would be tantamount to admitting that they were a big waste of money in the first place!
I wondered about this.I've come to the conclusion now that they put them on everyday during "rush hour" whether the traffic is bad or not, because to only put them on when traffic is bad (which would amount to once or twice every fortnight) would be tantamount to admitting that they were a big waste of money in the first place!
I work in Aylesford and drive along Forstal Road every night about 6.00PM and can easily see the southbound carriageway when I go over the bridge.
The variable limit looks like it's always on.
It's not just me that's noticed this recently then.
Every night coastbound seems to be set at at least 60mph when the road is clear as a bell.
I now make a judgement that if this gantry reads 60, then the rest of them up to the A249 will be on 60: http://g.co/maps/v9ve3
If it's on 60, I go down the A229 slip which usually switches to NSL and use that as an extra lane for the M20!
...and yes, the place they're really needed (if they are at all) is between the M26 and A228 junctions!
Every night coastbound seems to be set at at least 60mph when the road is clear as a bell.
I now make a judgement that if this gantry reads 60, then the rest of them up to the A249 will be on 60: http://g.co/maps/v9ve3
If it's on 60, I go down the A229 slip which usually switches to NSL and use that as an extra lane for the M20!
...and yes, the place they're really needed (if they are at all) is between the M26 and A228 junctions!
Edited by Calamity James on Thursday 17th May 16:27
BibsTLF said:
Roo said:
I work in Aylesford and drive along Forstal Road every night about 6.00PM and can easily see the southbound carriageway when I go over the bridge.
I live just half a mile from where you work! Ever see an Evora driving down Beddow Way? That's me! Calamity James said:
Perfect example of 60 limit on with no good reason this morning taken on my dashcam.
Traffic was flowing fine at 70+ all the way until the 60 limits, and at 70 in the parts without cameras on the gantries!
I see the limits going on and off every few seconds whilst waiting at the Running Horse roundabout in the mornings.Traffic was flowing fine at 70+ all the way until the 60 limits, and at 70 in the parts without cameras on the gantries!
It was the same again this morning, lane 3 was completely clear at 9am and the limits were at 60. My mate who travels the same journey, but 2 hours earlier informed me it was the same at 7am, clear roads, but 60mph limit.
When they announced this scheme, they said:
When they announced this scheme, they said:
Highways Agency said:
Traffic sensors are buried under the road surface, which automatically detect traffic volume and speed. A computer uses this data to calculate the optimum speed to keep traffic moving in times of congestion. The optimum speed is then displayed on the overhead gantry mounted signs. By controlling the speed of the traffic we can reduce stop-start congestion and keep you moving.
These 'sensors' must be bust.
Quite, for the last 2 weeks, between junction 7 and 6 the limits have been set to 50mph, for when I've gone through at 8.30/8.45am. Again, absolutely no reason, traffic really isn't that heavy at that time - apart from when there is really heavy rain and everyone slows down because of the awful spray we get along the M20.
IMO we've copied what they do on German autobahns but as usual bad a right balls up of it....
Last time I went to Suhl there was a band of really heavy rain pretty much travelling with us. You could see the gantry signs way ahead changing from deristricted to a limit moments before the rain hit.
Of course over here we already have a really slow limit so it figure they are going to have to set the signs at a really low limit. Are they really automated? I find that hard to believe. Mind you weve not yet got intelligent traffic lights in this country yet....
I've come to the conclusion that any thing they do to the roads in this country is all about slowing us down and causing congestion. Let's face it this country never embraced the motor vehicle right back when it was new and never has. Always treated as a menace and a cash cow.
Anyway, you'll be pleased to know the gantrys on the M25 are going live
Last time I went to Suhl there was a band of really heavy rain pretty much travelling with us. You could see the gantry signs way ahead changing from deristricted to a limit moments before the rain hit.
Of course over here we already have a really slow limit so it figure they are going to have to set the signs at a really low limit. Are they really automated? I find that hard to believe. Mind you weve not yet got intelligent traffic lights in this country yet....
I've come to the conclusion that any thing they do to the roads in this country is all about slowing us down and causing congestion. Let's face it this country never embraced the motor vehicle right back when it was new and never has. Always treated as a menace and a cash cow.
Anyway, you'll be pleased to know the gantrys on the M25 are going live
Just to resurrect this thread (apologies if there is another, I haven't seen it yet), but you need to know that the stupid variable speed cameras between J6-7 on the M20 were working on 10th July 2013.
I have the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) to prove it....
Like the previous posters I am deeply frustrated and annoyed by the irrelevance of the speed limits posted along this section of the M20.
The number of times that they actually alert you to a real incident or significant congestion can be counted on one hand.
Agreed with others - the main congestion problem is around J4 (A228), not the four lane part past Maidstone.
The very worst sign of all, in my opinion, is the "Congestion, stay in lane" one. That is posted in the one place that you have merging and diverging traffic between the A229 slip and A249 and is completely and utterly farcical. You HAVE to change lanes there if you are joining or leaving the M20, and that is all in addition to moving around to pass HGVs, Sunday drivers and other bimbling, outer lane-hogging fools.
What it all boils down to is, at worst, a thinly disguised cash cow and at best unwarranted Nanny State interference.
/rant off
I have the Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) to prove it....
Like the previous posters I am deeply frustrated and annoyed by the irrelevance of the speed limits posted along this section of the M20.
The number of times that they actually alert you to a real incident or significant congestion can be counted on one hand.
Agreed with others - the main congestion problem is around J4 (A228), not the four lane part past Maidstone.
The very worst sign of all, in my opinion, is the "Congestion, stay in lane" one. That is posted in the one place that you have merging and diverging traffic between the A229 slip and A249 and is completely and utterly farcical. You HAVE to change lanes there if you are joining or leaving the M20, and that is all in addition to moving around to pass HGVs, Sunday drivers and other bimbling, outer lane-hogging fools.
What it all boils down to is, at worst, a thinly disguised cash cow and at best unwarranted Nanny State interference.
/rant off
I've seen them flash with no limits set recently, although quite regularly I see repmobiles barrelling through at 75+ when it's set to 60 and never getting flashed.
I still use the A229 / A20 sliproads as the main M20 because they are very rarely set to 60 when the main carriageway is. Gives me the peace of mind to drive at the correct speed without worrying about a NIP.
Here's a bit of useful information for you by the way, as there's quite a few "broken" speed limit displays now:
Any lane that doesn't display a limit CANNOT flash people for exceeding the limit in the other lanes, it's a legal requirement that the lane displays work, apparently if the display has failed, the camera is disabled. This does make sense, and I read it on a pretty knowledgeable road forum, but I can't for the life of me find the topic.
To end, here's a lovely frustrating picture I got from my dash cam the other day:
Really worthy of that 50 limit, lane 4 is pretty much empty!
I still use the A229 / A20 sliproads as the main M20 because they are very rarely set to 60 when the main carriageway is. Gives me the peace of mind to drive at the correct speed without worrying about a NIP.
Here's a bit of useful information for you by the way, as there's quite a few "broken" speed limit displays now:
Any lane that doesn't display a limit CANNOT flash people for exceeding the limit in the other lanes, it's a legal requirement that the lane displays work, apparently if the display has failed, the camera is disabled. This does make sense, and I read it on a pretty knowledgeable road forum, but I can't for the life of me find the topic.
To end, here's a lovely frustrating picture I got from my dash cam the other day:
Really worthy of that 50 limit, lane 4 is pretty much empty!
Edited by Calamity James on Thursday 18th July 20:28
A complete joke. I've lost count how many times I've travelled around a free flowing M25 only to hit congestion at jct 10 where the variable limit starts. As many of the gantries on the M25 have already had the brackets fitted for the cameras, I'm guessing its just a matter of time before we have ridiculous limits on the M25 too.
Gixer said:
A complete joke. I've lost count how many times I've travelled around a free flowing M25 only to hit congestion at jct 10 where the variable limit starts. As many of the gantries on the M25 have already had the brackets fitted for the cameras, I'm guessing its just a matter of time before we have ridiculous limits on the M25 too.
I usually travel clockwise on M25 and come-off at J29 - however over on the anti-clockwise (Northbound) just past J29 there are some cameras on gantries that keep flashing-off - wondered whether they were 'live'? - you may have come past these Wednesday night Brett in the Zee? roscobbc said:
I usually travel clockwise on M25 and come-off at J29 - however over on the anti-clockwise (Northbound) just past J29 there are some cameras on gantries that keep flashing-off - wondered whether they were 'live'? - you may have come past these Wednesday night Brett in the Zee?
I go back and forth on the M25 northbound from the A12 junction round to the M40 when travelling between uni and home, and my cheap little radar detector is quite good at picking up speed camera radar... i always find some set it off, some don't. I still usually go through most of them between 80-85, never a single ticket or fine or anything else. I'm about to spend the next week commuting the m25 southbound for some work experience, I'm not sure how many cameras are on that side but will be keeping my eyes open to see if i can work anything out while spending hours in rush hour road work traffic...jammy_basturd said:
Completely agree!
Just out of interest, do you know if you drove through the cameras whilst there was a reduced speed limit in the red circle? And how much over were you?
I don't remember exactly because it took a while for the NIP to come through and I use the road daily.Just out of interest, do you know if you drove through the cameras whilst there was a reduced speed limit in the red circle? And how much over were you?
I can only presume that yes, it was showing 50 in the red circle and they clocked me at 64.
It was probably exactly as Calamity has shown above - light traffic and an irrelevant speed limit. Grrr!
Bit of a thread resurrection!
Came though from Jct 4 to 7 at about miday today. Road was quiet and running clear. Nothing on hard shoulder either and yet all the over head gantries were off except the one with the cameras in it just after the jct 6 split. For no reason that had a 50mph limit, then the next was back to NSL then after that all off again. Cash cow?
Came though from Jct 4 to 7 at about miday today. Road was quiet and running clear. Nothing on hard shoulder either and yet all the over head gantries were off except the one with the cameras in it just after the jct 6 split. For no reason that had a 50mph limit, then the next was back to NSL then after that all off again. Cash cow?
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