Clarkson on cameras - does he have a point?

[saaby93]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2798103/yo...

mail said:

Writing in his column for The Sun last month, Clarkson moaned about the number of speed cameras he passed while on the long drive to London in a BMW M3.


He added: 'And it gets worse because when the roadworks finally ended, I found myself on a stretch where there are speed-camera gantries every few hundred yards, to catch those who are desperate to make up for lost time.'
It seems that despite taking note of the cameras, Clarkson did not slow down enough.
Today he complained that the cameras had caught him, handing him his first points since the 1980s.
He wrote: 'Last month, I wrote in a blind fury about how many speed cameras I'd encountered on a drive from Whitby to London.
'Well, it seems one of them got me. Sadly, I was going too quickly for the speed awareness course to be an option. Which means I'm getting some points on my licence. My first in 30 years. Grrrrr.'

He was told he was driving too quickly to attend a speed awareness course and was given points on his licence.
Most police forces allow speeding drivers to take the course if they were caught travelling less than five per cent over the speed limit, plus an additional 9mph.
In a 50mph speed limit zone, such as the ones Clarkson had been driving in, motorists can be caught driving at speeds of up to 64mph and be offered the course instead of taking points.

Looks like he reached 65 where they extended the limit after the roadworks. It might catch quite a few.

Edited by saaby93 on Sunday 19th October 08:40

[saaby93]

CBR JGWRR said:

crostonian said:

I've been driving through them at an indicated 56 to 58 for years and never been notified, if I do fair enough, I assume my real speed will be nearer to 50. I don't understand the need for them, if you can legally drive at 60 on a country lane why can't you do 70 through roadworks on a motorway?

Because of the (admittedly mostly theoretical) workmen operating there and their need for a safe working environment?

I like speeding as much as anyone else on here, but there is a time and a place for it, and roadworks aren't that place.

I think this was argued inconclusively a while back.
Have you found any statistics a lower limit improves safety in roadworks?

[saaby93]

jdw1234 said:

I thought rather than for the safety of the workers it was because the hard shoulder is normally out of action or lanes reduced. 50mph is the speed at which crash levels are lowest so least likely to result in obstructions to flow.

why do you sometimes get 10 miles of sleepy 40

[saaby93]

Tony B2 said:

405dogvan said:

p.s. there are rules on how speed limits should be set, anyone can challenge a speed limit - I know this because I've done it, successfully, in the past - you can do this whether you've been caught speeding or not and it's those rules we need to be getting a look at, improving etc.

Interested in this topic - could you perhaps provide a quick primer on how to challenge a new speed limit?

Or a link to a "how to" page?