A13 average speed cameras & fines

[Silver]

I was talking to someone the other day whose OH had been caught by the average speed cameras on the A13. Leaving aside the fact that this was literally the first person I'd ever heard of who'd been caught by average speed cameras, it was the fine which interested me.

The car he was driving was registered to his wife, who received the paperwork. She sent it back to say he was driving and they then received a form which means-tested him to see how much he could afford to pay in a fine, which turned out to be £260. She said he was doing 59mph in the 50 zone.

I've never heard of this before and it sounds a bit odd. Obviously, I realise this is all hearsay, but I was curious.

Is the means-testing thing normal?

[vit4]

Silver said:

I was talking to someone the other day whose OH had been caught by the average speed cameras on the A13. Leaving aside the fact that this was literally the first person I'd ever heard of who'd been caught by average speed cameras, it was the fine which interested me.

The car he was driving was registered to his wife, who received the paperwork. She sent it back to say he was driving and they then received a form which means-tested him to see how much he could afford to pay in a fine, which turned out to be £260. She said he was doing 59mph in the 50 zone.

I've never heard of this before and it sounds a bit odd. Obviously, I realise this is all hearsay, but I was curious.

Is the means-testing thing normal?

What stretch out of interest? I only ask as I've heard it from many people that the Barking - Canning Town stretch is turned off, but never fancied risking it myself!

[chilistrucker]

same here, i use this stretch on a regular basis in the wagon.
on the 50 bits i'm normally sat at 50-55, and not had any probs.
on the 40 stretch, for some reason, i sit at bang on 40, again, (obviously) no probs.

[streaky]

Silver said:

I was talking to someone the other day whose OH had been caught by the average speed cameras on the A13. Leaving aside the fact that this was literally the first person I'd ever heard of who'd been caught by average speed cameras, it was the fine which interested me.

The car he was driving was registered to his wife, who received the paperwork. She sent it back to say he was driving and they then received a form which means-tested him to see how much he could afford to pay in a fine, which turned out to be £260. She said he was doing 59mph in the 50 zone.

I've never heard of this before and it sounds a bit odd. Obviously, I realise this is all hearsay, but I was curious.

Is the means-testing thing normal?

If the speed is true and it was dealt with by a FPN, the fine would have been £60. Something in the story is either not right or complete.

Streaky

[pitmansboots]

They must have missed out telling you the case was heard in court and not by fixed penalty.

Means testing is quite normal in court.

[myvision]

Barking to canning Town do work a lad at work just been sent four tickets in one go by the lease company that's him now fked.

[cossy400]

chilistrucker said:

same here, i use this stretch on a regular basis in the wagon.
on the 50 bits i'm normally sat at 50-55, and not had any probs.
on the 40 stretch, for some reason, i sit at bang on 40, again, (obviously) no probs.

Cambridge A14 average speed cameras, i was always sit on the limiter thru them.......

Is it an old wives tail the 10% plus 2? thus making me safe up to 57mph?

[SmoothCriminal]

If you use GPS a true 50mph is always like 55 on the speedo.

Edited by SmoothCriminal on Sunday 27th January 09:31

[cossy400]

SmoothCriminal said:

If you use GPS a true 50mph is always like 55 on the speedo.

Edited by SmoothCriminal on Sunday 27th January 09:31

On my truck nav, 40mph is 42 on the speedo.

[SmoothCriminal]

I suppose trucks have to have calibrated speedos for tacho etc?

[chilistrucker]

SmoothCriminal said:

I suppose trucks have to have calibrated speedos for tacho etc?

yes they do

[chilistrucker]

cossy400 said:

chilistrucker said:

same here, i use this stretch on a regular basis in the wagon.
on the 50 bits i'm normally sat at 50-55, and not had any probs.
on the 40 stretch, for some reason, i sit at bang on 40, again, (obviously) no probs.

Cambridge A14 average speed cameras, i was always sit on the limiter thru them.......

Is it an old wives tail the 10% plus 2? thus making me safe up to 57mph?

same here, limiter all the way, i was dubious when they first went up, but have never had a prob on that stretch.
i'd also like to know if thats an old wives tale or not? i've always imagined it to be true.

[helmutlaang]

SmoothCriminal said:

If you use GPS a true 50mph is always like 55 on the speedo.

Edited by SmoothCriminal on Sunday 27th January 09:31

Except on the digital speedo on my Audi which is bang on with the GPS.

[mjb1]

pitmansboots said:

They must have missed out telling you the case was heard in court and not by fixed penalty.

Means testing is quite normal in court.

59 in a 50 should be a FPN though, shouln't it? Something doesn't add up.

[iPlod999]

Mate at work got done, going home, east bound A13 between Beckton roundabout and the Lodge flyover.

We normally get tickets from the Gatso cameras we set off, work wise. Each of the activations have to be justified, I graded call.

Never had one from any of the A13 average ones though.

[cossy400]

chilistrucker said:

cossy400 said:

chilistrucker said:

same here, i use this stretch on a regular basis in the wagon.
on the 50 bits i'm normally sat at 50-55, and not had any probs.
on the 40 stretch, for some reason, i sit at bang on 40, again, (obviously) no probs.

Cambridge A14 average speed cameras, i was always sit on the limiter thru them.......

Is it an old wives tail the 10% plus 2? thus making me safe up to 57mph?

same here, limiter all the way, i was dubious when they first went up, but have never had a prob on that stretch.
i'd also like to know if thats an old wives tale or not? i've always imagined it to be true.

1st couple of times i went thru i backed off to 50, to be overtaken by lory after lorry so like a sheep i followed suit.

also never had a problem. Im actually down that way tommorow.

[chilistrucker]

same here, guilty of being a sheep.
i seem to use that stretch a fair bit at the mo. tip coventry/daventry, then over to felixstowe, tip and turn, back to basildon.
not for much longer though, 10 more nights then i'm done

[cossy400]

cambridge, bury, stowmarket, and sudbury for me tommorow. least the snow has gone, but no doubt at some point in the day the A14 will be gifted with a mishap of some sort..............

[lbc]

SmoothCriminal said:

If you use GPS a true 50mph is always like 55 on the speedo.

It might be for some older cars, but is not generally true, so you are misleading people.

One of my cars speedo is accurate to within 1mph at any speed according to GPS.

Edited by lbc on Sunday 27th January 17:15

[Cooperman]

As the tyres wear, the speedo will read increasingly over the true speed.