Flashed by overhead gantry on M1

[read5458]

I was travelling back from Newcastle earlier tonight down the M1.

I think it was J35 and the overhead gantries stated 60mph heading toward roadworks and the next, 50mph going into those roadworks.

I put myself into lane 1 and sat at 60mph through the 60 and then slowed to 50mph through the 50. Another car matching my speed behind me, perhaps 200 meters, did the same.

I went through the gantry advising 50mph, needle still sat dead on 50mph followed by a white bright flash. Nobody else within a few hundred meters of me.

This flash happened several times to other vehicles behind me, including the vehicle behind me.

These flashes were not from other cars and it was dusk with clear skys.

Is it probable that I'm about to get points and a fine for doing the correct, advertised speed limit or is there another explanation?.

Thank you.

[craigjm]

No, sometimes they activate by mistake. I've had it happen to me in the same way you suggest and I have never received anything

[read5458]

Cheers for the reply.

I've just checked the video. Unfortunately it has no active speed GPS or a correct timestamp.

It does however show around 3 - 4 seconds passing from going under the gantry to a single flash.

Perhaps it's a normal occurrence and I've just never been exposed to it before.

Either way, we'll see.

[Turkish91]

Was it the overhead gantry or just off to the left hand side? I had this happen on the M1 a few months back, never heard a thing. Having done some research it seems the HADECS (I think they're called??) are still in the testing phases so are going off all the time regardless of peoples speeds.

[All that jazz]

read5458 said:

I was travelling back from Newcastle earlier tonight down the M1.

I think it was J35 and the overhead gantries stated 60mph heading toward roadworks and the next, 50mph going into those roadworks.

I put myself into lane 1 and sat at 60mph through the 60 and then slowed to 50mph through the 50. Another car matching my speed behind me, perhaps 200 meters, did the same.

I went through the gantry advising 50mph, needle still sat dead on 50mph followed by a white bright flash. Nobody else within a few hundred meters of me.

This flash happened several times to other vehicles behind me, including the vehicle behind me.

These flashes were not from other cars and it was dusk with clear skys.

Is it probable that I'm about to get points and a fine for doing the correct, advertised speed limit or is there another explanation?.

Thank you.

There are no cameras that flash at J35 nor anywhere near it and there are no overhead gantries either. That is the Chapeltown turn off and it's all 50 limit SPECS along there from J36 to 32. Regardless, if you went past a variable speed limit gantry at the posted speed limit then you've nothing to worry about.

[anonymous-user]

Was the gantry the crossmember braced type or simple flitch beam? Depends on the clear span obviously.

[read5458]

It did appear to be a left sided flash. I remember glancing left toward the sky as that was where it seemed to be brighter.

There was no noticeable double flash and it went off a few more times for other drivers after I was well past it.

Again, I'm not too clued up on new technology with these but read up on HADEC cameras that operate from these variable speed areas.

Thank you all for your replies on what appears to be a non event, obviously I'll know in 14 days but you've all put me at ease.

Thank you.

Edited by read5458 on Wednesday 17th August 10:39

Edited by read5458 on Wednesday 17th August 10:40

[Dogwatch]

I've seen a red light camera having a bad hair day and flashing every single car which went through the junction.

[T1547]

Co-incidentally had the same thing happen a couple of weeks ago - on the M1, 53mph (on speedo) through 50mph gantry and saw flash. Worried a bit about it at the time but figured there's no way can be more than 51-52mph and therefore not worthy of a ticket.

Annoying to have something else to worry about though.

[1Addicted]

These cameras can be remotely tested, so that images are captured to check things such as alignment. There is a function that will set the camera off upon the next vehicle passing through after the function is selected. If it was going off multiple times, then I'd suggest that this was going on.

[speedking31]

I wouldn't delete my dashcam footage just yet.