A6 Bedford cameras?
Discussion
Work colleague has just had an NIP for 74 in a 50, on the A6 Clapham Bypass (Parish of Oakley, according to the blurb). She said it was a forward facing camera, and is convinced she saw a white flash. Anyone know this location, as I though the only forward facing cameras were IR?
Secondly, this road is apparently only a few years old (so I'm told) - so why exactly are there cameras on it? Thought there had to be x number of KSI accidents in a certain number of years before a camera could be installed? If a new stretch of road has already has enough accidents to warrant a camera, surely it shows the road is badly designed? Is there any way of finding out the accident stats for this road, and if the stats don't meet the camera criteria, is that a method of getting the NIP dropped?
Anyway, any info about that stretch appreciated - she's already got 3 points, and isn't too keen on being hit for 6. I've told her to send it back unsigned with a request for photo evidence in the meantime.
Interesting footnote - discovered today that another work colleague's father is a magistrate, and I'm assured that he's already thrown out several cases for unsigned NIPs....stay tuned!
Secondly, this road is apparently only a few years old (so I'm told) - so why exactly are there cameras on it? Thought there had to be x number of KSI accidents in a certain number of years before a camera could be installed? If a new stretch of road has already has enough accidents to warrant a camera, surely it shows the road is badly designed? Is there any way of finding out the accident stats for this road, and if the stats don't meet the camera criteria, is that a method of getting the NIP dropped?
Anyway, any info about that stretch appreciated - she's already got 3 points, and isn't too keen on being hit for 6. I've told her to send it back unsigned with a request for photo evidence in the meantime.
Interesting footnote - discovered today that another work colleague's father is a magistrate, and I'm assured that he's already thrown out several cases for unsigned NIPs....stay tuned!
I know that the A6 between Bedford and Silsoe has had about 6 cameras installed approx 6-8 months ago (this is on an estimated 5 mile stretch).
Recently plastic signs have been posted claiming that this road has experienced 384 accidents. I've not stopped to read the small print, but having driven the route for 3 years, and only been delayed once by an accident, I suspect that these figures have been massaged. Recently, once of the cars was "necklaced" - tyre & petrol set alight around it.
These cameras use loops in the road for detection, and I believe use infra-red.
Recently plastic signs have been posted claiming that this road has experienced 384 accidents. I've not stopped to read the small print, but having driven the route for 3 years, and only been delayed once by an accident, I suspect that these figures have been massaged. Recently, once of the cars was "necklaced" - tyre & petrol set alight around it.
These cameras use loops in the road for detection, and I believe use infra-red.
I know that stretch very well as does my brother Littlegearl (Gareth) because we both come from that part of bedfordshire (village few miles north of that road stretch)....
The A6 used to go through a village called Milton Ernest at 40mph (backs on to the airfield that is now Bedford Autodrome btw), upon the exit of the 40mph going to bedford there were a series of S bends that then went up hill towards clapham and then on to bedford.
The clapham (A6) bypass now comes off the back of the S bends and around the hill to bedford missing out the village of clapham.
The cameras are just before the road widens from single carriageway to double carriageway.
The esses themselves are rather controversial. When i was living at home (about 7 years ago) they were 60mph, you could drive them going towards bedord at any speed almost, but comeing home, the last one you needed to limit to around 70mph (old car knackered suspension) as it was a tight-ish right hander - more modern cars could probably go quicker.
Anyway about 4-5years ago they put loads of the reflective posts around the esses one week and within the space of 8 weeks or something they had a spate of KSI accidents - i think 9 in quick sucession. Bear in mind the KSI record of this road i believe to be relatively low, PRIOR to the reflective posts. Usually these posts are placed every so many 100's of metres, but for some reason these are about every 15 metres. First time i came home from uni and drove round them, i shit a brick because they were so bright and so many - it is my opinon that the KSI's were caused by similar reactions. Curiously there is usually one car in the hedge everytim e i come home - about once every month, i used to pass that stretch almost daily years ago and never saw that many accidents....
ANyway in light of these KSI's they dropped the limit to 40mph, then built the (bloody useless) bypass through which time the limit was 30mph, it is now 50mph, because it feeds on to the dual carriageway which is NSL. There is another truvelo on the northbound carraigeway where the road thins to single carraigeway. The cameras were put up when teh bypass opened, but were related to the KSI's before that, the original road dates back from when time began.
These cameras are truvelos and do not have a flash as far as i know. Bad luck.
Incidently i made sharnbrook to oakley (top of the hill after the esses) in 4minutes once and that was with doing about 40mph in the 40mph, but 60mph in the 60mph. Just goes to show with a little bit of care, those bends were not as tricky as people make out them to be. The volume of traffic has increased rapidly in bedfordshire these last few years and most of the (very) decent driving roads are being eaten by crazy (pointless) 40mph that no one wants or needs FWIW.
>> Edited by Buffalo on Sunday 20th July 14:39
The A6 used to go through a village called Milton Ernest at 40mph (backs on to the airfield that is now Bedford Autodrome btw), upon the exit of the 40mph going to bedford there were a series of S bends that then went up hill towards clapham and then on to bedford.
The clapham (A6) bypass now comes off the back of the S bends and around the hill to bedford missing out the village of clapham.
The cameras are just before the road widens from single carriageway to double carriageway.
The esses themselves are rather controversial. When i was living at home (about 7 years ago) they were 60mph, you could drive them going towards bedord at any speed almost, but comeing home, the last one you needed to limit to around 70mph (old car knackered suspension) as it was a tight-ish right hander - more modern cars could probably go quicker.
Anyway about 4-5years ago they put loads of the reflective posts around the esses one week and within the space of 8 weeks or something they had a spate of KSI accidents - i think 9 in quick sucession. Bear in mind the KSI record of this road i believe to be relatively low, PRIOR to the reflective posts. Usually these posts are placed every so many 100's of metres, but for some reason these are about every 15 metres. First time i came home from uni and drove round them, i shit a brick because they were so bright and so many - it is my opinon that the KSI's were caused by similar reactions. Curiously there is usually one car in the hedge everytim e i come home - about once every month, i used to pass that stretch almost daily years ago and never saw that many accidents....
ANyway in light of these KSI's they dropped the limit to 40mph, then built the (bloody useless) bypass through which time the limit was 30mph, it is now 50mph, because it feeds on to the dual carriageway which is NSL. There is another truvelo on the northbound carraigeway where the road thins to single carraigeway. The cameras were put up when teh bypass opened, but were related to the KSI's before that, the original road dates back from when time began.
These cameras are truvelos and do not have a flash as far as i know. Bad luck.
Incidently i made sharnbrook to oakley (top of the hill after the esses) in 4minutes once and that was with doing about 40mph in the 40mph, but 60mph in the 60mph. Just goes to show with a little bit of care, those bends were not as tricky as people make out them to be. The volume of traffic has increased rapidly in bedfordshire these last few years and most of the (very) decent driving roads are being eaten by crazy (pointless) 40mph that no one wants or needs FWIW.
>> Edited by Buffalo on Sunday 20th July 14:39
This is how I understand it then - the cameras, despite being on a NEW stretch of road, are in response to KSI accidents on an OLD (and therefore not the same) stretch of road? How the hell can they get away with that? Any legal type people here know if that could be used as a technicality if the NIP was unsigned and went to court? Do these cameras conform to the rules? Sounds like they don't to me....
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