Specs on M4 - what speed?
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tonyrec

Original Poster:

3,984 posts

276 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
Found out what speed the specs are set at on the M4 at junction 14.

Anyone like to hazard a guess. I will give you a clue, they are most certainly 'revenue takers'?

Edited to say that they are the way forward (as i was told today) for the following reasons.

1) No human intervention (loaded directly into computer)
2) very reliable
3)Less likely to be vandalised
4)24/7 and 365 days a year without problem

Dont get me wrong, they can be a great idea if/when set at the correct speeds, but not this low, surely!

>>> Edited by tonyrec on Thursday 11th December 19:37

jeremyc

26,749 posts

305 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
tonyrec said:
Found out what speed the specs are set at on the M4 at junction 14.

Anyone like to hazard a guess. I will give you a clue, they are most certainly 'revenue takers'?
79mph?

jmorgan

36,010 posts

305 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
71?

puggit

49,388 posts

269 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
SPECS - what SPECS?!

I thought it was a fake?!?!?!

tonyrec

Original Poster:

3,984 posts

276 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
I was told that they went live 'recently'

PGM

2,168 posts

270 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
The Thames Valley Police website even said so!

I am worried now as tonyrec is obviously a man in the know!

What's the score? Is it a new system put up other than the sign board scam?

Cheers
Paul

PetrolTed

34,461 posts

324 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
Tony, you're having a larf right? There are no SPECS cameras on the M4.

PGM

2,168 posts

270 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
been caught with a number 8 hook there then

zz top

536 posts

266 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
I was informed today that the new electronic signs on the M4 are rigged with SPECS and the new signs being installed on the M5,M6 and M42 will have likewise. The whole system of the M4 between Theale[J32] and Membury services apparently is wired both ways and set to trigger at 78mph. Now i dont have the pleasure of living in those beautiful counties but it does worry this Devon boy that it wont be long before every junction of our motorways will soon be under the watchful eye of the law. Surely this cant be right.zz

puggit

49,388 posts

269 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
Well, we have 14 days to find out!!!

spaximus

4,360 posts

274 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
I have just checked the Thames VAlley Site and it says there are no specs on the m4. The signs are there to assist the cameras are cctv units. IIRC if they were there don't the police have to have warning signs like on the M25 and m6?

If it is true there are cameras TVP are telling porkies on their own website and I will be needing lifts From Bristol to Southampton and back for a few months.

Hope you are wrong on this Tonyrec but worringly you are usually right!!!

streaky

19,311 posts

270 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
tonyrec said:
Found out what speed the specs are set at on the M4 at junction 14.

Anyone like to hazard a guess. I will give you a clue, they are most certainly 'revenue takers'?

Edited to say that they are the way forward (as i was told today) for the following reasons. ...
Source please Tony?

obi

308 posts

301 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
Tony please put us out of our misery, use that stretch 3-4 times a week !!!

Just checked the Thames valley police website (www.thamesvalley.police.uk/faq/default.asp?Action=Q&ID=575) and got the following:-

Are there speed cameras in the new M4 road gantry signs?


Q: Are there speed cameras in the new M4 road gantry signs?
A: There are NO speed cameras or SPECS cameras in these signs. The signs do have two CCTV cameras: one monitors the sign itself to make sure it is working and displaying the right message; the other monitors congestion to see what effect the sign is having on traffic.

The Highways Agency has installed new signs between J 12 and J 14 of the M4 as part of a year-long pilot project to reduce congestion and collisions. The only involvement Thames Valley Police has is to change the messages on the signs to give up-to-date information. This is done via our control room. The signs are owned by the Highways Agency.

There is detailed information about the project on the Highways Agency website. Please follow the link below or call them on 0845 955 6575.

www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/ms4/09.htm


tonyrec

Original Poster:

3,984 posts

276 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
There is obviously some confusion here.
I was reliably informed today and shown pics. They are between J/14 AND J/16 and are set to trigger at 78mph.

The only thing that im not too sure about is the start date, but they are definately there.

I will however, make some enqs early next week.
I can only assume that if they are not on their website that they must not have gone live yet.

If anyone is passing along there then have a look as ive only seen pics so far.

AJLintern

4,332 posts

284 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
I thought the only cameras on the signs were there to confirm to the operators that the signs were showing what they are supposed to, making sure they are working etc.

puggit

49,388 posts

269 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
I do smell a rat - cos in this day and age you don't need cameras to make sure signs are working!!!

bsdnazz

762 posts

274 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
The camera's are there so the traffic conditions can be monitored and then the displayes updated.

Given that the displays need power can communcations they are the obvious places to put the monitoring cameras.

Given the general upset about speed cameras I don't think the police would be daft enough the lie about the type of camera. They're quite happy to tell us about real speed cameras. Lies would be a political hot potato of the first order...

obi

308 posts

301 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
If you visit the highways link in my mail above it only talks about the camera monitoing traffic and then allowing the signs to display warning messages.
I use the M4 regularly and had a close look at the signs a couple of weeks ago, the cameras mounted on the signs did not look like any SPEC's camera i have ever seen before. They did look like normal CCTV camera's but there again we are talking about revenue generating and diguised cameras may be another ploy !!!

zetec

4,946 posts

272 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
I posted the same link from thames valley police on another thread in general gassing.

They are denying any SPECS on thier patch on the M4

PetrolTed

34,461 posts

324 months

Thursday 11th December 2003
quotequote all
The constant debate about this merely fuels the rumours so I'm putting a stop to this one.

There is not one shred of reliable evidence as yet that there are SPECS cameras on the M4. If anyone cares to provide it to me then I'll happily publish.

In the meantime....

THERE ARE NO SPECS CAMERAS ON THE M4
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