M77/A77 Specs system
Discussion
Does anyone here know if the SPECS system actually works on the 77? Also do they only 'turn on' when a vehicle breaks the average limit? If not the information that is kept on file of EVERY vehicle (obviously bikes excepted) who has access to this, what is it used for and where can you officially obtain the information?
Yeah mate, they are fully operational. I take it that you have been naughty on that stretch then 
I have no idea why they even have specs on the A77!! The ones on the ayr/prestwick bypass being the most pointless along with the ones on the ayr to stranraer road - you cant even overtake the trucks heading to/from the ferry port.
I have no idea why they even have specs on the A77!! The ones on the ayr/prestwick bypass being the most pointless along with the ones on the ayr to stranraer road - you cant even overtake the trucks heading to/from the ferry port.They're a complete pain in the arse on the road down to Stranraer, but on the short dual carriageway section between Symington and Monkton I've seen all sorts of crazy s
t and can almost understand why they are there. Last Wednesday on my way to NATS in Prestwick, I had two people, both at different junctions with giant 'No U-Turn' signs posted, pull U-Turns from lane 1, across my path in lane 2 and into the central area. Neither bothered looking, and they only signalled for long enough that I could get on the brakes hard straight away. This was on a 2-mile stretch! I can only assume that there is a large proportion of people using this road who have no sense of self-preservation. The numbers who pull out from the many junctions in front of 50+mph traffic is also a testament to this. 
Of course, SPECS doesn't stop people doing that sort of thing, but if I'd been going any faster it wouldn't have been pretty. The A77 seems pretty unique in terms of sheer number of 90-degree junctions/lack of slip roads for merging.
t and can almost understand why they are there. Last Wednesday on my way to NATS in Prestwick, I had two people, both at different junctions with giant 'No U-Turn' signs posted, pull U-Turns from lane 1, across my path in lane 2 and into the central area. Neither bothered looking, and they only signalled for long enough that I could get on the brakes hard straight away. This was on a 2-mile stretch! I can only assume that there is a large proportion of people using this road who have no sense of self-preservation. The numbers who pull out from the many junctions in front of 50+mph traffic is also a testament to this. Of course, SPECS doesn't stop people doing that sort of thing, but if I'd been going any faster it wouldn't have been pretty. The A77 seems pretty unique in terms of sheer number of 90-degree junctions/lack of slip roads for merging.
BonzoGuinness said:
They're a complete pain in the arse on the road down to Stranraer, but on the short dual carriageway section between Symington and Monkton I've seen all sorts of crazy st and can almost understand why they are there. Last Wednesday on my way to NATS in Prestwick, I had two people, both at different junctions with giant 'No U-Turn' signs posted, pull U-Turns from lane 1, across my path in lane 2 and into the central area. Neither bothered looking, and they only signalled for long enough that I could get on the brakes hard straight away. This was on a 2-mile stretch! I can only assume that there is a large proportion of people using this road who have no sense of self-preservation. The numbers who pull out from the many junctions in front of 50+mph traffic is also a testament to this.
Of course, SPECS doesn't stop people doing that sort of thing, but if I'd been going any faster it wouldn't have been pretty. The A77 seems pretty unique in terms of sheer number of 90-degree junctions/lack of slip roads for merging.
You have summed up exactly what they are for and how they reduce the severity of casualties.t and can almost understand why they are there. Last Wednesday on my way to NATS in Prestwick, I had two people, both at different junctions with giant 'No U-Turn' signs posted, pull U-Turns from lane 1, across my path in lane 2 and into the central area. Neither bothered looking, and they only signalled for long enough that I could get on the brakes hard straight away. This was on a 2-mile stretch! I can only assume that there is a large proportion of people using this road who have no sense of self-preservation. The numbers who pull out from the many junctions in front of 50+mph traffic is also a testament to this.Of course, SPECS doesn't stop people doing that sort of thing, but if I'd been going any faster it wouldn't have been pretty. The A77 seems pretty unique in terms of sheer number of 90-degree junctions/lack of slip roads for merging.
I'd rather think I've summed up how they do nothing to tackle the root cause of those type of accidents - idiocy from drivers and outdated road design.
As it stands the layout has remained the same but with the assumption that traffic is moving slower. I'd put money on people being more inclined to pull out into marginal gaps in traffic, simply because they know the SPECS is there and are st at judging speed/distance.
Short merging lanes where there's no room for full slips and continuous central reservation would have a massive impact on the safety of that road. Then we could go faster without the yellow vultures... I think it's called progress?
As it stands the layout has remained the same but with the assumption that traffic is moving slower. I'd put money on people being more inclined to pull out into marginal gaps in traffic, simply because they know the SPECS is there and are s
t at judging speed/distance. Short merging lanes where there's no room for full slips and continuous central reservation would have a massive impact on the safety of that road. Then we could go faster without the yellow vultures... I think it's called progress?
Puff the magic.. said:
A motorway would go some way to fixing the problem. Let's have one when the SNP are raising their own funds. Ho Ho!
Yup there's the answer.Part of the problem is that there are a huge number of accesses (some of them public roads, some of them private accesses to houses, restaurants and stuff), even along the dual carriageway bit north of Dutch House (57 separate access I think from the route study report IIRC) and you can't just close them!
As you said earlier, problem was turning traffic in and out of all these accesses, with some vehicles just flying along the main road. The whole road had a hellish accident record, and not a lot you can do about it.
You can't educate everybody, because everybody thinks they are already brilliant drivers, so the advice doesn't apply to them (come on, somebody admit they are pish, to prove me wrong!), you can't feasibly engineer all the problems out, so although I'm not at all a fan of lowering speed limits, sometimes, it's all you have... even although it reduces the consequences, not the cause.
maddogsx said:
Does anyone here know if the SPECS system actually works on the 77? Also do they only 'turn on' when a vehicle breaks the average limit? If not the information that is kept on file of EVERY vehicle (obviously bikes excepted) who has access to this, what is it used for and where can you officially obtain the information?
To answer your other questions,IIRC the ANPR facility in SPECS "dumps" the Reg from it's memory once it a) doesn't record another pass, or b) records but is under the threshold.
I've not been naughty on the 77, that's what organised track events are for (oh don't I sound smuggly high and mighty) I use cruise control to regulate my speed on most M'ways etc where it's easier to maintain a steady speed. I know of someone who was 'going away for a bit' and tried the theory of changing lanes at silly speed, he never recieved and summons. Just curious as to whether the money would have been better spent improving the actual road network instead of a knee jerk reaction via cameras.
tvrgit said:
Puff the magic.. said:
A motorway would go some way to fixing the problem. Let's have one when the SNP are raising their own funds. Ho Ho!
Yup there's the answer.Part of the problem is that there are a huge number of accesses (some of them public roads, some of them private accesses to houses, restaurants and stuff), even along the dual carriageway bit north of Dutch House (57 separate access I think from the route study report IIRC) and you can't just close them!
As you said earlier, problem was turning traffic in and out of all these accesses, with some vehicles just flying along the main road. The whole road had a hellish accident record, and not a lot you can do about it.
You can't educate everybody, because everybody thinks they are already brilliant drivers, so the advice doesn't apply to them (come on, somebody admit they are pish, to prove me wrong!), you can't feasibly engineer all the problems out, so although I'm not at all a fan of lowering speed limits, sometimes, it's all you have... even although it reduces the consequences, not the cause.
The irony is that the averaging effect of SPECS will hide a dangerous burst of speed for an overtake near a junction, and surely it's only a matter of time before the great unwashed realise that!
The Cat and Fiddle is another bizarre example. If driving a car, attaining an average speed of 50 will probably involve rolling the car at some point - apart from the one straighter bit where the limit really should be raised back to 60 due to the lack of hazards on that stretch. Especially as horror stories of motorcycles doing 130 are cited as the main reason for the limit and cameras anyway.
Nevertheless I see improvements carried out on SC roads in Wales - evening out bends and widening and wonder why they don't carry out the same sort of work on the "Cat". Ah yes, "money" and "urinating" - see above!
tvrgit said:
Puff the magic.. said:
You can't educate everybody, because everybody thinks they are already brilliant drivers, so the advice doesn't apply to them (come on, somebody admit they are pish, to prove me wrong!), you can't feasibly engineer all the problems out, so although I'm not at all a fan of lowering speed limits, sometimes, it's all you have... even although it reduces the consequences, not the cause.
I'm pish at driving, no point saying your a god when your just a bog standard run of the mill ten a penny 30 bob cabbage. 
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