M1 roadworks Luton (ish) SPECS

[Nic Jones]

This morning about 6.15am on the way to Millbrook I was travelling up the section with the roadworks near Luton and saw the signs saying 'average speed detection' or summat similar, so being a 40 limit I slowed to about 42-43 indicated, which put me at the smae speed as the lorries, as i know their Tacho's are pretty accurate, as we're trundling along at a painful 40 a French truck thunders past still obviously on his limiter in the middle lane swiftly overtaken by 2 clowns racing at maybe 70-80mph, just as we pass the big brother cameras and no sign of slowing from either.

It makes you wonder how stupid people are to ignore the massive sign informing you of the SPECS!

Lots of points for them methinks

[rich 36]

good hope they were actually on for a change.

I know the Leicester junction, used them for awhile, and I know from here
they were working

[GreenV8S]

What's even more amusing is to see people slam on and go past the cameras at 40 and then tear off into the distance.

[cooperman]

If you don't slow for the first camera, but realise what you have done during the period before the second, you can stop on the hard shoulder (checking why a warning light came on, officer, but I've re-attached the wire and it's OK now), or find a large truck to hide behind as you pass the second one. Better still, hide behind a large truck at the first one, then you can go as fast as you like. Infallible SPECS, nah!

[BliarOut]

I seem to recall that SPECS can't monitor across lanes. Is that correct?

[GreenV8S]

There is no hard shoulder for most of the length covered by SPECS. You would have to be dangerously close to a truck imo to be missed by all the cameras (I've explored this option just for the hell of it, on my regular trips through the roadworks).

[Nic Jones]

It was the first time I've ever driven through a SPECs controlled piece of road and made me realise just how bloody hard it is to maintain a constant average speed without going over the magic 40, I'm sure it must be more dangerous having specs than scameras on the side of the road as i was observing el speedo all the time and so probably spent way too little time watching the road.

Its ok if you have cruise control or a speed limiter, but if you dont its not easy to drive it let alone having to worry about other motorists or people working on the road!

[GreenV8S]

Make it somebody else's problem. Pick a safe separation to the car in front, maintain that separation, and just monitor the speed to make sure they don't 'drag' you too far over the limit. If they do, then drop back and let them get on with it. Since the average speed is what is being enforced, it doesn't matter if it takes you 30 seconds to notice that your speed has crept up too high, as long as you slow down by the corresponding amount to maintain your target average speed.

[focusonme]

My experience with SPECS is that they've fairly lenient. Drive the M1 regularly, and both the Leicester and Luton sets seem to ignore average speeds in the mid-high 40s.

[TripleS]

focusonme said:

My experience with SPECS is that they're fairly lenient. Drive the M1 regularly, and both the Leicester and Luton sets seem to ignore average speeds in the mid-high 40s.

But how do you know until it's too late and something nasty lands on your door mat?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[anonymous-user]

these damn things will be nationwide before long. misery

[bimsb6]

if you come on at junc 10 northbound or go off at junc 10 southbound you only go through one set of specs cameras
so no chance of them clocking you for an average speed .

[cptsideways]

48mph at 2.30am suggests they are always on !

Mind you the identifying photograph you could'nt even make out the car let alone drivers, & the ANPR misread the plate too.

[GreenV8S]

How did they get (presumably) you, then?

[pies]

francisb said:

these damn things will be nationwide before long. misery

They wont as most people stay within the limit when SPECS are used,thus depriving scamera parterships of lots of tax.Certain roads which have had specs permanently installed have had them removed as they cost too mch to run. This is why they are mainly used in roadworks as they want people to slow down,they aren't quick taxes

[focusonme]

TripleS said:

focusonme said: My experience with SPECS is that they're fairly lenient. Drive the M1 regularly, and both the Leicester and Luton sets seem to ignore average speeds in the mid-high 40s. But how do you know until it's too late and something nasty lands on your door mat? Best wishes all, Dave.

Well, I've been doing them averaging closer to 45 than 40 since they first appeared in Leicester mid 2005, and nothing's landed on my doorstep from the DVLA except a tax renewal form.

[splatspeed]

the behind a lorry is the only real option

although you have to be dangerously close

but if you want a laugh

copy a friends plate get well ahead of them in the first camera then do 40 bang on so they have seen both cars

then get a friend to show the plate out of the sunroof

and once he gets the NIP you can tell him its a wind up

must fight these evil thoughts

[fletch2306]

Can anyone confirm how many SPECS positions there are in the southbound direction? I counted 4 but wanted to make sure I saw them all. I never saw any cameras for the first two average speed signs, but wanted to make sure I didnt miss them.

Also I read somewhere that there supposed to be a SPECS camera either side of the M25 turnoff in the southbound direction, can anyone confirm if this is true?

Thanks

[Peter Ward]

I note that there are several sets of SPECS along that section, and others where they're used. Does anyone know how they are used in pairs? Say the road covered by a pair of SPECS is A------A, B------B, ok...

With a single set of cameras at point A, B, etc, are they always:

A------A........B------B

...or can they be:

A------A
...........B--------B
........................C------C

...or can they be:

A----------------------A
B------B
...........C--------C
........................D------D

...or perhaps any combination?

Thanks!

Edited to try to format the "pictures". It's a shame that edit is non-proportional font and spaces are recognised, while when posted it goes to proportional with spaces removed

Edited by Peter Ward on Monday 12th June 10:45

[mouseymousey]

I was going to post about specs after my first experience at the weekend. I was amazed at how many people were travelling well in excess of 40, probably not understanding the concept. I noticed one guy who was absolutely flying towards the end of the roadworks so he must have known that hehad passed the last camera, so that got me thinking, why not just have one camera at the start of the roadworks and another at the end? This was M6 by the way.

It also crossed my mind that this system will not be used too heavily because most people do actually obey the speed limit where these are used so do not generate enough "tax".