When approaching a Speed Camera

[Steve Maund]

When approaching a Speed Camera on a dual carriageway where the posted speed limit is 70, why do drivers slow down to 55mph just to make sure they don't get caught?

Answers on a postcard please?

Steve

[Starfighter]

Lack of situational awareness coupled with fear.

[trickywoo]

Its even better when there has been a temporary limit due to road works, long since removed, but the camera is still there, and they do a full on emergency stop from 75 down to 35.

[Petrolhead_Rich]

Not sure what the speed limit is, "play it safe"...

[Mars]

Blimey, I normally find people go through sped cameras at significantly over the posted limit. I've never worked out what they know that I don't.

[durbster]

Petrolhead_Rich said:

Not sure what the speed limit is, "play it safe"...

Yep. At a weekend I'd guess that around half of drivers don't know what the speed limit is. Commuter traffic is slightly more aware, but pretty much every day I'll be in a queue doing sixty for no good reason at some point.

[Jonny671]

I have to say I usually go through ones for 30mph at about 25mph and 70mph ones at about 65mph. Not braking before I get to it, but easing off the loud one just before hand.

I've often thought what if it goes off when you drive past but you KNOW you were below the limit, how would that work?

[grgrgray]

Its the 'just in case' syndrome many old, young, idiot drivers take to being in a car. Its the same reaction that makes them put on their fog lights and slow to 50 on the motorway when it starts to drizzle.

[kambites]

Jonny671 said:

I've often thought what if it goes off when you drive past but you KNOW you were below the limit, how would that work?

It doesn't matter whether it "goes off". The evidence that you were speeding is not the fact that a picture was taken, it's the two pictures of the car taken at a timed interval against distance markers on the road.

[tejr]

I usually go past cameras at an indicated 5mph over! speedo accuracy and the limit at which the camera is going to go off means I probably still have a few mph in reserve

[Jonny671]

kambites said:

Jonny671 said:

I've often thought what if it goes off when you drive past but you KNOW you were below the limit, how would that work?

It doesn't matter whether it "goes off". The evidence that you were speeding is not the fact that a picture was taken, it's the two pictures of the car taken at a timed interval against distance markers on the road.

And so someone looks at those pictures and decides whether you were over the limit?

[ShadownINja]

Steve Maund said:

When approaching a Speed Camera on a dual carriageway where the posted speed limit is 70, why do drivers slow down to 55mph just to make sure they don't get caught?

It might be because they were doing 65mph and panicked.

[eybic]

Main problem is people don't know what the nsl sign means, there are a couple on my way to work and people think the limit is 50 on a single carriageway and I am the spawn of satan when I overtake them and continue at 60, same with dc's and their 70 limits.

[JungleJim]

Steve Maund said:

When approaching a Speed Camera on a dual carriageway where the posted speed limit is 70, why do drivers slow down to 55mph just to make sure they don't get caught?

Answers on a postcard please?

Steve

[kambites]

Jonny671 said:

kambites said:

Jonny671 said:

I've often thought what if it goes off when you drive past but you KNOW you were below the limit, how would that work?

It doesn't matter whether it "goes off". The evidence that you were speeding is not the fact that a picture was taken, it's the two pictures of the car taken at a timed interval against distance markers on the road.

And so someone looks at those pictures and decides whether you were over the limit?

It might be automated these days, I don't know.

[djt100]

M25 overhead gangways are the worst for this, Empty road getting along nicely and then the sign comes on for 40, and everyone slams the brakes on even though the m25 camera's haven't been active for years.

[ARH]

I went on a "driver awareness" training course the other week due to a minor speeding issue. Only 3 out of 20 poeple knew the national speed linit for a duel carrigeway, most believed it was 50 or 60 mph. one thought it was 40 mph. I guess that is why. It was suprising the lack of knowledge regarding speed limits there was in that room. Apparently this is quite normal.

[eybic]

djt100 said:

M25 overhead gangways are the worst for this, Empty road getting along nicely and then the sign comes on for 40, and everyone slams the brakes on even though the m25 camera's haven't been active for years.

Are you sure about that? I suspect you may be wrong.

[TonyRPH]

eybic said:

Main problem is people don't know what the nsl sign means, there are a couple on my way to work and people think the limit is 50 on a single carriageway and I am the spawn of satan when I overtake them and continue at 60, same with dc's and their 70 limits.

This.

A recent trip to Scotland bought to my attention that even though they have the NSL sign, they also post limits numerically.

Something we in England would to well to emulate.

[durbster]

TonyRPH said:

A recent trip to Scotland bought to my attention that even though they have the NSL sign, they also post limits numerically.

Something we in England would to well to emulate.

Trouble is, the NSL sign can mean any one of 9 things depending on what you're driving so how can that work?

The simple answer is that it needs to be taught better (and I don't just mean to learner drivers).

It's the same with "Give way to oncoming traffic" signs at junctions - basic stuff like that should be known by all drivers, and this is exactly where road safety campaigns should be targetting their efforts, rather than speed.