M4 Bath to Hungerford - slooooooow

[Cavey]

Depressing report in the news this morning - cameras on this stretch of the M4 on regular basis. So now any trip from Bath to London will involve plod plod plod (in both senses) along the bit that's usually quite clear until you get towards Reading where the traffic biulds up, manking you plod plod plod into London (being overtaken on the last stretch by the one bus per month with uses the bus lane by Heathrow).

Right, here goes:

And all because a few people can't get their brains around driving appropriately for the conditions so as to avoid accidents, so we all have to be made to shuffle along in a 70 mph crocodile like schoolchildren. Why not just make the M4 a fast conveyor belt? At least getting on and off would be a bit of fun.

Rant ends.

[laner]

The general camera situation was bad before but this is now ridiculous! If I heard correctly every bridge (M4 Wiltshire) now has a speed camera set at 79mph!!

I think we need to get our marching boots on and get down to that London pronto!!

[m-five]

The good thing about having speed cameras and no BIB is that I can drive like a tosser with impunity as long as I do it under 79mph.

I can cut people up, I can overtake on the left, I can use the hard shoulder as a 4th lane, I can dodge in and out of traffic and I will be safe from prosecution.

At least I won't have to keep an eye out for police cars anymore.

The cloned plate helps as some old fogey in the Home Counties will be getting any tickets I do incur instead of me.

Life is good!

>> Edited by m-five on Wednesday 13th April 11:17

[gareth_r]

laner said:

The general camera situation was bad before but this is now ridiculous! If I heard correctly every bridge (M4 Wiltshire) now has a speed camera set at 79mph!! I think we need to get our marching boots on and get down to that London pronto!!

Vans, not permanent cameras.
www.safetycameras-wiltshire-swindon.co.uk/

I saw the new permanent signs yesterday and checked the "Safety" Partnership website and the Wiltshire Police site last night -- no mention of the enforcement starting today. I guess they needed a full bag to justify what they are doing.

I've driven that stretch of road every working day for 10 years and I've yet to see an incident which could be put down to speeding... in fact I've yet to see an incident, so they can't be that common.

I've seen the aftermath of quite a few, however, and most seem to involve HGVs, or cars being rear-ended in (comparatively) slow traffic queues, with the occasional driver going to sleep and heading for the boonies.

I can't see enforcement of the NSL doing much to prevent incidents like the one last week where a car transporter hit the central barrier.

I have to wonder, if that stretch of road was such a problem, why there has been minimal traffic police presence.

[gareth_r]

Just noticed this -- does your odometer read in kilometres?

www.safetycameras-wiltshire-swindon.co.uk/mobile.asp

M4 speed enforcement sites in Wiltshire (Please note that the list below describes the location of the sites and not the direction of enforcement. Enforcement may take place in either direction.):

Approximately 8.3km east of junction 17
Approximately 3.1km east of junction 17
Approximately 8.4km west of junction 16
Approximately 3km east of junction 16
At Junction 15
Approximately 6.9km east of junction 15
Approximately 1.8km west of junction 15

[pdV6]

That site ^ said:

[DennisTheMenace]

SLD-920X
or
LRC 100

[Mr E]

DennisTheMenace said:

SLD-920X or LRC 100

or somebody elses plates. (If you're criminal scum)

[scruffy]

Mr E said:

(If you're criminal scum)

Wanna fight?

[james_j]

I've mailed the fools.

Please, everyone else, put aside a few minutes to do the same:

[e-mail]

[chim666]

gareth_r said:

Just noticed this -- does your odometer read in kilometres? <a href="http://www.safetycameras-wiltshire-swindon.co.uk/mobile.asp">www.safetycameras-wiltshire-swindon.co.uk/mobile.asp</a> M4 speed enforcement sites in Wiltshire (Please note that the list below describes the location of the sites and not the direction of enforcement. Enforcement may take place in either direction.): Approximately 8.3km east of junction 17 Approximately 3.1km east of junction 17 Approximately 8.4km west of junction 16 Approximately 3km east of junction 16 At Junction 15 Approximately 6.9km east of junction 15 Approximately 1.8km west of junction 15

Sounds like we're talking about any road bridge crossing the motorway. Here's more....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/vote_2005/england/4436849.stm

Why not protest to the local MP? [e-mail]

Although is is the MP for Wilts North, it would appear he does not have much influence with the Wilts council nor their Safety Camera Partnership. It might still be worth sending him a mail - I have.

As I passed the many camera signs along this stretch of the M4 yesterday, I wondered about placing my own sign at the start of the slip road to the M4.
Here's my idea!


Just a thought! [/quote]


>> Edited by chim666 on Thursday 14th April 16:40

[Dan]

I was involved in a prang on the M4 last year... how fast was I going????? 40!!, the accident had sod all to do with speed and everything to do with people hogging the outside lane, and driving too close together.

Like others here I do this trip 2 or 3 times a week, and the only time speed is a factor is when the vis is so crap, the bloody cameras wouldn'e work anyway.

What a load of feckin' tosh... this is blatent money grabbing

[jvaughan]

just a quick comment here.
I passed allong the M4 yesterday on the bike.
Both Ways, Traffic Police with Lazers targeting cars.
On my return journey, I was doing 80 on the dot. There was about 5 to 6 cars infront of me * 0 - 400 Meters away, and spaced along all lanes One car was just over taking me. Even then, the lead cars slammed on the brakes when they saw the speed trap. At that precice moment, I had to swerve to avoid the car in front who was overtaking me and braked hard, and swung into the middle lane infront of me.

I would have been safer in lane 3, doing 100mph !!!...