NEW SPEED CAMERA GANTRY SECTION ON M5

NEW SPEED CAMERA GANTRY SECTION ON M5

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Discussion

deeps

Original Poster:

5,392 posts

241 months

Saturday 11th March 2017
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For anyone that hasn't heard yet, we are lucky enough that our Government has found around 12 million pounds to spend on building us some lovely speed camera gantry's on the M5.

The new variable speed limit section will run from Jnct 23 Dunball to Jnct 25 Taunton. Expected to be up and running by 2020.

That's all I can write for now as I need the sick bucket.

jkh112

21,966 posts

158 months

Sunday 12th March 2017
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Oh great! I often travel that section early in the morning on my way to Plymouth or across to Weymouth, looks like despite the motorway being empty at that time of the day I will have to get up even earlier.

tqadam

116 posts

114 months

Sunday 12th March 2017
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I normally cruise around 65-70 on my way up and down the M5, but variable/average cameras make me so nervous and tense. I hate them!

TDIfurby

1,997 posts

175 months

Monday 13th March 2017
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Doubt it will be any different than the section through 18-15 at Bristol. The ones around Brizzle appear to keep traffic moving nicely from the few experiences I have had going through there.

deeps

Original Poster:

5,392 posts

241 months

Tuesday 14th March 2017
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TDIfurby said:
Doubt it will be any different than the section through 18-15 at Bristol. The ones around Brizzle appear to keep traffic moving nicely from the few experiences I have had going through there.
You won't be saying that when they catch you out one day.

My mate who does 50k miles a year on motorways said to me "only a blind idiot could be caught by them" and guess what, a month later he got caught, haha, true story.

The thing that really gets to me about the M5/M4 section, is on the M4 eastbound at the sliproad for the M32, they have actually reduced the 3 lanes of the M4 down to 2 lanes, by painting over lane 1. They have artificially created the bottleneck! Painting over and thus making the available road space unusable is just insane.


deeps

Original Poster:

5,392 posts

241 months

Tuesday 14th March 2017
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tqadam said:
I normally cruise around 65-70 on my way up and down the M5, but variable/average cameras make me so nervous and tense. I hate them!
Yep, a stat we will never get out hands on is how many collisions they are contributing to from flashing brake lights and panic braking.

Terminator X

15,026 posts

204 months

Tuesday 14th March 2017
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Ah safety camera's keeping us all safe wink

TX.

TDIfurby

1,997 posts

175 months

Wednesday 15th March 2017
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deeps said:
You won't be saying that when they catch you out one day.
I'll be OK as I don't speed on motorways. Normally at most it'll be 75mph indicated, slot in 6th, cruise on. Chill.

deeps

Original Poster:

5,392 posts

241 months

Friday 17th March 2017
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TDIfurby said:
I'll be OK as I don't speed on motorways. Normally at most it'll be 75mph indicated, slot in 6th, cruise on. Chill.
You do realise 75mph is above the limit? Yes I know you're going to tell me how speedo's over-read, but something as simple as tyre pressures can change that.

Your cruise won't be on for long between J23 and J25 lol, as the speed limit could be 70, 60, 50, 40, and changing at every gantry.


TDIfurby

1,997 posts

175 months

Friday 17th March 2017
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Yes, but below threshold of being caught biggrin Most of the time I am happy enough slapping cruise on at 67mph (Ish)(GPS) and just let the world go by. I am a fan of a nice chilled drive

On the 50mph sections I put cruise on @ 53mph (GPS) and pootle on through.

deeps

Original Poster:

5,392 posts

241 months

Friday 17th March 2017
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The gantries will be a nightmare for you then, 40, 60, 40, 50,70 etc.

You'll actually have to use the pedals.

Synchromesh

2,428 posts

166 months

Friday 17th March 2017
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deeps said:
The thing that really gets to me about the M5/M4 section, is on the M4 eastbound at the sliproad for the M32, they have actually reduced the 3 lanes of the M4 down to 2 lanes, by painting over lane 1. They have artificially created the bottleneck! Painting over and thus making the available road space unusable is just insane.
Surely that's to make space for the two exit slip lanes? Someone probably worked out that around half the traffic going eastbound here turns off onto the M32 (and I can quite believe it). Any time I've gone straight on here I've found that short two-lane section of the M4 relatively empty, so it's not really 'insane' is it?

It would've made more sense, however, if the M4 had been kept as two lanes for a bit longer and only become three again from the J19 entry slip, to make it easier for people joining here.


GlenMH

5,207 posts

243 months

Monday 20th March 2017
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deeps said:
The gantries will be a nightmare for you then, 40, 60, 40, 50,70 etc.

You'll actually have to use the pedals.
Not necessarily. In the Merc: 2 down flicks on the stalk to take the speed limiter down from 75 - 65 and keep the foot flat...

vsonix

3,858 posts

163 months

Monday 20th March 2017
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TDIfurby said:
Yes, but below threshold of being caught biggrin
Nope. Depends where you are. I've been tugged at 75 on the M4 in Wales before.

deeps

Original Poster:

5,392 posts

241 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
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Synchromesh said:
Surely that's to make space for the two exit slip lanes? Someone probably worked out that around half the traffic going eastbound here turns off onto the M32 (and I can quite believe it). Any time I've gone straight on here I've found that short two-lane section of the M4 relatively empty, so it's not really 'insane' is it?

It would've made more sense, however, if the M4 had been kept as two lanes for a bit longer and only become three again from the J19 entry slip, to make it easier for people joining here.
Nope. There is a whole lane of white paint 'out of bounds' on the 3 lane M4, reducing it to 2 lanes to create an artificial bottle neck. If you want to build more slip roads you don't create a bottle neck on the existing road, you build to the left of it. So yes, it is really insane. Do-gooder fkwittery at its very best. I'm sure it was designed by the latest batch of civil engineers with qualifications coming out of their (wet behind) ears.

Of course it's "relatively empty", they have just squeezed 3 lanes of traffic down to 2 lanes and 40mph on a flowing motorway! Insane! When the last gantry is passed, traffic speeds back up to a natural flow as it escapes from the artificial man-made bottle neck.

deeps

Original Poster:

5,392 posts

241 months

Wednesday 22nd March 2017
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GlenMH said:
Not necessarily. In the Merc: 2 down flicks on the stalk to take the speed limiter down from 75 - 65 and keep the foot flat...
Yes, but the point is it's still pointless.

RemaL

24,973 posts

234 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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Whats the possible result for having your number plate fall off now a days

GlenMH

5,207 posts

243 months

Sunday 26th March 2017
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RemaL said:
Whats the possible result for having your number plate fall off now a days
You don't even need to go that far: followed a 200SX today who had wedged his square rear plate up so far that only the very bottom of the top row and the bottom row were visible.

Midlifecrisis71

2,870 posts

275 months

Monday 3rd April 2017
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NEWS - I read today that they are putting up average speed cameras at Exeter as you leave M5 and becomes A38 & A380, Holden Hill Exeter. Known as Splatford split, where they've done all the work on widening & up to Exeter racecourse.

With both these sets of cameras it will take me another 5 mins extra every day, may not sound much but when you drive 40k miles PA, they become quite annoying.

Whats annoys me the most is the claims that its for safety

vsonix

3,858 posts

163 months

Monday 3rd April 2017
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tbh the 'splitford splat' as I call it is really annoying. People's lane discipline goes to ste up that winding stretch, they sit in L2 at 30 blocking anyone who can actually manage to go round bends at NSL causing tension and frustration, making it average spped will just make this behaviour worse as of course, keeping left/lane discipline apparently ceases to be 'a thing' when average speed limits are in play.