Average Speed cameras?

[andyspurs85]

I was driving on the M25 sunday afternoon when the bad weather hit. The rain was so bad I couldn't clear my window quick enough so dropped from 70 down to 60. With the visibilty better I realised I was in and average speed check and had gone throgh at 60 when the limit was 50. I slowed down for the next one to about 40 hoping that would average it out.

Just need a bit of clariffication as to how they work and whether anyone knows has ever been caught by them. They were on the M25 between J21-J27. I've got 9 points so im panicing a bit.

Cheers.

[phPaddy]

Over the distance between the 2 sets of cameras your average speed has to be no more than 50mph + 10% so over 55 but 55-58 shouldnt be a worry either...so I've been told butI dont take the risk.

Edited by phPaddy on Monday 11th August 23:54

[mybrainhurts]

I hold it on a GPS 54. Usually ok if average is under 57.

[phPaddy]

How long were you traveling at 60 for? and how long were you traveling at 40 for?

[mybrainhurts]

I don't believe all SPECS cameras are wired up and working. Blufftastic...

Look for the powerful floodlights. The cameras next to those are active.

[robinessex]

In very heavy rain, plus spray, number plates often become 'invisible'.

[aka_kerrly]

WTF the rain was so heavy that you couldn't clear your windscreen enough but you thought it was ok to blaze through a 50 limit at 60.

[HereBeMonsters]

aka_kerrly said:

WTF the rain was so heavy that you couldn't clear your windscreen enough but you thought it was ok to blaze through a 50 limit at 60.

Hence why he has 9 points. They're called "endorsements" as they show how good he is at driving.

[hondansx]

Suppose i shouldn't confess to this, but i drive past conventional Gatsos at 58mph (on the clock rather than GPS) and have never had an issue, so would expect you would be fine at this speed through the average speed camera stretches.

I'm pretty sure as soon as you switch lanes between cameras the average speed ones lose track completely, i've frequently exceeded the limit and have never been caught. Sometimes i'm cheeky and will ensure i'm hidden by an HGV. Of course, i'm not encouraging you to do the same, it's just that i'm a bad ass.

Some people are braver than me though; i guess it's having intimate knowledge of the M25, but i see people ignore the average speed cameras doing 80mph+ without using my changing lane trick! I believe between J10-12 are 'live' and i've also set off cameras shortly after it became 4 lanes between J5-6 before Sevenoaks and also between J2-3 heading towards the Dartford tunnel, both times i believe down to faulty cameras (as mentioned, never had a ticket).

I heard the problem is the constraints on the police force to monitor the cameras, deal with appeals etc.

[Conscript]

hondansx said:

Some people are braver than me though; i guess it's having intimate knowledge of the M25, but i see people ignore the average speed cameras doing 80mph+ without using my changing lane trick! I believe between J10-12 are 'live' and i've also set off cameras shortly after it became 4 lanes between J5-6 before Sevenoaks and also between J2-3 heading towards the Dartford tunnel, both times i believe down to faulty cameras (as mentioned, never had a ticket).

I heard the problem is the constraints on the police force to monitor the cameras, deal with appeals etc.

If you're talking about the variable speed cameras (with the limit shown on the overhead gantry), then there are quite strict rules regarding the speed limit shown on the variable sign display. If you get flashed but it turns out that there was a fault with the LED sign (say, a portion of the sign not showing properly due to damaged/blown LEDs) the ticket is unenforceable.

This is why for the new stretch (J5-6) you can always tell wheen you are coming up to a gantry which has a working camera, because a hundred yards or so in front of the gantry there is a mast with 3 CCTV cameras mounted on it, which are pointed at the LED speed signs on the gantry. If you go through the gantry over the limit and set off the speed camera, the CCTV cameras also log an image of the sign at the time you passed through it - if the ticket is unenforceable due to a problem with the sign, then it is automatically cancelled.

[littleredrooster]

Why do these threads degenerate into confusion between Average Speed Cameras and Variable Speed Limit Cameras?

Do PHers still not know the difference between the two?