Smart motorway speed changes
Discussion
When travelling on a smart motorway in say a 40 section and the gantry a few hundred yards down the road showing NSL, I assume the limit doesn't change until you pass the gantry. The problem I find is while I'm still travelling at 40 until I hit the gantry, everyone around me is flooring it way before.
So does the limit change before the gantry?
If not would it just be safer for me to speed up like everyone else does?
Any cameras attached to the gantry don't seem to flash, but if the speed limit changes at the gantry, surely anyone doing 70 as they pass was doing so before, so shouldn't the cameras be set to 40 as that's what you should be doing as you pass?
So does the limit change before the gantry?
If not would it just be safer for me to speed up like everyone else does?
Any cameras attached to the gantry don't seem to flash, but if the speed limit changes at the gantry, surely anyone doing 70 as they pass was doing so before, so shouldn't the cameras be set to 40 as that's what you should be doing as you pass?
Panamax said:
Any camera is on the gantry and pointing at a section of road AFTER the gantry where the speed limit is back up at NSL. It's no offence to drive NSL speed in an NSL section so there's nothing to get nicked for.
But the 40 sign before the NSL sign is a 40 limit, so technically there is something to be nicked for if driving (some way) above 40, and that gantry camera will be pointing to cover that section.Panamax said:
Any camera is on the gantry and pointing at a section of road AFTER the gantry where the speed limit is back up at NSL. It's no offence to drive NSL speed in an NSL section so there's nothing to get nicked for.
I get that, but surely only those driving a LaFerrari or similar would be able to accelerate up to 70 by the time they hit the camera zone just beyond the gantry? So really the camera should be set to the previous limit, as that is what you should be doing as you pass it. Ideally the cameras should be aimed directly beneath the gantry.Wackywoo105 said:
I get that, but surely only those driving a LaFerrari or similar would be able to accelerate up to 70 by the time they hit the camera zone just beyond the gantry? So really the camera should be set to the previous limit, as that is what you should be doing as you pass it. Ideally the cameras should be aimed directly beneath the gantry.
If it was set at the previous limit the gantry it was on would have to be set at 40, that's how they work You can't have a camera enforce 40 when 40 is not displayed. Yes, technically the limit is 40 until the gantry when you pass the NSL sign.
With clear visibility, conditions etc, my view is that the safest thing is not to be at 40 when everyone else around you is doing 70 or whatever. But you would be in lane 1, so I expect any risk from a big delta in speed to be minimal. So it's up to you. Break the law like everyone else or stay legal within the limit.
With clear visibility, conditions etc, my view is that the safest thing is not to be at 40 when everyone else around you is doing 70 or whatever. But you would be in lane 1, so I expect any risk from a big delta in speed to be minimal. So it's up to you. Break the law like everyone else or stay legal within the limit.
xx99xx said:
Is the 'problem' one of safety or that you might lose your position in the race?
As long as you don't change lanes whilst doing 40mph into a lane doing 70+ you're pretty safe and problem free.
Am not in any race and couldn't care less if others get in front. On a several occasions I have had a car ride my bumper expecting me to speed up and sometimes feel like I'm in the wrong for not doing. If I'm holding 40 the person behind can't pull out and overtake if everyone else is gunning it.As long as you don't change lanes whilst doing 40mph into a lane doing 70+ you're pretty safe and problem free.
Wackywoo105 said:
Am not in any race and couldn't care less if others get in front. On a several occasions I have had a car ride my bumper expecting me to speed up and sometimes feel like I'm in the wrong for not doing. If I'm holding 40 the person behind can't pull out and overtake if everyone else is gunning it.
Which lane were you in?BertBert said:
Which lane were you in?
This isn't just one occasion. Sometimes I can be in the left lane and sometimes in the middle. As soon as the higher speed limit sign is visible cars around speed up. If I'm in one of the overtaking lanes I try to move across carefully.TBH I've seen similar behaviour when coming to the end of roadworks. It's just something that has become more prevalent with the proliferation of smart motorways.
Some of us have been doing this for many years. Always, courteous enough to allow the uninitiated to move aside without intimidating (an extra 15ish seconds is not going to ruin my day). But then some of us can also modulate thereby enter the motorway matrix “40/50/60” restriction at the posted limit without having to “stand on the anchors”.
My hate is - 60 to 40 on adjacent gantries with short interval sections. The theory is that they should go 60 to 50 to 40 but frequently poorly managed.
My hate is - 60 to 40 on adjacent gantries with short interval sections. The theory is that they should go 60 to 50 to 40 but frequently poorly managed.
Tyre Smoke said:
Why are you in the middle lane? Are you overtaking a slower car in L1?
Yes. If I'm in any lane other than L1 I'm usually overtaking, unless I entered the lower speed section in L2/L3 and everyone is travelling at 40 and I'm keeping up with the flow of traffic in that lane. Do you expect everyone to get over to L1 and not use lanes 2 and 3 when the speed limit is reduced?CoolHands said:
If it’s happening a lot to you, why don’t you speed up then?
Because that means exceeding the speed limit until I reach the gantry.As you seem such a stickler for the Highway Code, then yes, you should be in L1 unless you are overtaking and then move back into L1 once the overtake is complete. To 'just keep up with the flow' in L2 or L3 then you are not driving to your own standards and indeed not 'keeping up with the flow' after the last speed limit gantry before the NSL.
So which is it? Driving like a mobile roadblock or abiding by the Highway Code?
So which is it? Driving like a mobile roadblock or abiding by the Highway Code?
Tyre Smoke said:
As you seem such a stickler for the Highway Code, then yes, you should be in L1 unless you are overtaking and then move back into L1 once the overtake is complete. To 'just keep up with the flow' in L2 or L3 then you are not driving to your own standards and indeed not 'keeping up with the flow' after the last speed limit gantry before the NSL.
So which is it? Driving like a mobile roadblock or abiding by the Highway Code?
Nobody is overtaking anyone in the limited sections, or if they are it's a very low speed differential, so yes I guess I would be overtaking if the lane I'm in is moving slightly faster. Again do you expect everyone travelling at 40 to move over to the left and leave the right 2 lanes clear? And as mentioned above sometimes the instruction is to maintain current lane.So which is it? Driving like a mobile roadblock or abiding by the Highway Code?
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff