M4 cameras?

[silversun]

I am sure this has already been asked but the search function does not appear to work for me.

Please can anyone advise me on cameras on the M4 between London and Bristol? I thought I heard something a while ago which meant you'd get done at anything over 70. I saw lots of signs but no actual cameras (stationary or otherwise), but my mate in Bristol says there are specs cameras hidden in the bushes. He's prone to bullshit a lot of the time but it made me slightly uneasy.

Anyone got any further info?

Thanks. :)

[pdV6]

silversun said:

Anyone got any further info?

Yeah - your mate is full of ****

• Currently, there are 2 fixed GATSO cameras in the roadworks between Bristol & Bath (one each way).

• The Wiltshire scamera squad are covering their stretch of the M4 (roughly Leigh Delamere to Membury services) with scam vans on the bridges. I've yet to see them, but have seen a lot of trafpol wielding hairdriers from the edge of the carriageway

• There is talk of SPECS going in around the M25 interchange, but I don't know how true this is

[silversun]

Cool, thanks.

I saw the two fixed cameras but didn't see any camera vans on bridges.

[timbob]

I believe the much hyped cameras on the bridges made a swift and quiet exit after 12 accidents and 1 death in the two weeks immediately following the beginning of their use, the PH protest on the motorway and huge press outburst against them.

I've never seen a van on the Mway bridges along that stretch of the M4.

[miniman]

A mate of mine has been commuting from J17 to J8 of the M4 daily for the last 5 weeks, making a total of 50 passes through that stretch. He has seen one camera van in that time.

[off_again]

Up and down that section usually 2-3 times a week and only seen a van 3 times. Actually would admit that I saw one about 2 weeks ago though! Trundled underneath at a cruise-enforced and GPS verified 78MPH....

Still, as mentioned - a hasty retreat from the full scale scamera van operation on the M4. Dont forget that 12 serious accidents and 1 death in the first two weeks - all NOT speed related. Add to that the fact that ABD managed to get the figures from the Wilts Scamera Pratnership which indicated that speed was a factor in less than 3% of accidents on the M4 - hardly a percentage which allows you to justify targetting the millions who use the motorway per year.....

....or is it about the money? Surely not?

[puggit]

pdV6 said:

There is talk of SPECS going in around the M25 interchange, but I don't know how true this is

Not very true at all.

There's an experimental camera Westbound between Jc4b (M25) and 5(A4 Langley). I can vouch for the fact that they aren't issuing tickets from it

[pdV6]

puggit said:

pdV6 said: There is talk of SPECS going in around the M25 interchange, but I don't know how true this is Not very true at all. There's an experimental camera Westbound between Jc4b (M25) and 5(A4 Langley). I can vouch for the fact that they aren't issuing tickets from it

So, "partially true" then?

[puggit]

Well it's a Gatso

[princeperch]

puggit said:

pdV6 said: There is talk of SPECS going in around the M25 interchange, but I don't know how true this is Not very true at all. There's an experimental camera Westbound between Jc4b (M25) and 5(A4 Langley). I can vouch for the fact that they aren't issuing tickets from it

if it doesnt flash, doesnt issue tickets, doesnt collect data - what exactly is it for?!!

[puggit]

Rumour had it on here that it was a prototype gantry camera that could get a good mug shot.

I find it difficult to believe as the road markings are after the camera, and the camera is rear pointing from the gantry. It looks and feels like an M25 camera

[princeperch]

puggit said:

Rumour had it on here that it was a prototype gantry camera that could get a good mug shot. I find it difficult to believe as the road markings are after the camera, and the camera is rear pointing from the gantry. It looks and feels like an M25 camera

that it does Chris - I only noticed the gatso lines a few months back after id barelled past that gantry doing 80ish....but people seem to be nailing past it around the tonne whenever im on that stretch...

interestingly enough, my cyclops recognises it as an active "variable" limit camera, just like on the m25.

and the cyclops only alerts you to the gantry that has cameras on them, usually only 1 gantry on each side...

makes me wonder if the camera is indeed active but only at teutonic speeds..I mean if it doesnt take any photos at all or flash,or collect any form of data- then there is no point in it being there!

[Mr E]

puggit said:

pdV6 said: There is talk of SPECS going in around the M25 interchange, but I don't know how true this is Not very true at all. There's an experimental camera Westbound between Jc4b (M25) and 5(A4 Langley). I can vouch for the fact that they aren't issuing tickets from it

Sets off my GPS cam detector, so I always lift on the way through.

[Mon Ami Mate]

timbob said:

I believe the much hyped cameras on the bridges made a swift and quiet exit after 12 accidents and 1 death in the two weeks immediately following the beginning of their use, the PH protest on the motorway and huge press outburst against them. I've never seen a van on the Mway bridges along that stretch of the M4.

Wrong I'm afraid. I saw a camera van last week - it was on a bridge just before Swindon West (I was heading Eastwards). I also saw one two or three weeks ago in the same place.

[deeps]

The scammers dissapeared for a while following the protest, but sadly re-appeared a few weeks ago after local BBC publicity about how well they were doing in reducing the accident rate by 60% in 6 mnths, or some such nonsense.

[cnjohnson_uk]

Also keep an eye out in Wiltshire for a White Mitsubishi Shogun 5 door. They are using one of those at the moment. It is only when you are close up that you realise it is a scamera van.

[wearypanda]

I travel the M4 regularly from J17 to Reading and back. I can confirm that the scamera crews are quite often out on the bridges. Often early in the morning. Last week I very neary had a van hit the back of me as the person in front hit his anchors (although he was well within the limit) and the van was following me too closely. Beware, they are there.

[timtonal]

wearypanda said:

I travel the M4 regularly from J17 to Reading and back. I can confirm that the scamera crews are quite often out on the bridges. Often early in the morning. Last week I very neary had a van hit the back of me as the person in front hit his anchors (although he was well within the limit) and the van was following me too closely. Beware, they are there.

Worthy of an angry but well-worded letter to the partnership. Make them squirm a little!

[chim666]

wearypanda said:

I travel the M4 regularly from J17 to Reading and back. I can confirm that the scamera crews are quite often out on the bridges. Often early in the morning. Last week I very neary had a van hit the back of me as the person in front hit his anchors (although he was well within the limit) and the van was following me too closely. Beware, they are there.

Yup, I often see one on the road bridges the Swindon side of J 17 (Chippenham)....you won't notice the sign on the van as it's obscured by the bridge's barriers!

[tony13579]

A camera partnership recently hired several cannibals as part of their communities and diversity policy.

"You are all part of our team now", said the HR rep during the welcoming
briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the
cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other
employees".

The cannibals promised they would not.

Four weeks later their boss remarked, "You're all working very hard, and
I'm satisfied with you. However, one of our tea ladies has disappeared.
Do any of you know what happened to her?"

The cannibals all shook their heads no.

After the boss had left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others,
"Which one of you idiots ate the tea lady?"

A hand raised hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals
continued, "You fool!!! For four weeks we've been eating central ticket office staff, civilian operators and press officers and no
one noticed anything, but noooooo, you had to go and eat someone important