A sneaky speeding crackdown.

[tiderus]

A few years ago I joined Drive Protect, run by Adam Blair, after having been caught speeding three times is as many weeks.
No problems with that, but I needed to cover myself against another one.
Thank goodness it hasn't happened, and the info from them has been a help.

They do send me regular updates, and their latest one may be of interest to a few of us.
As it may be what's on the cards to come, (To raise more cash???).
So have a look below, and see what you think.
Rgd's Graham.

Hi GRAHAM,

A sneaky speeding crackdown
is set to catch motorists out on
the M42 and M6 in Coventry
and Warwickshire.

Drivers could soon be booked
for going just over the 70 mph
limit.

The threat comes from "stealth
cameras" which were introduced to
enforce variable speed limits on
“Smart Motorways”.

However it has now been
disclosed that these cameras may
be used to strictly enforce the
70,mph speed limit during non
variable limit hours.

The West Midlands has two sections
of Smart Motorways; the M42, to the
West and the M6, to the North of
Coventry.

Also sometimes called “Managed
Motorways”, the hard shoulder is
opened as an extra lane to ease
congestion at peak hours.

Overhead gantries display variable
speed limits, supposedly to keep
the traffic flowing as efficiently
as possible.

Up until now the cameras have
been switched off at quieter times,
when no variable speed limits are
in force.

But that's all set to change...

This misuse of these types of
cameras has already happened
before, in Kent…

The first victims of the “stealth
cameras” (also called Hadecs3)
were on a section of the M25.

668 motorists were caught in the
first three months after they were
switched on.

Of those, 520 drivers and riders
received tickets where the limit
was set at exactly 70mph.

Now this totalitarian crackdown is
set to be rolled out in the near
future on the M42 and M6...

So much for the Freedom Bill that
was introduced by the Government
in 2012!

If you’re driving in these areas any
time soon, watch out.

All the best,

Adam

 

[Robmac]

Nice one Graham, but prepare for flack from those who 'never speed'!

 

[izwozral]

Nice one Graham, but prepare for flack from those who 'never speed'!

Never ever speed? Really? Not even accidentally? Yeah right.

 

[jagmanx]

Very Nasty

I used to own an X-type jaguar with all wheel drive.
If conditions and traffic are good 70mph is no problem and from a safety point of view even 80mph is not unsafe
Speedos are not reliable so it is entirely unreasonable to penalise somebody doing 71 mph.

I fully support Sensible spped limits and sensible penalties for speeding however this is OTT

I can now be smug and say it wont worry me as even on motorways I cruise at 55mph (sometimes 60) in my motorhome...
I no longer use a car !

No doubt I will now get caught out by a lower limit somewhere

Thanks for the "Heads up"

 

[Robmac]

Never ever speed? Really? Not even accidentally? Yeah right.

So they claim on previous threads re speeding. I TRY not too, but I am easily distracted.

 

[Robmac]

........................No doubt I will now get caught out by a lower limit somewhere

Thanks for the "Heads up"

Apparently there will be more and more 20mph limits introduced in the next couple of years, which is fine provided they are put in the right places, I suspect that some will be introduced as a money spinner though.

 

[maxi77]

Never ever speed? Really? Not even accidentally? Yeah right.

But if I do and get caught I pay up and don't try and claim it is some kind of stealth tax. The rules are simple and well known, break them and you pay the price. The real problem is that for years speed limits have been poorly enforced so many expect to get away with it and are now upset they are being caught. If speedng fines are a tax then it is a voluntary tax, easy to avoid.

 

[Robmac]

But if I do and get caught I pay up and don't try and claim it is some kind of stealth tax. The rules are simple and well known, break them and you pay the price. The real problem is that for years speed limits have been poorly enforced so many expect to get away with it and are now upset they are being caught. If speedng fines are a tax then it is a voluntary tax, easy to avoid.

I disagree, speeding has always been enforced, it's an easy target as opposed to real crime. I'm not against speed limits, we need them. But I think that they are not always sensible, I got caught on a road with fields either side, there was a '30' sign obscured by trees. I thought it was a 40 limit and got nicked accordingly. I asked the policeman why it was a 30 limit and he said he didn't make the laws, just enforced them. About a mile away, I could drive through a village with houses either side at 40.

A few weeks later, that particular 30 limit was changed to 40.

 

[Obanboy666]

Try my best to stick to limits but not easy, went past a concealed mobile camera 2 weeks ago doing approx 33 mph. No letter has arrived yet, fingers crossed lol !

 

[Wooie1958]

Speeders :mad2: fine them heavily then hang the buggers that what i say :wacko:

 

[Robmac]

Try my best to stick to limits but not easy, went past a concealed mobile camera 2 weeks ago doing approx 33 mph. No letter has arrived yet, fingers crossed lol !

If you were going by your speedometer, you were probably doing about 28ish, if going by the GPS, it would probably be an accurate 33. Some forces allow 10% + 2mph, but apparently, that will also be done away with in the next couple of years.

 

[Bigpeetee]

As I've got older, the desire to speed had reduced, maybe I'm more sensible or that I'm concious of the fuel costs, but, like most people I do occasionally speed, on open roads with little traffic I may push the limit quite consciously, but even when I'm trying to be good, it's so easy to drift up in speed (why does speed drift up more often than down??) I've got into the habit of using the speed limiter in 30 or 40 limits but usually set it at 33 or 43 as it starts to come into effect too early and I can probably "get away" with a minor discretion!!

In the MH, I'm much more relaxed but am still surprised at how many drivers of 3050Kg+ MH's are un aware of the limits placed on them.

North Wales has in the past been one of THE hot spots for traffic cameras, usually in the most inappropriate but revenue gaining locations.

 

[izwozral]

There are far too many road signs these days, including speeding signs. How many times have you seen a 40mph sign & just a few strides away, a de-restricted sign & visa versa. I don't know if it is just bad planning or some numpty has forgot to advise sign removal but I am seeing this more & more. If I am in a built up area with street lighting I assume it is 30mph & drive accordingly. Now we have 20mph zones, some are enforced 24/7, some are at certain times. If it is 20mph then keep it 20mph, it is distracting trying to read a timetable whilst driving & not always easy in poor light & weather conditions.

How many signs do you see: "This Motorway is Maintained by the Highways Agency"? These seem to be every half mile on some motorways & who gives a flying fig who maintains them just as long as they are maintained. Talk about blowing your own trumpet at the tax payers expense, they will not be cheap to produce or plant either.

 

[hextal]

Guys, last time I checked, these were set to acpo guidelines. So 82 in a 70 from memory.

Additionally, at the time the highways agency were sending the data of the speeders to the police, who were refusing to do anything with that data, so no prosecutions.

It may have changed in the last few months, and each police unit has different focuses, but I'd treat the info with a pinch of salt.

 

[Robmac]

Guys, last time I checked, these were set to acpo guidelines. So 82 in a 70 from memory.

Additionally, at the time the highways agency were sending the data of the speeders to the police, who were refusing to do anything with that data, so no prosecutions.

It may have changed in the last few months, and each police unit has different focuses, but I'd treat the info with a pinch of salt.

Again, the new cameras are set to zero tolerance and read your speed accurately having been tested by the Home Office, I believe, and no need for further re-calibration. So 70 in a 70 now.

(This information from a Traffic Awareness course).

 

[Rob H]

Speeding Crackdown ..

Long time since I've passed through Birmingham and district at more than 20 mph, lol ..

Rob H.

 

[st3v3]

USUALLY not all gantries have cameras, even though lines are painted on the road. And USUALLY if you can't see cameras on the other carriageway then there aren't any on yours.

I do wonder how true this is though, as there has to be some tolerance. ACPO guidelines say 10% + 3mph IIRC.

Take the above at your own risk lol.

 

[piman]

Hello all,

what does send a misleading message was the talk about increasing motorway speed limits which indicates that this crackdown (if it is one) is purely for revenue collection?

Alec

 

[st3v3]

Again, the new cameras are set to zero tolerance and read your speed accurately having been tested by the Home Office, I believe, and no need for further re-calibration. So 70 in a 70 now.

(This information from a Traffic Awareness course).

Its not about camera calibration, but that of your car's speedometer.

 

[Robmac]

Its not about camera calibration, but that of your car's speedometer.

The old cameras had to be re-calibrated to check accuracy, which is why some motorists got off of the fines after challenging the calibration. The new cameras are passed by the HO as being 100% accurate, so if travelling above the speed limit (no matter what your speedometer reads) you will be nicked and no reason to give any leeway.
It is illegal for a speedometer to under read, so all car manufacturers make them over read by a few MPH. So, if your speed is reading 70, you will be doing less.