Motorhomes and speed cameras

[iveco4x4]

Yes, classing that as a load does make sense, I suppose. I have no idea about expedition trucks, I imagine they'll follow the same rules as the trucks they are based on, many being over 7.5 T.
I just take the easy way out and keep under 3.5T, lol

Expedition trucks can be classed as motor caravans if they meet the requirements. So they are private hgv motor caravans

Otherwise they are private hgv wwith an appropriate body type

Rich

 

[Deleted member 24155]

about GATSO cameras only

I "believe" that Gatso cameras are not very smart and flash you if they reckon you MAY be speeding. They are not connected digitally to anything and use wet film which has to be changed when it runs out. It does measure the length of a vehicle to determine which category it MIGHT be.
The film is inspected visually by an operator who will see if the length measurement is meaningful, but presumably can make his own decision about the vehicle type he's looking at perhaps by a reg check at the DVLC.
For a successful prosecution the speed measured by the radar and the speed measured by the on-road ruler must be within 10% of each other due to the known variables of the radar checker. Or so it says on a speed checker website.

 

[Captain Biggles]

Just wondered whether anybody has any experience of whether this quote 'The Gatso can differentiate between different speed limits for different vehicles. For example cars, caravans and HGVs have different speed limits and the camera will measure the vehicles length and impose the correct speed limit for each vehicle' from this link - Gatso speed cameras explained and how they work - is correct? Can they really tell whether a motorhome is over 3,050kg? I can appreciate that they might be able to tell the difference between an HGV and a car but between models of motorhomes?? And by extension, is there any link to the DVLA database to identify weights with the average speed cameras?

cheers
Ian

As of ~4 years ago, there were to my knowledge 3 such 'Weigh in motion' installations on UK roads with the offer of more being rolled-out, you might want to take a look at this Web Site :

High Speed Weigh In Motion | Solutions | TDC Traffic Systems

And no, I have nothing to do with the Company TDC....


Captain Biggles lane:

 

[steco1958]

I was done 5 years ago on a dual carriageway in Wiltshire in my AutoTrail which weighed in at 4500Kg. I was doing 65 on a national speed limit road. When they sent me the letter and picture,I appealed and the reply was that I had exceeded the speed limit for my weight of vehicle. I further appealed that it was a private leisure vehicle NOT a commercial HGV,it was dismissed on the basis that the issue was the vehicle weight.

You should have been fined !! the speed on a DC for your vehicle is 60mph

 

[sasquatch]

You should have been fined !! the speed on a DC for your vehicle is 60mph

Does that also mean that GATSOs ignore ACPO guidelines.
So there are private leisure vehicles and leisure vehicles. Unfortunately there are a lot of anomalys around vehicles whether it is for tolls or traffic pffences

 

[maxi77]

I "believe" that Gatso cameras are not very smart and flash you if they reckon you MAY be speeding. They are not connected digitally to anything and use wet film which has to be changed when it runs out. It does measure the length of a vehicle to determine which category it MIGHT be.
The film is inspected visually by an operator who will see if the length measurement is meaningful, but presumably can make his own decision about the vehicle type he's looking at perhaps by a reg check at the DVLC.
For a successful prosecution the speed measured by the radar and the speed measured by the on-road ruler must be within 10% of each other due to the known variables of the radar checker. Or so it says on a speed checker website.

The original GATSOs were wet film but they have been updating them over the years, many are now for example multi purpose and can do both lights and speed. I would suspect the latest models are all electronic with solid state memory and it would be very simple to have them down load their imagery and data over the phone network. Auto matching the registration with the DVLA should be very easy so it would be lest costly perhaps to assume they can make the link and keep to your proper limit

 

[philstoke]

Woops just noticed this in a magazine I was reading
I got my motorhome last years and while looking up speed limits at the time misread the weight as lower speed limits for 3.5 tonnes and under rather than the 3.05 tonnes that is actually quoted.
I have been through quite a few speed cameras and havn't received a ticket though and especially on the motorways you see other larger motorhomes cruising along at 70mph
I wonder why the threshold for other things is 3.50 tonnes, such as the London emmision zone for example but the speed limits are 3.05 tonnes

 

[st3v3]

The trick is not to get flashed by a camera,they help you with this by putting up large signs that display the maximum speed on a particular road and also put up signs saying safety cameras in use so it is quite easy really,if you pay attention that is.

The signs they put up are the maximum speed for cars. NOT necessarily the vehicles we drive.

Sarcasm fail.

I'm more confused with the converted Sprinter we have. As a van it would be 60mph on dual carriageway, but it would fit the motorhome section at 70mph.

v5 says motor caravan.

 

[mark61]

The signs they put up are the maximum speed for cars. NOT necessarily the vehicles we drive.

Sarcasm fail.

I'm more confused with the converted Sprinter we have. As a van it would be 60mph on dual carriageway, but it would fit the motorhome section at 70mph.

v5 says motor caravan.

Why confused?

 

[vwalan]

this is why a couple of years back there was the fuss about self builds requiring stripes or decals on the outside etc to make them look like m,homes . it wasnt for the cameras but for the police to make visual decisions.
as it all m,homes are goods vehicles .
they carry your goods , be it not for sale or hire .

 

[st3v3]

Why confused?

I was confused because I read just the motorhomes bit - which mine isn't. Of course it also says motor caravan, so I'm good for car speeds everywhere. :king:

Thanks for making me read it again lol.

 

[portiapug]

As of ~4 years ago, there were to my knowledge 3 such 'Weigh in motion' installations on UK roads with the offer of more being rolled-out, you might want to take a look at this Web Site :

High Speed Weigh In Motion | Solutions | TDC Traffic Systems

And no, I have nothing to do with the Company TDC....


Captain Biggles lane:

I know of one motorhome owner who got a speeding fine while on the A1 in Northumberland.

It had to be by one of these 'weigh in motion' devices.

 

[Deleted member 967]

I have this info direct from DVLA.

Total Number of Motorhome/caravans registered in UK
Information supplied by VEHICLES.STATS@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Motor Caravan registered in UK at 31st March 2014 :- 232,527 of which 37,634 or 16.18% were under SORN.

Interestingly only 9,866 are category M1 passenger vehicles :- 18,344 are N1 or goods vehicles under 7500kg and 179 are N2 goods vehicles over 7500kg :- 1,884 are classes as “Other” and 202.254 are classed as “Missing”?

It could be that if a vehicles is category M1 (SP) (Passenger vehicle) it is covered by the car limit but if Goods M1 or M2 it would be restricted to those limits. How the "Missing" and "Others" are classified is unknown.

It was mandatory (EU) that Motor Caravans are M1 (Special Purpose) Passenger vehicles by 29th April 2012 but DVLA does not seem to have caught up with this yet. The EU mandatory exercise must be completed by October 2014.

 

[rugbyreddragon]

On a speed awareness course I had pleasure to attend, I was advised that they had weight sensors in the Road to establish the weight and hence the limit for a particular vehicle. Not sure if true or just propaganda but if different limits appropriate where a camera is, how otherwise would it know wether to flash or not?

 

[mark61]

I hope these sensors take in to account that mass increases with speed.

 

[Deleted member 967]

Sorry it is http://bit.ly/1bSErW2 However the published information does not include Motor Caravans and the information has to be requested by email.

Quote "We publish data on a quarterly basis. Each update is published on the 2nd Thursday of the third month after the end of the quarter. The next quarter which is 2014 q2 will be published on September 11th.

Whenever, you require an update send an email to this address and will be produce it for you."

 

[Derby Donkey]

Because if they set the speed trigger at 45 to catch HGVs they would soon run out of film with all the cars doing over 45.
The majority of gatsos still use film, and they can and do flash lorries at far lower speeds than they do with cars.
Have been vainly googling for years as to HOW they do so, but they certainly do!

 

[clarkpeacock]

Because if they set the speed trigger at 45 to catch HGVs they would soon run out of film with all the cars doing over 45.
The majority of gatsos still use film, and they can and do flash lorries at far lower speeds than they do with cars.
Have been vainly googling for years as to HOW they do so, but they certainly do!

I believe they have a loop in the road approaching the camera to detect vehicle size. Some years back, I got flashed by one in the West Mids in my 8M camper doing about 50 in a 60 but heard nothing. More recently, doing 46 in a 60 driving an artic along the A40 near Cassington, Oxford bought me a lovely letter from the local constabulary, £90 fine and 3 points SP10 on my licence. Didn't see the camera flash but it definitely dropped the threshold for the larger vehicle. Regularly pass the same camera in the car at 60.