Three times in the last couple of weeks on the A9 there have been mobile speed vans on the dual carriageway or overtaking sections at Slochd and Ralia. So no only do we sit at 50 all the way (or less), when you have opportunity to get past, you now sit at spot on the speed limit, so spending more time on wrong side or not getting past the HGV or transit.
Speed cameras have reduced the 'wacky races' approach to overtaking it seems, but seemingly creating another issue...
Maybe I should give up on 'making progress'... 😉
Sorry mods, wrong forum...
Overtake everything on the inside, thereby proactively dualling the whole A9 at a fraction of the proposed cost.
Time to buy a v8 110 eh?
You do know that it's illegal to exceed the speed limit even when overtaking, right?
Won't they ever think of the spirited drivers?
From recent trips up and down the A9 it's causing more dangerous overtaking than before. I've resigned myself to the fact that you'll do the whole trip at 40-50 miles an hour, but there are a lot of people that don't have the patience
Are the cameras front facing or rear?
To be clear, I'd like to do the speed limit, but say there slowlybecause you've ended up stuck behind someone on a bimble
I travel through that average speed section on the A9 most weeks.
I just set the cruise to 70 ish and sail through, can't say I've noticed any problems
Are the cameras front facing or rear?
Rear, so fine for bikes
Only been on it a couple of times since the cameras went live. Dunkeld/Aviemore on a sunday afternoon was fine, no holdups and averaging the limit. The return journey was on a friday evening, stuck in a mile+ long convoy, down to 30mph at times 🙁
I remember what the A9 used to be like e.g taking half an hour just to get through Pitlochry.
Are the cameras front facing or rear?
Rear, so fine for bikes
Not fine for bikes then! You mean they face the front?
Lovely road to drive up to Aviemore on BUT theres some suicidal arses on there tho, nearly whipped out by some idiot overtaking me by Pitagowen last winter ...
All for more cameras if it cuts out crap like that
O/T but A9 locals, what's the Sustrans cyle route like that runs alongside, Kingussie to Pitlochry, fine for a road bike?
There's a short section of gravelly path but I've done it on 23mm tyres and it was fine.
I've noticed loads of LGV drivers seem to be under the impression that their speed limit is 60/70 on the A9, rather than 50/60. Am I right to assume that the 'average' calculation is worked out based on the classification of the VRN, and not just purely distance/time = speed for al vehicles? Presumably the calculation has a look-up on the DVLA database?
Am I right to assume that the 'average' calculation is worked out based on the classification of the VRN, and not just purely distance/time = speed for al vehicles? Presumably the calculation has a look-up on the DVLA database?
It has to.
It is, but the chances of a standard (non tachograph-equipped) speedometer reading 60 when you're doing 60 are very low. An indicated 70 will probably be around 65, so within the 10%+1 margin for triggering the camera in a van on a dual carriageway. That's assuming they're set right on the enforceable limit too.
My experience since the cameras were installed is really positive, much faster flow of traffic, less idiotic overtaking, lorries seem to be cruising around 55 mph. No complaints at all, nice relaxed journey. People complaining that they can't break the law should grow a set and just admit they want to break the law rather than make up stories!
I remember what the A9 used to be like e.g taking half an hour just to get through Pitlochry.
Yep and have to wait for the ferry over the firth from Inverness 8) , though I wasn't driving at that age...
I think every journey recently on the A9 has been mental overtakes at some point. Some may be tourists. Others are locals or habitual travellers that really should know better. To the point where I hated it. If this is slower, but steady, that would be good.
First got my licence there was only about two really decent overtake opps IIRC - Blair Atholl straight being one, and if oncoming traffic, forget it!
A9 at around 11pm was the best time to travel -once it had been improved - door to door Edinburgh to Elgin at a decent steady speed all the way.
Good experience for me driving to Aviemore and back from Glasgow the other weekend. Wasn't ridiculously busy so just cruise control and a nice smooth journey.
Didn't get the usual idiot overtaking that always happens. Hoepfully this will continue. Only thing I am worried about is how it'll cope when it's heavy traffic.
Mind you my last journey in heavy traffic was made considerably worse by the A9 being closed due to a nasty accident...
I've had a few trips since the cameras were introduced and it seems to have improved things. There is still an issue of driver education though. Some folk don't seem to know what their speed limits are and there are still folk that brake when going under the cameras. I do wonder how many know how the speed is calculated.
The OP keeps forgetting that speed cameras are there to generate revenue and have precious little to do with road safety.
I do wonder how many know how the speed is calculated.
given plenty of people would struggle to tell you what an average is, i doubt it.
The OP keeps forgetting that speed cameras are there to generate revenue and have precious little to do with road safety.
As someone who has previously been caught for "making rapid progress" on the A9, I used to agree with you.
The average speed cameras do seem to make a difference IMO though. GATSO's definitely not, but I'm interested to see what these do to the accident statistics on the A9.
I do agree that the average cameras have been good, and things are calmer. And slower.
I was over the limit - in an attempt to not spend the next hour at a slow speed behind someone towing a tractor on trailer...
It just seemed somewhat harsh to add in mobile vans as well as the uber expensive new camera system. Maybe the sound of kerchiing is ringing.
[quote=matt_outandabout ]I do agree that the average cameras have been good, and things are calmer. And slower.
I was over the limit - in an attempt to not spend the next hour at a slow speed behind someone towing a tractor on trailer...
It just seemed somewhat harsh to add in mobile vans as well as the uber expensive new camera system. Maybe the sound of kerchiing is ringing.
The new camera system doesn't cover the dual carriageway sections.....but maybe I shouldn't have told you that 🙂
[quote=chrismac ]The OP keeps forgetting that speed cameras are there to generate revenue and have precious little to do with road safety.
Yep. Stick it to "the man" by refusing to break the speed limit. That'll show him who's in control!
The only thing it needs added now, is police marksmen in place to execute anyone that does an incredibly slow overtake in the dual sections, preventing others from getting past.
The new camera system doesn't cover the dual carriageway sections.....but maybe I shouldn't have told you that
It does between Stirling and Perth
Who goes to Stirling?
It does between Stirling and Perth
That's always struck me as being a dangerous section especially the bit just north of Dunblane: lots of farm traffic mixed in with speeding (I mean much faster not over the limit) vehicles.
Who goes to Stirling?
God only knows - there are some folk so unlucky that they have to live on the outskirts 😯
*looks out window at castle*
Aye, it is a dump...
Not fine for bikes then! You mean they face the front?
Well I would call it the rear, ie they face back down the road to where you've come from rather than forward to where you're going, I guess everyone who's interested understands anyway
Aye Stirling - it's shite alright - best you just stay away 😉
Hang on! @Scotroutes dont' you live in Aviemore?
i read somewhere they have alternated the cameras in some of the locations so some are front facing and some are rear. makes sense to me as the black boxes that i believe activate the cameras are sometimes before and sometimes after the actual cameras.
the m77 ones are older and are all front facing i think...
Hang on! @Scotroutes dont' you live in Aviemore?
You're not really insinuating that Stirling is nicer than Aviemore are you? 😐
I always thought Aviemore would have a cool apres-style nightlife. Brought down to earth with a massive hillbilly brawl outside the police station 😆
I always thought Aviemore would have a cool apres-style nightlife.
You've never been clubbing upstairs in [s]Cafe Mambo[/s] Super Panther 😯
The cameras are a con. Very few are connected, especially north of Dalwhinnie. None monitor the duals North of Perth. To get pinged you need to be "quite a lot" over the average and that is nearly impossible just now unless you travel late evening/early morning.
My experiences so far have been good on a Sunday and absolutely dire when my actual average was 40. It was quicker from Elgin to Aviemore through towns and villages and across the single track Dava moor road. It won't take too long for people to wisen up and some sort of normality be restored. All they have achieved so far is to reduce journey times and expectations for the majority. It was never the majority that were killing themselves. The nutters are just more frustrated than before and that can't be a good thing. There have been 2 fatalities that I have heard about since they went in and no reduction in accidents but those figures will not be made public.
I've not noticed an increase in my journey time and I drive it 5 days a week.
Scotroutes, how sure are you about that? Why on earth would they not cover the dual?
FB, what are the black boxes for?
Scotroutes, how sure are you about that? Why on earth would they not cover the dual?
They don't cover the dual sections north of Perth.
http://www.safetayside.co.uk/road-safety-/a9-road-safety.html
Average speed cameras
Average speed cameras are now in operation on the single carriageway sections of the A9 between Perth and Inverness and on the dual carriageway sections between Perth and Dunblane. The new system is an interim safety measure until the entire A9 is upgraded to dual carriageway.
