[Closed] Speed cameras on the M1 set to 72mph...fake news?

I hope it's not fake news. Will slow those roads down to safe levels and stop imaginary traffic jams from bunching and tailgating

Test one let us know how you get on.

What do you think? Go on, think for a moment about how fines work and are applied - then come back and tell us...

6 points for 72 in a 70. Yeah, right...

Facebook you say? Must be true.

Will slow those roads down to safe levels and stop imaginary traffic jams from bunching and tailgating

Unfortunately managed motorways seem unable to sort out tailgating, that 1mph you think you have on the other guy see's to that.

Absolute bollocks and stereotypical of the dirge spread on Facebook

Says here it's just the smart motorways where a limit is displayed otherwise national speed limit applies. https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/local-news/m1-smart-motorway-cameras-how-2407004

I drove up the m1 on the 29th at an indicated 79 for most of the journey, not had a fine yet.

It's the Russians testing their disinformation network for the next referendum.

😱🔥🔥🔥🔥

They are always set to bl**dy 60 for no apparent reason anyway when I’m on there!!

I believe the ones south of Sheffield are set at 60 to help air quality - not sure if this is more fake news?
RM.

He’s right, 60 does seem to be the new 70.

”monitoring air quality” speed limits make me LoL.

Yes it's definitely fake except the automatic production of ticket which generates the NIP

I got flashed a few weeks back and posted a thread on it as I was literally doing 40 in one of those managed sections a quick email , plod who deal with traffic for that section of motorway said it's the NSL + 10%

Interesting fact however is that they can ping you a mile up the road after you have gone through the camera and hoof it and that the cameras on the other side can ping you too

Further to that they can identify if your on a mobile phone

That campaign against tailgating - I'm right behind it.

The speed limit on a motorway is 70mph so I'd have absolutely no issue with the cameras being set to 72mph.

The 60mph air pollution control around Sheffield is true - the local schools have some of the worst asthma stats as the motorway runs so close to built up areas, they switch on the control when it spikes during rush hour making people drive at a speed that is more efficient for reducing pollutants. That's why its always on when its busy but for no apparent reason as there's been no crashes/lane closures.

Except most car Speedos are not capable of being read that accurately due to the parallax effect unless they're a digital read out. Hence the 10% leeway etc. Can't see how they could enforce this based on present standards of in car speed measurement.

Drove past Birmingham on the M5 last weekend - do the gantries still ping you if the variable speed limit is not in operation? Not worried as I'm a good boy, obviously, but a lot of people were zipping through.

I heard the exact same story 2 or 3 months ago. Fake news.

So people can't stick to speed limits because of parallax error?

No, it's that an indicated 70mph on your speedo might actually be anywhere between e.g. 64mph to 77mph. So even if you are sticking to what you think is 70, you're probably not, hence the need for leeway

70mph on your speedo might actually be anywhere between e.g. 64mph to 77mph

How far away from the speedo is your needle?!

Member
So people can’t stick to speed limits because of parallax error?

Analogue speedometers can not be read accurately due to their small size and the fact you are probably not sitting directly infront of the centreline of the clock.

Drove past Birmingham on the M5 last weekend – do the gantries still ping you if the variable speed limit is not in operation? Not worried as I’m a good boy, obviously, but a lot of people were zipping through.

do the gantries still ping you if the variable speed limit is not in operation?

They're supposed to yes, based on nsl obviously rather than a reduced speed. There was lots of crying foul when the m62 ones went live and actually enforced NSL even though the gantry showed nothing. I'd like to think the complainants got stung with bans for clearly being too clueless to be allowed to drive, I've a nagging suspicion however the tickets probably all got cancelled as aresult of some silliness like fixed safety cameras should be signposted and have a confirmation of the relevant limit is making safe with that signposting.

@martin hutch and bails.
If you are referring to those between jct 5 and jct 6, I don't think it is variable, they are just regular speed cameras of the latest variety. They may be able to set them remotely though, I'm sure someone on STW is a safety camera aficionado!

Edit 4a and 6. I have not seen any variable speed limits yet, Is the smart motorway up and running?

You are correct, they are variable.

https://www.speedcamerasuk.com/hadecs-3.htm

4a and 6. I have not seen any variable speed limits yet, Is the smart motorway up and running?

Ooh and the M27 is going through a “smart motorway upgrade” and has cameras dotted all along it.

I was told that the Ave Speed Cameras would be turned on last Monday, but I came through early morning and they weren’t on then.. maybe when I go home I’ll find them on 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

All 4 lanes (old hard shoulder as lane 1) were open so I presume it must be. They couldn’t run it as a smart motorway without having everything in place to close lane 1 in case of a breakdown surely?

That does make sense. I was thinking the 4 lanes were for extra capacity and traffic officer could close off lanes in the same way they do on a regular motorway.

I don't recall seeing the gantry square signs like those around Bristol and the M6.

It's a load of bollocks. Why do people fall for this stuff?

@bikebouy

I think some may be on around bottom of the M3/turning to M27 Eastbound at J5 (there were 50 limits up there last night at about this time).

Bit of a muddle along there last night. 50 became NSL promptly followed by a matrix sign saying 40 - Lanes Closed Ahead then about 3 miles to the lane closure which ran a long way down. I guess they were still setting out for the vegetation clearance and hard shoulder works which is what I think they are just starting on.

Sorry for hijack

Same reason they fell for Brexit, they just belive what they are fed by targeted social media.

No mental capacity for critical thinking.

If you cover your car in tinfoil the cameras can't detect you*

* I may have just made this up**

** I may just be saying that I just made this up and my first statement is 100% true as I am actually working for the: Russian trolls/dark web/shadowy government organisation/lizard conspiracy etc. and yes, we are out to get you

Or, I may have shares in Bacofoil.

Bit of both isnt it - i thought this was just the roll out of enforcement 24/7 even when the speed limit signs are turned off. Which is a fair cop anyway really - anyone going through too fast doesnt really have a leg to stand on, speed camera signs are up, its 70. As far as i was aware the worcestershire m5 cameras are already working like this. If i see a gantry i go through at 70 and always have, signs may be off but im not risking the buggers getting me!

The 6 points/instaban etc is fake news, afaik its just like a regular speed camera youll just get a nip and dealt with as usual.

There are massive speed camera signs on all the gantries so no excuse really. I think a lot of people will be getting nabbed.

Except most car Speedos are not capable of being read that accurately due to the parallax effect unless they’re a digital read out. Hence the 10% leeway etc. Can’t see how they could enforce this based on present standards of in car speed measurement.

Ha, who told you that? Parallax very unlikely to make a significant difference, but the point still stands as speed accuracy (especially on cheaper manufacturers) can be way out (easily over 2%). Most decent manufacturers are pretty spot on these days, and if it is reading incorrectly, it is more likely to be slowing you down (i.e. reading 70, but is actually 67 mph).

Car speedos are not allowed to under read your speed for obvious reasons which is defined in EU Regulation 39.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedometer

So if you have the right tyres on and they are at the correct pressure etc etc then if your speedo reads 70 you are almost certainly doing less than 70. In my car its closer to 65 true speed.

One police chief was in the news last year when he commented on police budgets, saying tongue in cheek, “think how much money we’d bring in if the M1 speed cameras were always on.”

Quite some outrage from people who think it’s acceptable to speed on motorways greeted his comments, and the impression I got was that it wasn’t a viable option owing to the number of people involved.

The police have given up on enforcing 20 limits, so they probably think that enforcing a 70 is 3.5 times more difficult. Also, the people charging up and down in Range Rovers with private plates probably have a fair amount of pull in the area of lawmaking.

Be wary of assuming your speedo over reads by 10% in a modern car: last two 2018 reg hire cars I drove over read by exactly 2mph at all speeds.

think how much money we’d bring in if the M1 speed cameras were always on

Aye it should be donated to charity or the nhs

think how much money we’d bring in if the M1 speed cameras were always on

A bit like the A9 then....

Surrey stretch of M25 cameras are active and can trigger on 70+ if variable speed is not in effect. Don't know what speed triggers them. They're not on all gantries despite marks on the road, although don't just look for GATSO types on the gantry, there are HADECS at the side popping up now.

Also M3 smart motorway section cameras are live and can catch 70+ as I understand it.

M1 cameras used to do nothing but with the smart sections they might now.

So... is anyone able to say for certaintity that the smart motorway cameras are on and set to record anyone travelling at over 70mph when there is no speed limit displayed on the gantries?

Afterall, who stays within the 70mph limit on the motorway? it's accepted that around 80 is acceptable in the 3rd overtaking lane. (cue loads of sunday school teachers saying I stay under 70... LIARS!!)

I just assumed tyre size/wear would throw the speedo out by a small amount, assuming it's absolutely spot-on in the first place.

From my experience they only flash you if you’re doing silly speeds (i.e over 80 ish).

Just last night I saw a blue light police car get flashed on the opposite side of the M1, and he was chugging along.

I’ve even seen cars getting flashed for going through a closed Red Cross lane, which is great as they’re idiots.

No idea if it's been said but the same story flashed up on my Facebook feed and someone pointed out that the same story did the rounds last year around the same time.

I know for a fact that the speedo (digital figures and analogue style clock) on the wife's Evoque reads well over, even at low speeds.

There's loads of those digital speed read out boards near us and an indicated 34 on hers always shows up as 28, to be fair it's not the only bizarre thing about that car.

Afterall, who stays within the 70mph limit on the motorway? it’s accepted that around 80 is acceptable in the 3rd overtaking lane.

The vast majority of UK Drivers. Not all of them a Sunday School Teachers, and your reference that everyone Speeds and calling them liars if they don’t is frankly rather distasteful and rong.

HTHs

Speeding isn’t confined to Range Rover drivers, plenty of Passat Estate wannabes flooring it down this way.

I’m not that draconian in stating all Speed Cameras should be on and set to the exact speed of that road, nope I’m more in favour of people respecting other road users abilities and not using thier vehicles as either a weapon or vehicle of intimidation.

Plenty of people drive the way I do, you’ll see us, we’re the ones you lot overtake 😜