Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi All,

After collecting my new fog light seals from OPC Leeds today, I was travelling back to Huddersfield via the M62. There's some roadworks part way along so its the dreaded 50mph average speed camera checks in force along that stretch of motorway.

I always slow down before I reach the first 50mph sign entering the roadworks. But when I'm travelling through the entire length of roadworks at a nice steady 50mph, others cars are absolutely nailing it through the roadworks. What do they that I don't or are they just not bothered about getting caught speeding?

Ben

Some people don't understand that they take an average speed between cameras and think if they are doing 50 while in sight of a camera they are ok, speeding up between them. The M77 up here has them permanently and people always get caught for that reason.

There was a legal fight up here over the roadworks on the M8. Someone fought it because it was not the police who fitted the cameras, it was a private company and details were issued to the police of speeders. This was not legal.

Lee.

BTW there is a TIPEC meeting tomorrow down in Ayrshire, anyone going? This will be my first meeting so please let me know so I can introduce myself. Anyway we are meeting @ a service station off the M77, so if you are going then please watch the speed cameras.

I have wondered this for a while. Has anyone actually been done by one of these average speed systems, or know someone who has?
Are people really that stupid?

Regards
Paul

I know people who have been done on the fixed ones on the M77. It would appear that yes they are are.

Lee.

Amazing! There must be thousands of people being done every week. Every journey I take I see these systems and every time 10's of cars fly by me at 60/70/80 and more.

I was annoyed earlier this week as I was almost to the end behind a lorry, saw the national speed limit sign and End of roadworks sign so put my foot down to about 80 and as I passed the lorry there was a camera right on the end of the works hidden by the lorry that was taller than me. I am sure I am fine as long as they dont have the facility to also take two photos as you pass

I drove to Penrith a couple of weeks ago and I swear a third or more of the journer from Bath had average speed systems installed.

Most people drive at 50MPH on the speedo which is 45ish on most speedos, they ignore anythng 10% over the limit so I do 55 or a shade under checked on the GPS. That is why you're getting overtaken you are 10MPH too slow!

Hi Jim,

I have been led to believe that speedometers read under. I must admit that I do not own a sat nav so have never been able to verify the accuracy of my own speedometer. But that said, I'm talking people passing you a lot lot faster.

I've heard people saying you can cheat the camera's by constantly changing lanes. The other one I've heard is speeding through the vast majority of the road works and then pulling in and tail gating a lorry so the cameras can't get a read on your number plate. It's all pie in the sky if you ask me and this is why I stick to 50 or a little over.

I suppose having been shunted before about 10 years ago on a motorway in roadworks, I always get a little twichy when I slow down to observe the 50 limit and everyone else still flies through at national speed limit or over in some cases.

Ben

One of my pals on the squash team got nine points in one day on one stretch of the A616 because he didn't understand how the average speed cameras worked. He simply slowed down every time he saw a camera, but of course it was too late because he'd speeded up every time he'd passed under them until he saw the next one!

I have a Talex thing that warns you if you go over 50. It's not sat-nav, but it's GPS, it just tells me where all the fixed speed cameras are, all the average speed ones - even the new roadworks ones, and possible mobile spots where the police are known to use cameras. It's free to update.

As for the speedo accuracy - I believe from somebody else who has a Talex thing that on a private road an indicated 80 is 72, 90 is 81, 100 is 90. I only know from experience that on a motorway an indicated 70 is 63. This all seems to stack up the theory that speedometers are manufactured 10% out to stop speeding.

It still amazes me that people speed past me when I'm doing 50mph in an average speed camera area and the Talex is keeping me at 50.

Use the A58 Ben. It works for me Limit is 60 with no cameras.

The main idea of the cameras is to keep everyone moving. The M77 is a very bad road, dual carrageway in both directions with no central reservation. Some really crazy drivers used the lanes for the oncoming traffic, to speed up their journey time, with horrific results. Now the cameras are up, everyone does 50 and the road keeps moving safely. Accident number are down.

Lee.

P.S. I take it no one from the forum is going to the TIPEC meeting tomorrow? Or no one who would like to talk to me anyway!

Hi JJ,

You're Halifax way right? Here's a driving road for you - Start at the Mama's and Papa's factory shop in Huddersfield. Wind your way up the hill towards Mirfield. Keep heading for Flockton. Pass through Flockton and head for Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Bretton. When you reach the roundabout on M1 J38, go all the way round and head back same route. That my friend is a true test of handling, power and driver.

I know every dip, pothole and apex on that stretch of road. Plus no camera's. You just need to be able to hit that section of road when it's super quiet. Better than sex! (and that's not because I'm doing it wrong before anyone makes any comments!) Of course this is all done whilst observing the 40mph speed limit I might add (30mph through Flockton and Bretton).

That said, I'd love to do the Stelvio Pass in Italy like they did on Top Gear. Bring it on.

Ben

Hey Ben, sounds like you got your clutch fixed!!

KT

Those average speed things are cropping up near me like wildfire! M40 near Warwick used to be a great run before these things came along. I'll admit that whilst they are annoying, at least the M42 near Solihull appears to keep on moving whenever I have been on it since the average cameras were added so many years ago.

I wouldn't say the problem is speed on the motorway though. It's more down to tired drivers and drivers who decide to spend too long looking at an accident instead of simply driving to where they are going!

average speed cameras on M1 between j25 and j28 have been there for ever, and now i'm using M6 between j6 and j20 regularily there are about 6 sets of road works, you slow down to 50mph for about 2-3 miles, then its 70mph for another 2-3 miles, then back to 50mph etc, some of these 50mph stretches have the last yellow camera just before the national speed limit sign, so if you are bit quick accelerating beware !!

They keep threatening them on the M25, but reputedly they are too efficient as once a few have been done then the catch rate plummets so they make no money.