M42 cameras?

nickcc

JonnyIncognito wrote: »

Having just got a NIP from Warwickshire Police about speeding on the M42 ("Southbound Gantry 6500B" as you approach J7A) I can say that at least this camera was active even though the gantry didn't have a restriction in place and that this behaviour has changed or is inconsistent.

I used to use the M42 and M6 regularly, but haven't for years... back then I regularly went into three-digit speeds through the gantries late at night when there was little traffic and no restrictions displayed, without a single ticket.

This is the second time in two weeks that I've travelled southbound on the M42 at roughly the same speed and only in the second case did the camera flash. The slight difference in the second case was that I was in the left lane and changed to the third lane from the left so I could get off on the M6, whereas previously I was in the third lane already when going through the gantry; I wouldn't expect the lane used to make a difference though. The camera is a HADECS3 type as listed on the Warwickshire Police website for 6500B (link below), here's the exact gantry on Google Street View (link below).

Seems I'm not allowed to post links "as a new user", so the URLs are here for you to copy and paste:

- warwickshire.police.uk/article/39617/Camera-calibration-certificates
- google.co.uk/maps/@52.5116781,-1.7256179,3a,75y,175.86h,90.14t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sN2R1mztK7z-yBfWdpSKHXA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Enabling speed cameras when the gantries have no speed restrictions in place seems entirely unnecessary to me on a motorway

I expect they've been enabled to catch people going over three digit speeds, or perhaps they are low on revenue.

JonnyIncognito

nickcc wrote: »

I expect they've been enabled to catch people going over three digit speeds, or perhaps they are low on revenue.

In this case was 94 mph... I suspect £££ is the motivation!

Keep_pedalling

JonnyIncognito wrote: »

In this case was 94 mph... I suspect £££ is the motivation!

If you suspect that why would you be dumb enough to drive at a speed that is going to cost you a weeks wages, 4-6 points, and probably a big jump in your insurance premium?

headpin

oscarward wrote: »

........

No you can’t rely on nothing being received within 14 days. This was West Mercia btw which covers m42/m5.

No quite correct as West Mercia Police area only covers part of the M5 and M42. So far as the M42 is concerned a section from just north of the M40 at junction 3a to just south of J7 is West Midlands and the remainder north is Warwickshire.

However, The Central Motorway Police Group are responsible for policing the M5, M6, M6 Toll, M54, the Aston Expressway, the M42 and the A500 in the Midlands police force areas. So effectively all of these motorway are policed under the same regime.

JonnyIncognito

Keep_pedalling wrote: »

If you suspect that why would you be dumb enough to drive at a speed that is going to cost you a weeks wages, 4-6 points, and probably a big jump in your insurance premium?

Generously assuming that's a genuine question and not being critical, the answer is that you're exaggerating the financial impact and it's really not a big deal. In this case £100 and three points, roughly +10% on insurance. It's a calculated risk.

daveyjp

See post 35. Cameras can be activated whenever it is deemed necessary.

Mercdriver

You should always assume they are switched on. I do in any smart motorway areas.

facade

JonnyIncognito wrote: »

Generously assuming that's a genuine question and not being critical, the answer is that you're exaggerating the financial impact and it's really not a big deal. In this case £100 and three points, roughly +10% on insurance. It's a calculated risk.

You were lucky to get 3 points and £100 fine for 94mph. As keep pedalling says, 91-100 on a motorway is band B territory.
Keep it below 90 if you want to just gamble on £100 and 3 points.

Scrapit

Mark31 wrote: »

Well no,

what I mean is I only went into speed ticket territory to overtake whilst having an Audi up my rear but whilst overtaking if any road markings were visable I did slow down to delay the overtake but it may not have been enough

Were the audis and their associated drivers better or worse than you considering you were both speeding?

Aylesbury_Duck

JonnyIncognito wrote: »

Enabling speed cameras when the gantries have no speed restrictions in place seems entirely unnecessary to me on a motorway

On the contrary, you just proved their necessity.