M1 Smart Motorway Speed Cameras

Nearly_Old

Mercdriver wrote: »

Newer anecdotal evidence on pepipoo states that on M1/M4/M5 they are set at 79mph, certainly on the newer HADECS being used in those areas.

Useful to know. There were a couple of fleet managers posting on Pistonheads which is where the 85 comes from but that was only for the M25.

family4tunes

There is no official tolerance of speed limits on any road (A class-B class-Motorway) so do not rely one being there. In truth, if the speed limit is example: 70mph then the speed limit is 70mph. Some authorities and councils may give some degree of lenience when setting their cameras, but this is not an obligatory feature or official requirement. You can get a ticket or go to court to for speeding offence at 71mph.

Around Bristol the overhead cameras are set at 70mph and are live 24/7. The sections around the interchange … the M32, M4 and M5 all feature prominent. They have the eight most active speed cameras in the UK due to having three separate motorways running through the area.

Speeding offences: Avon and Somerset (Bristol) 1st place: (386,969) 2nd place goes to: Bedfordshire Police (143,052) and 3rd place goes to: West Mercia Police (143,039)

How the top 10 areas line up:

Avon and Somerset - 386,969
Bedfordshire Police - 143,052
West Mercia Police - 143,039
South Wales Police - 135,315
Cheshire Police - 112,540
Hertfordshire Constabulary - 109,854
Kent Police - 107,494
North Wales Police - 105,295
Merseyside Police - 104,621
Devon and Cornwall - 102,508

Be wary if passing through Bristol heading all points of the compass N-S-E or West. As these cameras bite!

family4tunes

Car_54 wrote: »

I imagine they use mobile phone networks rather than wifi.

I tend to agree with your comments :beer:

family4tunes

Nearly_Old wrote: »

A couple of corrections:
There are no "trip plates". MIDAS (Motorway Incident And Automatic Signalling) detector loops are located every 500m in every trafficked lane. Its nothing to do with two cars being close and tripping the cameras as it doesn't involve the cameras. There has to be slow traffic over a number of sequential loops before the system starts setting limits. Usual cause is HGVs overtaking on uphill sections in adjacent lanes at slow speed. In the event of an accident the slowing down of traffic in all the lanes will trigger the system but they can also be set manually.

Not all cameras were working 30 years ago when every camera had to be cabled back to the control room. Digital cameras and wifi means that every camera can be live and as the cameras only record the time and an image of the vehicle they are much cheaper than speed cameras.


One HADECS3 camera can cover up to 5 lanes and these are live 24/7. Anecdotal evidence is that when no reduced speed limit is displayed then they are set quite high - possibly around 85.

Basically what I was saying about the trip plates activating the speed limits. Once set, the speed cameras will then be active for that limit and the default.

family4tunes

Car_54 wrote: »

Only “for sure” if the OP is the registered keeper.

I believe Tom is and this is why he is concerned. I'm sure if he was not he'd had mentioned this in his initial post.

wymondham

family4tunes wrote: »

There is no official tolerance of speed limits on any road (A class-B class-Motorway) so do not rely one being there. In truth, if the speed limit is example: 70mph then the speed limit is 70mph. Some authorities and councils may give some degree of lenience when setting their cameras, but this is not an obligatory feature or official requirement. You can get a ticket or go to court to for speeding offence at 71mph.

Around Bristol the overhead cameras are set at 70mph and are live 24/7. The sections around the interchange … the M32, M4 and M5 all feature prominent. They have the eight most active speed cameras in the UK due to having three separate motorways running through the area.

Speeding offences: Avon and Somerset (Bristol) 1st place: (386,969) 2nd place goes to: Bedfordshire Police (143,052) and 3rd place goes to: West Mercia Police (143,039)

How the top 10 areas line up:

Avon and Somerset - 386,969
Bedfordshire Police - 143,052
West Mercia Police - 143,039
South Wales Police - 135,315
Cheshire Police - 112,540
Hertfordshire Constabulary - 109,854
Kent Police - 107,494
North Wales Police - 105,295
Merseyside Police - 104,621
Devon and Cornwall - 102,508

Be wary if passing through Bristol heading all points of the compass N-S-E or West. As these cameras bite!

mmmm, and people call me a poor driver for wanting a speed limiter on my car so I can look at the road rather than my dash...

DoaM

Mercdriver wrote: »

Newer anecdotal evidence on pepipoo states that on M1/M4/M5 they are set at 79mph, certainly on the newer HADECS being used in those areas.

I guess it depends on what people are using to determine the speed - the speed declared on the NIP or what their speedo says? (79 actual will probably be 85 on a speedo).

Mercdriver

DoaM wrote: »

I guess it depends on what people are using to determine the speed - the speed declared on the NIP or what their speedo says? (79 actual will probably be 85 on a speedo).

Speed on NIP. I travel along the M4 regularly and sometimes pass the cameras at an indicated 79 and haven't received any NIPs and the car is registered to me at my address.

Mercdriver

[QUOTE=family4tunes;75522447

Be wary if passing through Bristol heading all points of the compass N-S-E or West. As these cameras bite![/QUOTE]

I travel along that section of the M4 very frequently in both directions. I am occasionally above the 70 and at the top end of the 'ACPO' thresholds and have never had an NIP. I have been overtaken by someone going a little faster who did get flashed.

Many people are getting caught as they believe that the cameras are not active when no lower limit being displayed. I know that to be untrue, but I am confident that they are being enforced at former ACPO levels.

Car_54

family4tunes wrote: »

I believe Tom is and this is why he is concerned. I'm sure if he was not he'd had mentioned this in his initial post.

Why do you believe that? Why would he have mentioned it?