Speed Cameras on M1???

Does anyone know if the cameras on the long grey poles just after junction 34 on the M1 are variable speed cameras? And if so are they on all the time?


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I hope so. They have them on the M42 and M6. made the roads much less congested and keeps the traffic moving.

 

Variable speed cameras are on when the speed is reduced from national speed limit.

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Oh and the ones around junction 40 are yellow.

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thanks Archey! It's for the Mrs. She's usually the most caution driver around, but it's a new car and she drifted over the limit and was panicking...


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If it's just a few MPH out (they usually give you 10%) I wouldnt worry.

It's too difficult for them to prove that the camera was calibrated properly along with other factors

 

I have had various Sat Navs which have been used in numerous hire cars as well as my own car(s). Invariably, I have found that the car speedometers read approx 10% lower than the actual speed detected by the sat nav. On journeys to the UK from Italy I had long stretches of motorway with the cruise control set and have been able to confirm by using distance covered/time taken calculations as well as distance markers on the motorways that the Sat Nav current speed reading is more accurate (albeit lagging when speeding up and slowing down as it takes half a minute or so between reading and calculations). I therefore tend to drive to the Sat Nav reading (obviously subject to traffic, road and weather conditions which on a cross Europe journey can make a significant difference in journey time).

In theory you could argue 10% speedo error and factor in a further 10% calibration allowance for cameras but I personally wouldn't trust that. 77 is one thing but 85 is probably too much given UK and the traffic density most of the time nowadays it is rarely safe to drive TO motorway speed limits never mind exceeding them by that much..

 

According to my sat nav. my 5 series runs 2mph slower than the speedo indicates, whatever speed I'm doing.
As for cameras, if they are yellow, worry, if not she will be OK.
I should be able to answer all your speed related questions next month after my speed awareness course

 

Thanks for the answers all!

There want a variable speed limit showing so fingers crossed all fine..


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Just be careful pal, I was on a Speed Awareness course only last Saturday and had a discussion about them, the general thoughts were they were not on unless a speed restriction from 70 was displayed, however both the guys taking the course who appeared genuine said they were always on and would record at speeds 80+, or at the lower speed displayed plus about 10%.

 

Yes they are always on, I have seen them flash several times returning home after a match.

 

There's also some static cameras between jtn 36 and meadowhall.

 

I have seen them flash drivers when no limit was displayed numerous times. I hear people all the time saying they are not on unless a limit is displayed, reducing the limit below 70. It is NOT true.

 

For what its worth the last 4 cars I have had registered 3 or 4 mph lower than various GPS things I had in the car. I'm a rep and to try to avoid points I still drive to the speedo then if I do happen to stray above I know I'm still under the speed limit.
I know you can push it but find it more relaxing on a daily basis not to.

 

Those on the M42 seem to have 3 settings:

60 - traffic is light, but we are stopping you going at 70 anyway
50 - traffic is heavy
40 - You'll be lucky to get to 20

 

Speedos in cars typically have a 10% tolerance and speed cameras account for that. You will usually only be prosecuted for going 10%+ over the speed limit.

 

sorry should have said, they were based on motorway driving which means my last 4 motors were only about 5% out. Just can't see the sense in pushing it to the high end in case you do drift over occasionally

 

Odd that your and my experiences differ so much. the three cars I had were a 5 series 2,5 i TD Sport , Fiat Panda, (downsize or what!!) and now have a 4x4 Skoda Yeti 2.0 TDi due to the rural area we live in here in Italy. The SatNavs were a Navman which was when nav systems were still a novelty running on a Compaq iPAQ PDI which you can discount as it was an early unreliable piece of kit that always lost its signal when you needed it most. a Mitac MIo and a couple of Tom Toms one of which is my current. The BMW, Panda and Yeti have all shown remarkable similarities in the difference.
One thing I did not mention though. When I thought about it ,both my last two trips to UK were in winter. The Yeti came fitted(rather inappropriately for a 4x4 IMO) with Dunlop Sport low profile tyres on 17 inch alloys. However to fit the expensive snow chains from my old Octavia (and the fact I do not like swapping tubeless tyres on alloy wheels twice a year) I bought some 16 inch winter wheels fitted with Verdestein SnoTrac winter tyres. Now I know these are NOT low profile but I believe the overall radius of wheel is slightly less which may account for the higher (10%) difference I am seeing and you and others don't. I do tend to stick the car at around 138 max anyway on 130kmh Autostrada with cruise control as it is quieter and also reduces consumption a fair bit (although 95kmh would even more except I would fall asleep with the boredom)

Overall, there is little to be gained in day to day driving and short/medium journeys. It is only when I have 1200 miles trips that it becomes worthwhile

 

Ain't that the truth. The M42 ones are the most annoying in the country.

I have been driving on the M42 at midnight, only car on the road, and the limit still says 60.

They also tend to slow the limit to 40 about 3 miles ahead of a minor incident ahead like a car pulled onto the hard shoulder, so for miles, you are tootling along at 40 with no understanding of what the hell the problem is. They did once and the reason was that there were cones on the slip road ahead. WTF! In those situations, no one else tends to bother slowing, so you are fighting the urge to speed up feeling very aware that you are a danger on the road driving so slowly when no-one else is. It drives me nuts.

The one other thing that the M42 guys tend to do near roadworks is have a different speed limit in different lanes. How the hell does that work???