Motorway gantry cameras

[dan_b]

I drive the M3 basically every day, and have done for years.
The stretch I travel on has been turned "Smart" for about 10 miles and as such has variable speed limits, with gantries that have speed cameras on them.

I understood that when the variable speed limits are not in force, the gantry cameras are not in operation.
Certainly I've never seen them go off.

Until yesterday. I got flashed going under a gantry with no variable limit in force. My indicated speed was a little over a number that starts with 8, but only just. I have previously seen vehicles go through those cameras at higher speeds and not trigger a camera flash.

I guess I now have the dreaded wait for the letter in the post...

[Mr Gus]

Is there any additional signage to indicate a change in the road system infrastructure set up?

By that I mean signs akin to roadside / illuminated "men at work" signs giving due notification beyond traditional speed limit signage?
Make an information access request maybe?

Thing is if they are tweaking pre-existing systems put to new use they likely need additional visibility warnings to users who are used to the current tolerances of the system that they've been pushing but not exceeding for years, or else it's fish inna barrel.

[nowty]

I understood that they were not in force either, but quite a few years back some on the M25 were turned on and back then there were some newspaper articles with some solicitors helping a load of drivers who were caught by them. I think they were set at quite high limits so some of the ones caught were looking at instant bans, but I've no idea what actually happened in the end.

Those on the M3 worried me a few weeks back returning from London and I set my speed to 77, as the MOT requirement of a speedometer is to read within 10%, so you don't normally get a ticket for less than the speed limit + 10% + 2mph.

I few months back in the i3 I was driving to Lewes and back with my brother and I had the speed set to 77 and I drove in both directions through two hidden speed traps, I only noticed them when it was too late as they had been hidden in the central reservation area surrounded by a load of bushes. I was bricking it, especially as I might have been done twice in the same day but nothing arrived.

They could of course just be faulty and if the worse happens, unless you have been done or done a speed awareness course in the last 3 years your likely to be offered that if it was just low 80s.

If you have not received anything within two weeks, its out of time so set your "bricking it" countdown timer.

[Stinsy]

I've used the M42 for years. The gantry cameras do and have always enforced the variable speed limits. I seem to see several camera triggered by other motorists every time I use the road!

Many of the newer cameras don't flash or have an IR (not visible to human eye) flash.

[dan_b]

I did a smart motorway speed awareness course just under 2 years ago as I got caught on the variable section on the M25, but in that instance the variable limit signs had just activated but I hadn't reacted enough! But that's when they said that the gantry cameras are only supposed to operate when the variable limits are in force.

I'll just have to sit tight!

[nowty]

Just done a quick trawl, some articles, especially from social media are clearly scare stories, like people getting done at 72mph.

However, according to the RAC who have asked Highways England, they can be used to enforce the national speed limit if not illuminated.

https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/driv ... motorways/

[marshman]

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[Galahad]

Highways England have also announced that gantry cameras can be used to catch drivers using lanes that have been marked as closed with the X sign.

£100 fine and 3 points.

[Bugtownboy]

I’ve always been very wary of variable speed limit zones - maybe I'm over cautious, but as they’re such a small part of my motorway journeys, no real impact.

I honestly thought the cameras enforced the speed limit indicated on the overhead gantry.

[Stinsy]

When these variable limits first appeared I used to ignore them. Just kept going at 80ish. Usually the speed limit dropped to 30 then increased back again for no discernible reason. Maybe the guy in the control room was bored?

Nowadays I slow down to avoid fines/points, but rarely see a good reason for the speed limit to have been reduced. Even when there is heavy traffic, sitting stationary or rolling at 5mph, that “40” sign overhead feels superfluous.