Trivial things you don't understand/mildly annoy you

[Peter Venkman]

I thought speed camera's had to be visible?

As long as part of the speed camera is visible thats all they need, the warning signs are up everywhere along the M6, you can see about 10 inches of the back of them as a lot is obscured by the gantry and they are bright yellow.

[Wobbly Bob]

I think that all of the so called "smart" Motorways will have them.
They are clearly visible on the M5 between Worcester and the M42 junction.

A nice bright flash when they go off, which is quite a lot based on the evidence of the last few journeys up and down that stretch.
Best to just stick to a steady 70 on the upgraded sections.

[horlock07]

The M6 is full of speed cameras now about every 2 or 3 miles, they are slightly hidden behind the gantries.

They look like these.



Not like normal speed cameras.

I thought speed camera's had to be visible?

The fact that someone has got a photo of them suggests that they are visible?

Don't think these are a new thing, they were on the M42 when the smart stuff was introduced when I used to drive regularly and that's at least 4 years back?

[Sippo]

Not visible in the direction of travel...

[RobertT]

They look like the ones on the M25, in which case they are visible as you approach them, provided you are paying attention.

[Peter Venkman]

They look like the ones on the M25, in which case they are visible as you approach them, provided you are paying attention.

Yep, there is about 50% of them visible from the direction of travel as long as you know where you are looking, they are side mounted and not overhead like most managed motorways, they started bringing them in about 4 years ago as Horlock states, but many were not turned on until about a year ago.

[Peter Venkman]

Fortunately my Sat Nav has them on already so I get warnings in plenty of time. I use the M5/M6 a fair bit lately.

[horlock07]

Fortunately my Sat Nav has them on already so I get warnings in plenty of time. I use the M5/M6 a fair bit lately.

If only there was another way to avoid getting snapped by them! 

[Peter Venkman]

If only there was another way to avoid getting snapped by them! 

TBF I hardly ever go over 70 now, I like to set the cruise control at 70 and get 80mpg, economy over speed for me.

[Chubbs]

If only there was another way to avoid getting snapped by them! 

I'm sure Top Gear did a test where they tried to beat the speed camera and they managed to beat it by traveling around 180mph.

[RobertT]

TBF I hardly ever go over 70 now, I like to set the cruise control at 70 and get 80mpg, economy over speed for me.

This was me doing the A419/7 stretch to Gloucester and back each day before moving away.  Fuel consumption drove lower speeds!

Over here everyone drives a little slower anyway, plus they have police cars everywhere - sometimes four or five will descend on a car once pulled over.  Knowing that Immigration status can be a whipped away for the smallest reasons I've been keen to avoid having a gun in my face.  My wife did get pulled over with us all in the car, reaching for documents becomes a very nervous process.

Which brings me to the thing annoying me recently - 157 pages printed out for our Green Card application, the modern age has yet to find government agencies.  On top of that, my Driving License wasn't renewed because the online database hadn't been updated with a recent Visa extension, meaning they needing to FAX the Immigration Service to get them to confirm I was legal.  This was two weeks ago.  I now have to visit the building to get the renewal confirmed, now that they have their answer.  When going in originally it was like the Computer Says No sketches.  On the plus side it's still over 90 degrees and sunny (or over 30 in UK parlance).

[Barry Scott]

The M6 is full of speed cameras now about every 2 or 3 miles, they are slightly hidden behind the gantries.

They look like these.



Not like normal speed cameras.

Na, not those. I do the majority of my 25k per year up and down that route and thought I knew it like the back of my hand. I used to know the last average speed camera in every zone, just so I could get my foot down earlier. This was (I believe) a conventional camera within one of those average speed 50 things.

I thought speed camera's had to be visible?

Same. It's left me flummoxed. Didn't see it on the road in front of me or in my mirrors.

I think that all of the so called "smart" Motorways will have them.
They are clearly visible on the M5 between Worcester and the M42 junction.

A nice bright flash when they go off, which is quite a lot based on the evidence of the last few journeys up and down that stretch.
Best to just stick to a steady 70 on the upgraded sections.

I've tested them. 82 is fine on cruise. At all other speeds I give myself 10% +1mph and have never been caught. Used to give myself 10mph, but decided that's pushing it.

[4D]

About time they upped the limit to 80mph in my opinion

[Legends-Lounge]

About time they upped the limit to 80mph in my opinion

+10%+2 boom 90

Have you ever wondered why the new smart motorways particularly, have lower speed limits than the traffic conditions prevailing at the time! The the M32-M4-M5 junction is often at 60 sometimes 50 with low volumes of traffic?

The answer is pollution control. You’ll hate this but these are in line with EU rules and regs we have signed up to. If the government of the day allowed 80 mph on motorways there are areas like described and the Chiswick/Hammersmith flyover areas for instance that would still instruct lower speeds because of pollution caused by the volume of traffic.

Another reason why rural roads have dropped from 60 to 50 is road safely and I read somewhere easier for GPS tracking which in the future will be fitted to all cars to enable road pricing in the absence of revenue from road fund licences and duty on fuel because cars will be electric. There is and will be some monumental shifts in road transport coming down the line. Some no doubt will be good, some not so but change either way is coming.

[Matchworn Shirts]

Time to stop free movement once and for all says the daughter of immigrants