[Travel] Average Speed Cameras

[Official Old Man]

Whilst driving down the M23 through the road works, I was surprised at the number of cars shooting along but then braking at the camera. I'm used to average speed cameras on the M6 but wondered if those who rarely us the M23 know how they work?

 

[Frankie]

No point in slowing down to the limit at the camera if you've been doing way over the limit in between the cameras i would of thought that's how they catch you , on average over a alloted distance , it's the way forward apparently , smart motorways .

 

[Icy Gull]

Do they work though? I'm not sure they do.

A younger colleague of mine was worrying for weeks after he was certain he was speeding through them, never heard anything.

Maybe regular users of this road know something we don't.

They work, years ago I got a ticket. First time I’d come across them, it was early on a Sunday morning and there was no work going on and virtually no traffic so I ignored the warnings about 50 mph average speed cameras and drove through at 60ish and was seriously pissed to get a ticket.

I haven’t tested it since

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

What’s the difference between an average one and, say, a top of the range speed camera?

 

[WATFORD zero]

Whenever I come across an average speed camera I pull in, read a paper for 5 mins and then floor it

 

[jessiejames]

M23 and M20 just before junction 10 average speed camera are working, work colleague who has been caught by M20 one, and I know someone who installed the M 23 cameras.

Also advised M20 camera on the gantry showing variable speeds do work.

 

[Simgull]

What’s going on with the M23 anyway? Roadworks from M25 to Crawley until spring 2020. Anyone know what they are doing? The road surface is far better than the M25 - which is awful

 

[studio150]

They certainly work when the A23 was being widened at Handcross hundreds got tickets.
No doubt many will do so on the M23

 

[studio150]

What’s going on with the M23 anyway? Roadworks from M25 to Crawley until spring 2020. Anyone know what they are doing? The road surface is far better than the M25 - which is awful

Upgrading to smart motorway so basically no hard shoulder and occasional emergency lay bys

 

[Poojah]

They definitely work. I attended a speed awareness course a few years ago and I’d say that roughly half the attendees had been caught by average speed cameras.

I quite like smart motorways to be honest - they seem to work in general. My issue is that they seem
To apply a 50mph limit to far greater stretches of motorway than they can actually work on at any given time during their installation. It’s difficult to believe that this is not an least in part a revenue generating exercise.

 

[BensGrandad]

I have often wondered why they do not remove the cameras on the A24 near Dial Poast and replace them with a camera 100yds south of the Bucks Barn Traffic lights and 1 a 100 yards north pf the Washington round about as I am sure that they would get a lot of people with a large amount of money comking in for fines. Yes the likes of Katie Price goin g off at Thakeham would not get caught but many more would. The existing ones on the A24 arepointless now as evereybody slams their braked on to go through the cameras.hence the police often use a mobile just around the bend from the northern most one.

 

[BensGrandad]

sorry didnt make it clear the 2 cameras would operate as average speed cameras on that stretch of road.

 

[jevs]

Came down the M23 2 weeks ago and there were signs by the cameras saying "camera not working"

 

[BensGrandad]

Still raises the old argument what are the cameras for safety or raise money ?

 

[Simgull]

Upgrading to smart motorway so basically no hard shoulder and occasional emergency lay bys

Thanks - feels like between the Highways Agency and Southern Rail there is a conspiracy to prevent anyone from entering or leaving Sussex ever again!

 

[Garage_Doors]

What’s the difference between an average one and, say, a top of the range speed camera?

Don't worry, you don't own a car.

 

[Garage_Doors]

What is a Smart motorway?

 

[drew]

What is a Smart motorway?

One that controls traffic flow.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-drive-on-a-smart-motorway

 

[jevs]

Still raises the old argument what are the cameras for safety or raise money ?

But they won't raise a single penny unless you go over the speed limit. It really is that simple.

 

[BensGrandad]

But they won't raise a single penny unless you go over the speed limit. It really is that simple.

The ones on the A24 serve neither purpose as people speed up to it, slam their brakes on to go past the camera then speed again to do the same at the next one down the road