Speed cameras (again)

[Whyman]

Originally Posted by DaveNP

Well I've just been told at work that there's a ticket coming my way for doing 35 in a 30 zone in a truck at 5 in the morning, I could huff and puff about how unjust it is but the signs are clear enough, the camera is painted bright yellow, and we all know about the three cameras on that route. Hopefully as it's my first speeding ticket in 32 years of truck driving (plus 4 years in a car before that) I'll get the offer of a speed awareness course, best start practicing my contrite face

Should be OK I did a course for doing 37 in a 30. First ticket since 1998. Worst thing was that I was almost caught in exactly the same place about 2weeks after doing the course by the same mobile van.

[DaveNP]

Originally Posted by Whippy

Try a photo of you in sackcloth n ashes self flagellating holding a sign that say "naughty man". Worth a try.

A bit like those pics that come up on youtube/facebook where the cat ate the fish off of the kitchen side

Originally Posted by green van man

Being a professional driver with cpc will they offer it? Hope so for your sake. Those points hurt on the insurance.
Paul.

I hadn't thought of that but I'm fairly sure a few of my colleagues have had the option of the course. Personal opinion the CPC is a worthless political exercise and they're probably not coordinated enough to set it against a speeding ticket.

Originally Posted by Whyman

Should be OK I did a course for doing 37 in a 30. First ticket since 1998. Worst thing was that I was almost caught in exactly the same place about 2weeks after doing the course by the same mobile van.

Definitely, as said it's a route we do regularly and we all know about the cameras, just one moment of looking at the road rather than the speedo while accelerating from a roundabout and FLASH!, the camera is almost certainly there because of a school but if there's any kids crossing the road at 5am there's a bigger issue than my 35mph.

[green van man]

Agree about cpc, every one of our drivers say it's a waste of a day and serves no purpose other than tick a box some desk jockey designed to justify their job.

We're you running light or just winding it up?
I live in the area of Mansel Davies tankers, 44 ton of milk and barely walking pace on some hills, running light you are not getting anywhere near them on the same Hill.


Paul.

[I Feel Old]

Originally Posted by green van man

Agree about cpc, every one of our drivers say it's a waste of a day...

CPC, the epitome of an oxymoron!

[Whyman]

Drove up the new "smart" section of the M1 past East Midlands airport and can report the following:-

The 50 mph limit is still in place even though it appears that the road works are complete and there are signs to that effect. The temporary Yellow cameras are still in there.

I could not see any evidence of the cameras fitted on the gantries and it may be that until they are fitted the temporary 50 limit will stay in place.

[DaveNP]

So in the interest of completing the story,
The letter arrived a couple of weeks back and I sent it back admitting the offence, I've now had the letter offering the course (or just pay the fine and take the points if I'd rather) so I've booked the course. It's with AADrivetech who offer quite a lot of options locally, several venues within reach, choice of days, and morning, afternoon or evening times. Just under £90 for the course plus another £3.50 to allow me to change the booking if I need to.
It's only a half day course which is probably about right. Having mentioned the CPC before, for those not aware it is a requirement for HGV drivers to attend 5 seven hour training sessions every 5 years to retain the right to drive commercially. It was (IMHO) a political exercise to make HGV drivers into professionals by creating a higher qualification, when they realised most HGV drivers wouldn't manage to pass any worthwhile test it became an attendance only course, spend 7 hours on your phone at the back of the class and you still meet the criteria. Our company like many others, for the convenience of rostering work, send us to do all 5 sessions in one week, there really is not enough in a truck drivers job to spend a week talking about it! Hopefully the speeding course will be more interesting.

[derek vivian]

I never knowingly exceed speed limits. So I am not bothered about whether cameras are on or off! However, whilst driving on the M4 yesterday there were roadworks with a sign saying the motorway was being made into a 'smart highway'. What on earth does that mean?

[DaveNP]

Smart Highway is the system where the hard shoulder can be used as a running lane when it's busy. There will be loads of overhead sign gantries which indicate which lanes are open and the speed limit that applies. The gantries also house the speed cameras which tend to be turned on with the speed limit signs, so no chance of not being seen. When it works it does help alleviate the jams, but then they forget to turn it off and there's bizarre restrictions in the middle of the night.

[phil1968]

The western section of the M20 in Kent is currently being turned into a "smart" motorway also.

[AndyJudge]

Originally Posted by DaveNP

Smart Highway is the system where the hard shoulder can be used as a running lane when it's busy. There will be loads of overhead sign gantries which indicate which lanes are open and the speed limit that applies. The gantries also house the speed cameras which tend to be turned on with the speed limit signs, so no chance of not being seen. When it works it does help alleviate the jams, but then they forget to turn it off and there's bizarre restrictions in the middle of the night.

It's meant to be an automatic process but I agree I do see some strange restrictions in the middle of the night.

Case in point M42 the other Sunday night at about 11pm, No Restrictions for miles then 1 gantry with a 50mph limit showing & being able to see that the next gantry is clear again.

Smart doesn't seem to always mean Smart.

Other moan at the moment, mentioned here the M1 around East Midlands airport, the roadworks all completed not a cone in sight but signs saying 50mph limit in place to allow system testing. Signs must have been like that for a couple of weeks now.