Around here there has been major ongoing roadworks for last 2 or 3 years which has led to lots of 50 mph SPECS controlled motorways.
In the majority of cases, in the actual SPECS areas (other than one point of poor road design), the traffic flows well, there is no tailgating, there is an acceptance that even if you have your cruise control at 54 and someone else only prepared to risk 52, well you just slow it down a bit as you are not going to go accelerating past.
However, as soon as you come out the SPECS zone, especially coming into Glasgow, everyone accelerates up, starts bunching, starts slamming brakes on and inevitably we end up grinding to a halt as there is physically too many vehicles for the road.
Much as it sticks in my throat to say it, I reckon that around Glasgow, it would make sense to SPECS the whole motorway network to allow better flow of vehicles, less tailbacks etc.
I have heard of variable speed limit SPECS motorways down South, are these for the same issue and do they actually work?
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Just the variable speed limits on managed motorways seem to do a decent job regardless of obvious SPECS cameras. I'm thinking of the M25 and M42 for example.
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M25 section near Heathrow was impressive for the steady progress made. Tends to highlight the exceptions, probably with false plates….
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On long stretches SPECS cameras (average speed) tend to make traffic bunch as drivers are reluctant to speed up even momentarily to create safe gaps. The gantry cameras are not average speed and seem to work much better.
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Time for more SPECS? - Manatee
