Motoring Discussion > SPECs camera speeders	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: bathtub tom	Replies: 24

Tue 25 Oct 11 12:12   SPECs camera speeders - bathtub tom

Ever wondered how others get away with speeding past you when you're rolling along with the rest of the sheep? They don't: tinyurl.com/67ycb55 Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 12:19   SPECs camera speeders - Zero

90 a day. On the M1. On a 10 mile stretch on one of the heaviest used roads in the country. I drive that stretch 3 or 4 times a month. I know that a huge percentage are not being caught. I also know why, because only limited sections of that long specs zone are actually working. Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 12:22   SPECs camera speeders - R.P.

You're not going to chance it though ! We came down that stretch in the middle of the night, it was the most frustrating part of the drive, mile after mile on a deserted motorway at exactly fifty..mind you I would imagine that 50 is lucky in the daytime. SPECS don't clock bikes. Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 12:31   SPECs camera speeders - bathtub tom

>>I know that a huge percentage are not being caught. I also know why, because only limited sections of that long specs zone are actually working. Juicy! Can you tell us more? Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 12:43   SPECs camera speeders - Zero

yeah, the IR illuminators on the gantry with with the cameras are not up to the job, and can not illuminate the scene sufficiently. Where the cameras are actually working they are supplemented by a bank of additional spotlights in the target camera zone. There are a couple supplemented in that way, but not many. Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 12:52   SPECs camera speeders - Runfer D'Hills

Ah well, y'see, now then, that's where you want cruise control see... Mooches off back to varnishing shed.... Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 13:02   SPECs camera speeders - Bromptonaut

Coming from Rob's neck of the woods to the M25 at night I'd consider dumping the M1 at 18 (or even M6/J1) and using the A5 down to 9. Dunstable & Towcester can be bottleneck during the day but shouldn't be problem in the small hours. An engaging drive with few limits except through Kilsby and Towcester (30) and some sections at 50. Mobile camera occasionally about Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 11:17   SPECs camera speeders - DP

>> Ah well, y'see, now then, that's where you want cruise control see... The only time I ever use mine. Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 13:04   SPECs camera speeders - Dave_

>> the IR illuminators on the gantry with with the cameras are not up to the job, and can not illuminate the scene >> sufficiently They only need to illuminate the (retro-reflective) number plates sufficiently, surely? If you've ever taken a flash photo in the street at night, you'll see car number plates reflecting the flash a long way away in the background. I agree that the figure of 90 speeders prosecuted a day seems rather low, I drive through there at many different times of day and would guess that the proportion of traffic travelling well in excess of the limit varies between 10%-50% depending on the hour. It's the same up at Catthorpe. Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 17:37   SPECs camera speeders - Iffy

High compliance during the day and evening on the 50mph average limit stretch of the A1(M) south of Leeming, North Yorkshire. There was talk of whether the cameras were working or not it when they were first installed. But a few prosecutions, as reported in The Northern Echo, soon convinced the doubters. Last edited by: Iffy on Tue 25 Oct 11 at 17:37 Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 20:48   SPECs camera speeders - Mr. Ecs

I don't believe these statistics. How many on here have received fines due to SPECS, yet go faster than the limit? I don't know anyone who has got fined.They're a HA hoax, to get you to stick to a limit. You see it on the M25 when the variable speed is showing. Countless vehicles charging under the gantries well above the advisory speed. Anyone given a fine doing this on here? Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 20:56   SPECs camera speeders - Fursty Ferret

More complicated than that - after all, if the limit changes from 60 to 40 as you drive through the gantry, you'd be a bit miffed if you got a ticket. Reply to this message | Report message

Tue 25 Oct 11 21:03   SPECs camera speeders - Dutchie

Nice cash cow.Keep the money rolling in better not take any changes. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 08:34   SPECs camera speeders - IJWS14

>> You see it on the M25 when the variable speed is showing. Countless vehicles charging >> under the gantries well above the advisory speed. Anyone given a fine doing this on >> here? >> You for get that while you are bimbling along at your speedo indicated 50mph (actually about 46mph in the Octavia), I could be passing you doing an indicated 59 (actually 55 True) without getting a ticket and with a safety margin to the 57mph threshhold for a ticket. Been doing it since I got the first TomTom (6 years) and still no tickets. Ever wondered why the lorries, with more accurate speedos always seem to be going (or trying to go) faster than the cars! Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 08:45   SPECs camera speeders - Pat

If you have the speed camera warning on Tom Tom it will tell you which gantries actually have working cameras on them. Mine has Victor Meldrew saying 'Speeeed camera, sloooow doown':) IJWS is right, my actual speed in the lorry was always about 2mph from what Tom said but in the car it's a good 6mph out. Pat Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 09:12   SPECs camera speeders - Meldrew

I use the M25 now and again and anti-clockwise from M3 junction to Leatherhead exit my TT is giving camera warnings all the time! If there is a temporary gantry displayed limit are the cameras adjusted somehow to reflect that the limit is 50 and not 70? If many of the cameras are not active are the authorities really going give that info to TT? I have often suspected that all SPECS cameras are dummies but I can't be bothered to test the theory and people seem to get tickets, we just don't hear much about them, on this forum at least, Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 18:35   SPECs camera speeders - Zero

>> I use the M25 now and again and anti-clockwise from M3 junction to Leatherhead >> exit my TT is giving camera warnings all the time! >> >> If there is a temporary gantry displayed limit are the cameras adjusted somehow to reflect >> that the limit is 50 and not 70? >> Yes. And they work, friend of mine got done. There is a time delay between camera and speed limit sign, so you dont get done by accident if it suddenly lowers. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 18:34   SPECs camera speeders - Zero

>> If you have the speed camera warning on Tom Tom it will tell you which >> gantries actually have working cameras on them. No it wont. Believe that of you are brave. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 18:39   SPECs camera speeders - Pat

I used it for the last 5 years of my lorry driving and never accrued any points but earned my milegae bonus:) Speaks for itself! Pat Last edited by: pda on Wed 26 Oct 11 at 18:39 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 19:26   SPECs camera speeders - rtj70

>> >> If you have the speed camera warning on Tom Tom it will tell you >> which gantries actually have working cameras on them. >> No it wont. Believe that of you are brave. Not all of the gantries even have cameras. But the TomTom speed camera database is nowhere near as good as the one from PocketGPSWorld.com. It's a shame my integrated sat nav don't support speed cameras. But I can run the PocketGPSWorld application on my phone or just fire up the old TomTom... maybe put the latter in the boot on loud? That's certainly an option. What I do know on my new car is the speedometer is a lot more accurate than the Mazda6 and Mondeo I had before. If I travel at an indicated 80mph it's 70mph. 50mph is about 48mph. 30mph is spot on.... ... moral is don't assume you aren't speeding because the speedo is under reading. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 19:43   SPECs camera speeders - Meldrew

rtj70 Everybody says that the GPS Pocket World database is great but last time I looked the computer manipulation needed to get the info into a TT might have flummoxed Prof Brian Cox! Has it got any easier? Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 19:50   SPECs camera speeders - Meldrew

I have just been to the GPS site; the info is good value @£15 a year but the set up looks far from easy or quick. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 18:37   SPECs camera speeders - Zero

>> You for get that while you are bimbling along at your speedo indicated 50mph (actually >> about 46mph in the Octavia), I could be passing you doing an indicated 59 (actually >> 55 True) without getting a ticket and with a safety margin to the 57mph threshhold >> for a ticket. Been doing it since I got the first TomTom (6 years) and >> still no tickets. And me, charged through the M1 specs this morning at a TT indicated 56mph, 60MPH speedo indication. Wont get a ticket. Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 19:53   SPECs camera speeders - Dave_

>> How many on here have received fines due to SPECS? The only verified case I know of was another cab driver about 5 years ago, he got done at 65mph through the widening works on the M1 south of j10 at Luton, driving my car. Fortunately I had a tacho chart proving I was in a wagon at the time. The silly so-and-so was coming back from Heathrow, a journey he'd made dozens if not hundreds of times through those roadworks without speeding. Last edited by: Dave_TDCi on Wed 26 Oct 11 at 19:54 Reply to this message | Report message

Wed 26 Oct 11 20:22   SPECs camera speeders - BobbyG

There has been various SPECS stretches around Glasgow in the last couple of years and they are either very effective or not working - I have not heard of anyone that has been done in any stretch. Reply to this message | Report message