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When these flash up the limit, they are just warnings right? They don't actually lead to a fine like a camera do they? It's just I passed through about 5 today...
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No, unless they're the ones which flash up your registration number as well. Those ones are used to prosecute.
The ones you are referring to are just a deterrent. They work by embarassing you into slowing down.
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Given he's passed through 5 today I'd say that's one idea that's not working!
Never seen the registration ones myself.
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Slightly off-thread but there is an interesting variation on this idea, used in Portugal. If you are exceeding a speedlimit, nothing flashes to tell you, or takes your photograph, but a set of traffic lights 200 yards down the road goes red and stays red until you get there and stop! Highly effective! Slows down or stops speeders, costs B all to run and doesn't put points on your licence. An overall winner I'd say.
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I was watching a program last week which gave details on a similar system in operation in the US (Los Angeles I think). When a car driver runs a red light at an intersection, not only is a photograph of the vehicle taken (as with some of our traffic cameras), but also the traffic lights holding up the traffic on the other road (the one which intersects) *do not* turn green, thus preventing the traffic from proceeding into the path of the offending car.
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When a car driver runs a red light at an intersection, not only is a photograph of the vehicle taken (as with some of our traffic cameras),
I understand they also take high resolution still & video film to capture the driver's image too.
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I've come across a couple of the interactive signs that flash up your speed on the outskirts of French towns and they certainly embarrassed me into slowing down without threatening to lighten my wallet!
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Hey, what a fantastic way to get an unimpeded path across-city!
(Well, once you've run the first set, it doesn't matter much about the extra ones, does it?)
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That portugese system sounds excellent, but ive found that the 'speed warning' lights do little to slow down people that know that's what they are, and in fact most of my mates take the corner before our local one faster than usual with the aim of getting it to light up, it makes it a game!
On a similar vein that happens on a near-by chicane just before a NSL road becomes a 30, and theyve even put down extra grippy road surface so you can take it faster!
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The M25 variable speed signs (from M4 round the South of the M25) can lead to a camera fine. The gantries have three "gatsos" in, one above each lane (they are not Gatso as such as they are from a different manufacturer but work on an identical principle). The speed they fire at is linked in with the speed the sign is displaying on that lane. I believe there were many problems with these as the electronics were often faulty leading to miles of "30mph" limits at 4 in the morning on the M25. There were subsequently legal probs with people being prosecuted - it had to be proved there was a need for that particular speed at a given time.
Consequently I don't *believe* they are currently used. i would certainly not push my luck through them though...
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Dan J, would you be kind enough to give me reference to "Proof that there was a need for the limit at a given tim"? The reason I am asking is that on the A1, for one mile South of Stamford, Lincs, there have been works on the centre reservation crash barriers but the work has finished, 2 weeks ago at least, and there are still signs saying "Roadworks ahead", 2 lay-bys are coned off and there is a 40 mph limit in force, ordered by temporary signs on metal 'A' frames. No cameras but I think somebody has simply forgotten to take away the signs. What might be legality of this set up vis a vis "speeding" thru completed roadworks?
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