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pjn
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Joined: Mar 03, 2004
Posts: 34
Location: Perth, Western Australia
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 Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 9:47 pm Post subject: What are those little grey boxes on the M25? |
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Hi
I've been wondering about this for years now, so this forum seems most appropriate :D
Every mile or so on the M25, there is a grey pole (maybe 2-3 foot high) with a long thin rectangular box on top . If you look a little closer after passing, the top rectangular section has 3 square-shaped holes in it, almost like a mini speed camera with a hole for each lane.
Damn.. I've explained this really crappily, but I'm sure someone will know what I'm talking about.
I know they aren't speed cameras - they are too low to be of any use - but what are they?! Someone said they might be for monitoring pollution?
Thanks
Pete |
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lbendlin
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Joined: 02/11/2002 22:41:59
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Location: Massachusetts, USA
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| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2004 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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sounds like fog sensors. Does the M25 have automated warning systems that regulate road speed based on weather?
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Dave
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Location: UK
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 2:12 pm Post subject: |
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Haven't seen these, but I know I did get flashed for doing 41mph in the 40mph roadwork zone around Heathrow the other night.  |
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Darren
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Thu Nov 11, 2004 3:07 pm Post subject: |
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is this box on the gantry over each lane or at the side of the carriageway? The M25 has a variable speed zone between the M40 and A3 junctions and this is controlled and policed by speed cameras over each lane on many of the gantries. These are rectangular boxes, one over each lane and they have 3 aperatures, one each for the lens, infra red and flash.
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pjn
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Joined: Mar 03, 2004
Posts: 34
Location: Perth, Western Australia
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:32 am Post subject: |
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Sorry - I should have said - they aren't on the gantry, but on the side of the motorway just off the hard shoulder. They also appear to be regularly scattered around the whole motorway, not just the SouthWest section.
They look to be constructed like Gatso's but are really low to the ground - maybe 2 foot tall.
The fog-sensor thing is a possibility. Definitely not speed cameras because they aren't angled towards the carriageway - they tend to point directly down the hard shoulder.
It's not important - I was just being nosey :P |
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pjn
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Joined: Mar 03, 2004
Posts: 34
Location: Perth, Western Australia
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:35 am Post subject: |
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Whilst I'm here, regarding Darren's above comment about the variable speed limit cameras on the gantries between A3 and M4 - I've always wondered if these actually work!
I regularly use the M25 and every time you see people whizzing under the cameras doing probably 80-100, and I've never ever seen them flash!
(I'm not going to test it though!) |
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neouk
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Joined: Nov 11, 2004
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:08 am Post subject: |
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| I thought they were for the traffic warning system that some cars have...just advising on queues etc. |
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Skippy
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Joined: 24/06/2003 00:22:12
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Location: Escaped to the Antipodies! 36.83°S 174.75°E
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 11:32 am Post subject: |
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| pjn wrote: | | They look to be constructed like Gatso's but are really low to the ground - maybe 2 foot tall. |
I know exactly the things you mean, but I have no idea what they do. They are about 3 ft off the ground, painted "gatso grey", rectangular and have three holes in the front. They have been around for years.
They appear on all motorways, not just ones with electronic traffic signs. It's a bit of a mystery.
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Darren
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 12:00 pm Post subject: |
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| pjn wrote: | Sorry - I should have said - they aren't on the gantry, but on the side of the motorway just off the hard shoulder. They also appear to be regularly scattered around the whole motorway, not just the SouthWest section.
They look to be constructed like Gatso's but are really low to the ground - maybe 2 foot tall.
The fog-sensor thing is a possibility. Definitely not speed cameras because they aren't angled towards the carriageway - they tend to point directly down the hard shoulder.
It's not important - I was just being nosey :P |
I know which ones you mean now, gasto like boxes with three individual hooded sensors they are indeed fog detectors, these trigger the matrix signs when visibility falls below a set threshold.
And as for the variable speed limit, they are active, the trigger is nominally set at 15mph over the indicated limit (this was 7yrs ago mind you and may have changed) and there is an entire unit that is dedicated to enforcing the fines. The cameras were upgraded to digital a couple of years ago as before that they would often run out of film within 1 or 2 hours! One upside is they rigidly enforce fines on foreign drivers too 
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nej
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Joined: Jun 16, 2004
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Location: London, Ingerlund
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| Posted: Fri Nov 12, 2004 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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| pjn wrote: | Whilst I'm here, regarding Darren's above comment about the variable speed limit cameras on the gantries between A3 and M4 - I've always wondered if these actually work!
I regularly use the M25 and every time you see people whizzing under the cameras doing probably 80-100, and I've never ever seen them flash!
(I'm not going to test it though!) |
Not all of them have cameras on - if you look closely you can tell which have cameras and which haven't. Not that I'd condone looking and then speeding under them if they haven't got one. :D |
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stevie3259
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Joined: Nov 13, 2004
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:21 pm Post subject: Speed Cameras in gantrys M25 |
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| One guy on the forum said he has seen people driving very fast and not being flashed, well I can asure you the gantry cameras are operational, they are on a hinge and come out at different times of the day, I have seen many people being flashed but cannot say if these people actually got prosecuted |
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Darren
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Location: Hampshire, UK
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| Posted: Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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They're not 'on a hinge', they are permanently installed over each lane. I can assure you they do function and tickets are issued.
Until 7 years ago I served with the Army, Servicemen posted to Europe have special registration numbers issued that cannot be searched by Police or any other authority, a PNC check would tell whoever was asking that access to the owner details could only be obtained by contacting the unit I worked for.
We got many requests for owner details for vehicles owned by Servicemen that had been 'flashed' 
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pjn
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Joined: Mar 03, 2004
Posts: 34
Location: Perth, Western Australia
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| Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2004 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Interesting comments, both on the fog-detectors (I'd wondered about them for years!) and the cameras on the gantries. Fortunately I've never broken the limit around that section of the M25 - I just couldn't understand why Id never seen them flash when cars whizz under them at high speed! |
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pauljs
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Joined: Nov 29, 2004
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| Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Darren wrote: |
I can assure you they do function and tickets are issued.
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From what I understand they are supposed to be yellow and visible in order to comply with the new regulations if the police force has opted in to the scheme
The cameras on the gantry are not yellow and quite hidden from view |
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nej
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Joined: Jun 16, 2004
Posts: 454
Location: London, Ingerlund
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| Posted: Tue Nov 30, 2004 10:00 am Post subject: |
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| pjn wrote: | | Interesting comments, both on the fog-detectors (I'd wondered about them for years!) and the cameras on the gantries. Fortunately I've never broken the limit around that section of the M25 - I just couldn't understand why Id never seen them flash when cars whizz under them at high speed! |
Well, it is almost impossible to break the speed-limit on that stretch of the M25. It's normally impossible to break 10mph! |
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