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SPECS Cameras to be deployed on Motorways
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Darren
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:45 am    Post subject: SPECS Cameras to be deployed on Motorways Reply with quote

pocketgpsworld.comA number of newspapers are reporting news that the Government plans to expand the use of SPECS average speed cameras and permit their use on motorways outside of road-works.

Although a lot of the headline claims and facts being reported are false, the deployment of SPECS in this manner is new. Previously SPECS cameras have only been deployed on motorways where long term road works have been underway.

Motoring groups have already commented on these plans and all agree that the wide spread use of average speed cameras in this way can only reduce safety rather than improve it. Travelling along a motorway where all three lanes are travelling at the same speed means you have no 'escape' option if an incident occurs and yet again is a move that forces the motorist to spend more time watching their speedometer and less time looking out of the window at the road ahead.

Post your thoughts and comment here.
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mikealder
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 9:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

These have already been deployed for a number of years on A roads such as the Eastern end of the Snake Pass between east Manchester and Shefield, there are a number of such installations across the country if you look at the PocketGPSWorld database.

As these cameras do require a degree of speed monitoring by the driver perhaps it is time to have a reminder POI file which would trigger a spoken warning every 30 seconds when driving through such an area. Suplementary to the main database which would still contain the camera locations, I started to look at creating such a file last night, it wouldn't take too long although it is a manual process.
The idea is to still use the Specs warnings but the single additional file could then trigger a 'Warning you are driving through a Specs Zone, check speed' this would sound every 30 seconds when driving at the legal speed limit for the zone concerned.
This would also enhance the warnings offered by the likes of the TomTom and Garmin systems using the database from this site as these don't currently offer any fancy specs specific warnings like I-Go does - Mike
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nickjwhite
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I amnot sure that this is that new. The M25 between Brentwood and the M11 has had 3 average speed cameras permanently installed for over a year now... on the anti-clockwise section. Of course, it has done absolutely nothing for safety on this section, but I'll lay you a pound to a speeding fine, that it has brought massive revenue to Essex police. I regularly use that section, and see cars ignoring it wholesale (or not understanding what 'average' means and braking violently at each camera).
Funnily enough, the M25 is one of those roads that actually benefits from the traffic doing what it needs to do (in my humble opinion). Sometimes that means a lot of people all doing a bit more than they should; if that whole line of cars is doing the same...it moves.
There is vastly more danger in cars seeing an average speed camera and hitting the brakes down to 50 (in a 70 limit) because either they do not actually know what the legal speed limit is, or they naively believe that they can be nicked for 10mph under it. I have nearly (only yesterday in fact) come a cropper with someone doing that. believe it or not, that 'knob' then did 90 as soon as he was passed the cameras. That works doesn't it? :o)
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Jellyroll
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's nonsense like this that makes Cruise Control a must-have for me.
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Darren
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

mikealder wrote:
These have already been deployed for a number of years on A roads such as the Eastern end of the Snake Pass between east Manchester and Shefield, there are a number of such installations across the country if you look at the PocketGPSWorld database.

I am aware of that, indeed Northamptonshire is riddled with SPECS installations across its A roads.

I posted this merely to indicate the plans to roll out SPEC onto the motorway network at locations outside of road-works. I wasn't aware that there were already permanent SPECS installations in some places though so that is news to me!
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mikealder
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 10:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

M60 Clockwise near Stockport has a section of Specs at 50 MPH and is one installation I agree with due to the amount of crashes on the bad bend at speed in poor weather, it is obviously cheaper to install cameras than sort the poor road layout out - Mike
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NickG
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't see the merit in littering the motorways with speed averaging 'safety' cameras when motorways are already the safest type of road we have! They're not going to do anything about the 70% of fatal accidents which happen on rural roads. Why not put cameras on the rural roads where the accidents are actually occurring rather than on very safe motorway roads?
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Darren
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

NickG wrote:
I don't see the merit in littering the motorways with speed averaging 'safety' cameras when motorways are already the safest type of road we have!

I can think of one reason, the same reason that South Wales SCP target the M4 on International days, money. There can be no other reason. claims of safety, accident reduction are pure fallacy, more potential 'victims' is why.
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rtj70
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are SPECS speed cameras on the M60 anti-clockwise near junction J27 (heading towards Stockport). These have been there a while and there are no roadworks.
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NickG
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

With this in mind, I've taken the liberty of designing a new sticker which perhaps the members of this site can affix to lamp posts near cash cameras Smile

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Darren
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice work, I have a couple I picked up at a motor show that have the Gatso symbol on a mock sign with "Warning Cash machines Ahead" Smile
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Darren Griffin
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BMS_Ian
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:48 am    Post subject: This could increase accidents? Reply with quote

Jellyroll wrote:
It's nonsense like this that makes Cruise Control a must-have for me.


This was my first reaction but then I thought of the major downside.

If we all put ourselves into cruise mode then invariably your attention starts to wander a little more than usual. Without the need to concentrate on your speed the hypnotic affect of cruising at a steady speed would be increased wouldn't it?

My fear is that uncontrolled spread of these types of subversive monitoring cameras would lead to increase of collisions with sleeping at the wheel becoming the greatest killer as opposed to speed.

But I suppose with technology we will all end up driving "Automatic" cars like the ones in i-Robot and the poor old driver will be taken out of the equation all together!
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MikeB
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jellyroll wrote:
It's nonsense like this that makes Cruise Control a must-have for me.

You dont want Cruise Control but do want a Speed Limiter. I have a Merc with both and have never used the cruise control. Every time I go on the Motorway I set the speed limiter to 70Mph (as shown on my SatNav which is about 76 on the speedo) and off I go. It really comes in handy in those teasing roadworks sections where they have the cams no roadworks and 3 open lanes...
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Mike Barrett
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Darren
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 11:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike beat me to it. It's much more useful than cruise control on our congested roads and a real boon in long stretches of road works or SPECS zones.

On my wife's car once set you can accelerate/decelerate as normal but when you hit the selected speed limit it will not exceed it unless you push the accelerator fully to the floor, useful if you need it.
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Wazza_G
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

NickG wrote:
With this in mind, I've taken the liberty of designing a new sticker which perhaps the members of this site can affix to lamp posts near cash cameras Smile



Just take off the pocketgpsworld.com bit, you don't want to compromise this site now, do you?
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