Motorway average speed check

[Foulthrow]

When driving through these I notice that pretty much everyone sticks to 50mph. However, I’ve never heard of anyone getting done. Should I be worried that I took a bit too long to slow down on hitting the speed check on Friday night coming home from Stoke?

[claret2018]

I think (but have nothing to back this up other than the fact I’ve also never been done by one) there’s a fair bit of leeway on average speed cameras

[aclaretinstevenage]

When driving through these I notice that pretty much everyone sticks to 50mph. However, I’ve never heard of anyone getting done. Should I be worried that I took a bit too long to slow down on hitting the speed check on Friday night coming home from Stoke?

I know a few who have been "done" by average speed cameras so I stick to the signed posted limits these days in these areas.

[Stanbill05]

I usually set my limiter to 56/57 to steal back the margins for error on the speedometer and cameras and have never been done. In answer to your question it depends how fast you were going and how long it took you to slow down, but if you did slow down your average will likely well within tolerance, it is an average after all.

[Bosscat]

When driving through these I notice that pretty much everyone sticks to 50mph. However, I’ve never heard of anyone getting done. Should I be worried that I took a bit too long to slow down on hitting the speed check on Friday night coming home from Stoke?

Surely if a speed check has an average speed of 50mph and is 2 miles long then if you entered it at 60mph and during the 1st 500 yds slowing down to the 50mph, then at the end of the speed check area your average speed would have dropped to around 51.5 to 52 mph well within parameters ...

[Rileybobs]

Surely if a speed check has an average speed of 50mph and is 2 miles long then if you entered it at 60mph and during the 1st 500 yds slowing down to the 50mph, then at the end of the speed check area your average speed would have dropped to around 51.5 to 52 mph well within parameters ...

The average speed checks are between each camera rather than the start and finish of the restrictions though presumably.

[Bosscat]

The average speed checks are between each camera rather than the start and finish of the restrictions though presumably.

Usually around 2 miles apart ... on the M6 or seem to be when I have driven down

[Rileybobs]

Usually around 2 miles apart ... on the M6 or seem to be when I have driven down

Really, that’s surprising. They seem closer together, maybe I’m going too fast!

[dougcollins]

I've been reliably informed that if you average less than 57 mph between the cameras you wont get a charge.

I probably wouldn't like to test it.

[Rileybobs]

The safe bet is just to stick to 50mph for the duration, or do what I do and drive at 70mph for the first half of each leg and drop down to 30mph for the second.

[mdd2]

I have been done doing 46 in a 40 zone
Managed to do a speed awareness course as within the limit for being able to do that to avoid 3 points

[mdd2]

Wasnt on. MWay though

[Boss Hogg]

There are cameras on many sections of motorway angled back at other cameras so they can see when you have started accelerating. Pot luck guessing which ones so best to stick to the limit.

[Claretforever]

I normally set my limiter to 54/55mph when entering those sections and haven’t been done…yet. I assume the tolerance is high to make sure there’s no way of arguing a fine.

Under normal circumstances you tend to find with most Forces the tolerance before they fine/apply points/offer speed awareness is 10% + 2mph (triggering at 36mph in a 30, 47mph in a 40), so that would mean they’ll prosecute at 58mph in the 50mph zones? I would like to test that though.

[dsr]

I normally set my limiter to 54/55mph when entering those sections and haven’t been done…yet. I assume the tolerance is high to make sure there’s no way of arguing a fine.

What's the point? a 10-mile roadworks at 50 mph takes 12 minutes. A 10-mile roadworks at 55 mph takes 11 minutes. Apart from the excitement of slow overtaking of lorries on the narrow outside lane, what do you gain for that minute?

[Claretforever]

What's the point? a 10-mile roadworks at 50 mph takes 12 minutes. A 10-mile roadworks at 55 mph takes 11 minutes. Apart from the excitement of slow overtaking of lorries on the narrow outside lane, what do you gain for that minute?

I always have my limiter on, so reduce down in 5mph decrements. The reason is that I don’t like driving behind lorries where you can’t see the road in front, so by leaving it at 54-55mph my speed is a couple of mph about the lorries, so I can avoiding being stuck in the left lane. I can assure you I’m overtaken regularly at that speed too in the outer lane, and I’m not a lane hogger. So it’s not about getting to a destination more quickly.

[AfloatinClaret]

I like everyone else was a 'what can I get away with' driver until I spent a few months working in a closed motorway lane; do that and you better appreciate why we're limited to fifty as we pass them.

[pushpinpussy]

When driving through these I notice that pretty much everyone sticks to 50mph. However, I’ve never heard of anyone getting done. Should I be worried that I took a bit too long to slow down on hitting the speed check on Friday night coming home from Stoke?

Go and visit Preston Mags Court on any Wed or Thurs and sit in Court 3/4 and you will see that an awful lot of people get prosecuted. If you do get points or you are a totter, I'm more than happy to give free advice to a fellow claret.

[ElectroClaret]

Lancs police start prosecuting in a 30 zone at 34.
Unfortunately i know this for a fact.

So yes, there is leeway.

Don't know about motorways though.

[Rileybobs]

Lancs police start prosecuting in a 30 zone at 34.
Unfortunately i know this for a fact.

So yes, there is leeway.

Don't know about motorways though.

But your speedometer would almost certainly have been over-reading so would have been showing higher than 34mph.

[atlantalad]

Surely if a speed check has an average speed of 50mph and is 2 miles long then if you entered it at 60mph and during the 1st 500 yds slowing down to the 50mph, then at the end of the speed check area your average speed would have dropped to around 51.5 to 52 mph well within parameters ...

Not far off Bosscat. Quick calc suggests you would have to reduce your speed for the remaining distance ( 3020 yds) to 48.5 mph to keep within the 50mph limit, accepting no margins on the 50mph to begin with.

These old imperial units do challenge the brain .

[Claretitus]

The average speed cameras are “set “ to go off at 57mph as stated earlier in this thread. Hence, this is why all the HGV’s will try to push you along, or undertake you in the near side lane, if you are doing 50/52 in the middle lane. You don’t see many HGV’s doing under 55 in the roadworks where there are cameras employed. They just put on the cruise.

[Stalbansclaret]

I got done for doing 57mph in a 50 zone on the M6 near Sandbach around 3 years ago.

[mdd2]

When I was done and offered speed awareness I received the following
Courses are offered at the discretion of the constabulary but if your speed was above the following you cannot dodge the points and cant do the course.
I was quite shocked at the generosity
Speed Limit Course threshold
30mph up to and including 42mph
40mph up to and including 53mph
50mph up to and including 64mph
60mph up to and including 75mph
70mph up to and including 86mph

[IanMcL]

I go on the 10% + 2 rule. If you are inside that, then you should be ok.

I do 55 for consistency.

[mdd2]

I have a speed limiter and use it.The road I was on is 60 but a short section less than half a mile is 40 and I sailed through forgetting that section and apparently clocked 46

[NL Claret]

Just drive at 50mph, it will probably safer and more relaxing. You might save yourself a minute or 2 by going at 59mph. The amount of times someone goes speeding past me doing the speed limit , I usually catch up with them at the next junction or roundabout.

[Tw@]

Lancs police is 10% + 3mph over

[mybloodisclaret]

Anyone driving down to Swansea be ready for plenty of these on the M4. We drove down yesterday and from Celtic Manor it starts and is on and off pretty much all the way to Swansea.

[Tw@]

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[Tw@]

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[GodIsADeeJay81]

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They make allowances because vehicle Speedos aren't 100% accurate
In fact, the faster you're going the less accurate it is.

[jos]

They make allowances because vehicle Speedos aren't 100% accurate
In fact, the faster you're going the less accurate it is.

What about the gps tracker showing the speed in the car, will that be accurate?

[GodIsADeeJay81]

What about the gps tracker showing the speed in the car, will that be accurate?

Yeah that tends to be more accurate

[jos]

Yeah that tends to be more accurate

So if you compare your Speedo against the gps, should provide an indication of how accurate your Speedo is!

[Greenmile]

The safe bet is just to stick to 50mph for the duration, or do what I do and drive at 70mph for the first half of each leg and drop down to 30mph for the second.

You can go as quick as you like, as long as you remember to reverse back through the cameras afterwards

[GodIsADeeJay81]

So if you compare your Speedo against the gps, should provide an indication of how accurate your Speedo is!

Yeah, you'll find to find that the Speedo is 5-6 mph out when it's saying 70mph, so you're really doing 65mph ish

They're inaccurate due to wear, incorrect tyre pressures, wear to the tyres etc.

[Croydon Claret]

They make allowances because vehicle Speedos aren't 100% accurate
In fact, the faster you're going the less accurate it is.

I'm not sure if the allowance is because of inaccurate speedos. A speedo cannot underestimate a speed and must not over estimate by more than 10%.

So if your speedo says 32 you might only be doing 30 in reality, and certainly not 33 or above. There wouldn't be a need to have an allowance for this scenario

[Chobulous]

I got done 2 years ago going through Higherford and Blacko at about 5:30am when I was doing some contract work in Settle just before I retired. No complaints, I was over the limit and the cameras picked it up so those at least work ok.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

I'm not sure if the allowance is because of inaccurate speedos. A speedo cannot underestimate a speed and must not over estimate by more than 10%.

So if your speedo says 32 you might only be doing 30 in reality, and certainly not 33 or above. There wouldn't be a need to have an allowance for this scenario

Just been reading it and it's to allow for a potential inaccuracy of the speed camera itself.
So I was half right, about an inaccuracy.

Interestingly the Scottish police aren't following this guideline and will punish drivers for being 1mph over the speed limit apparently

[martin_p]

Whenever I’m on the M6 on a weekday morning 50mph seems an aspiration rather than a limit!

[Croydon Claret]

Just been reading it and it's to allow for a potential inaccuracy of the speed camera itself.
So I was half right, about an inaccuracy.

Interestingly the Scottish police aren't following this guideline and will punish drivers for being 1mph over the speed limit apparently

Yes there's nothing written in law about any tolerance.

I did once read that there's usually a lower tolerance enforced for mobile cameras, rather than fixed ones, but not sure if that's just an urban myth

[bfccrazy]

I normally set my limiter to 54/55mph when entering those sections and haven’t been done…yet. I assume the tolerance is high to make sure there’s no way of arguing a fine.

Under normal circumstances you tend to find with most Forces the tolerance before they fine/apply points/offer speed awareness is 10% + 2mph (triggering at 36mph in a 30, 47mph in a 40), so that would mean they’ll prosecute at 58mph in the 50mph zones? I would like to test that though.

Apparently it was like this but a lot of constabulary’s have taken away the +2 so be careful with that.

Apparently fines went up by a silly amount when they dropped the +2 part which is at their discretion and usually not added on now.

[dsr]

Apparently it was like this but a lot of constabulary’s have taken away the +2 so be careful with that.

Apparently fines went up by a silly amount when they dropped the +2 part which is at their discretion and usually not added on now.

And no doubt aim for public support for this policy by strictly enforcing the same rules on police cars without a blue light, and taking qualified police drivers off the road if they transgress by 1 mph? They will be fitting an accurate tachograph in each car, no doubt, to make sure the slightest mistake is stringently punished.

Or perhaps not ...

[Zlatan]

Interestingly the Scottish police aren't following this guideline and will punish drivers for being 1mph over the speed limit apparently

I’ve not met a generous Scot either

[4midable]

When driving through these I notice that pretty much everyone sticks to 50mph. However, I’ve never heard of anyone getting done. Should I be worried that I took a bit too long to slow down on hitting the speed check on Friday night coming home from Stoke?

Seen others try be clever and they get the flash on the mway for the.fine..especually close to birmingham

[Zlatan]

Seen others try be clever and they get the flash on the mway for the.fine..especually close to birmingham

Those on the M6 are not average speed cameras, they are normal speed cameras that are linked to the smart motorway speed signs above the motorway. Near me on the M1 I have witnessed where the speed limit changes to 50mph as you approach the gantry and the next camera flashes every driver doing more than 50. Imo it is dangerous doing that as now everyone just brakes hard to reduce from 70 to 50.

The average cameras are usually situated on tall yellow poles and not affixed to any gantry like the normal cameras

[4midable]

Seen many a flash tho

[Claret Toni]

I’ve not met a generous Scot either
[/quote]

You should meet a Yorkie - they make all Scots look generous