c***s on the road

[TheScarf]

On 02/09/2023 at 21:02, Clangers said:

Just down the A9 from the Inverness game and I see Police Scotland don’t think the 90 miles of average speed cameras are enough but had set up a van on the duel but South of Drumochtor!
Yes cars will go over 70mph for a bit there to clear the 50mph vehicles but surely the average camera is enough, this just stinks of profiteering.

I wouldn't worry about it, half the average speed camera are just for show.

[Central Belt Caley]

I think the average speed cameras only work on the single carriageways or they certainly used to. I’ve done a fair speed on the Drumochter stretch a few times and never had anything through the post 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Central Belt Caley

[parsforlife]

On 03/09/2023 at 18:16, Derry Alli said:

Aye his argument was Range Rovers are about a quarter size bigger - and a helluva lot more powerful.

I’d have that argument too but it’s not the law. I don’t think it’s properly reacted to both the number of large cars on the road and the fact manufactures have given up on car-derived vans and instead opted for small specialist vans.  There’s got to be a fair amount of small vans fully loaded that weigh less than an almost empty 4x4 or pickup and the extra weight is the entire reason for the lower speed limit.

On 03/09/2023 at 19:16, Zetterlund said:

I must have just been lucky, as I drove a Bipper for 4 years and assumed it was classed as car-derived, so would hoon about at 70* on dual carriageways.

Great wee van, seemed like it ran on fresh air.

 

*ish

Most cameras don’t know what’s driving past and so will only flag those  going above the car limit, there are some I believe that use lasers to decide if the your too big to be a car and apply the lower speed limit but given this is based on height small vans are never going to be caught out.  So it’s only going to be vans for or police handhelds(when was the last time you saw these?) and even then I think it needs the road to be quite enough the operator can tell the system there’s a van coming as it’s not intelligent to do it itself.

 

 

All of this is speculation and I take no responsibility for p&b bampots who get caught and want to use my ramblings as a reason they shouldn’t have.

Edited September 4, 2023 by parsforlife

[alta-pete]

Agree and disagree. It’s ANPR - they take your reg plate and the bot at DVLA gets triggered. A car will get away with 65/70mph or so, an LGV won’t. 

My Range Rover (other lesser products are available) weighs north of 2tn when loaded up. But having just replaced the pads and discs all round at a tickle under £2k I’d suggest it’s got far greater stopping power than a fully laden Bipper. 

And after a late finish in Inverness 6/8 weeks ago and fed up dicing with tourists in hired VWs I can confirm that (so far ) it seems the speed cameras do not monitor the dual carriageway sections. 

[Loonytoons]

32 minutes ago, parsforlife said:

I’d have that argument too but it’s not the law. I don’t think it’s properly reacted to both the number of large cars on the road and the fact manufactures have given up on car-derived vans and instead opted for small specialist vans.  There’s got to be a fair amount of small vans fully loaded that weigh less than an almost empty 4x4 or pickup and the extra weight is the entire reason for the lower speed limit.

Most cameras don’t know what’s driving past and so will only flag those  going above the car limit, there are some I believe that use lasers to decide if the your too big to be a car and apply the lower speed limit but given this is based on height small vans are never going to be caught out.  So it’s only going to be vans for or police handhelds(when was the last time you saw these?) and even then I think it needs the road to be quite enough the operator can tell the system there’s a van coming as it’s not intelligent to do it itself.

 

 

All of this is speculation and I take no responsibility for p&b bampots who get caught and want to use my ramblings as a reason they shouldn’t have.

Pretty sure average speed cameras use ANPR.  That'll give the type of vehicle.

 

[Loonytoons]

Just now, Loonytoons said:

Pretty sure average speed cameras use ANPR.  That'll give the type of vehicle.

 

Ach alta-pete got there first

[sophia]

3 hours ago, Loonytoons said:

Pretty sure average speed cameras use ANPR.  That'll give the type of vehicle.

 

I'm not at sure what's going on then.

If there is widespread auto average speed booking of big vehicles on the A9 then I'm not sure that we'd be seeing the learned habitual behaviour of most vehicles, busses included, doing 60mph on the single carriageways. If the cameras have that technology then it's self evident that they are choosing not to use it.

Moreover, it's a farce that the likes of a Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux or other vans are restricted to 50mph, that just imposes needless inconvenience and risk upon those that don't need or deserve it.

It is certainly correct to say that the average speed tech does not apply to the dualled sections of the A9 between Inverness and Perth.

Edited September 4, 2023 by sophia
Geographical clarity

[RandomGuy.]

4 hours ago, Central Belt Caley said:

I think the average speed cameras only work on the single carriageways or they certainly used to. I’ve done a fair speed on the Drumochter stretch a few times and never had anything through the post 

They definitely do between Perth and Stirling, FWIW. I learned that last week 

[Zetterlund]

20 minutes ago, sophia said:

I'm not at sure what's going on then.

If there is widespread auto average speed booking of big vehicles on the A9 then I'm not sure that we'd be seeing the learned habitual behaviour of most vehicles, busses included, doing 60mph on the single carriageways. If the cameras have that technology then it's self evident that they are choosing not to use it.

Moreover, it's a farce that the likes of a Ford Ranger, Toyota Hilux or other vans are restricted to 50mph, that just imposes needless inconvenience and risk upon those that don't need or deserve it.

It is certainly correct to say that the average speed tech does not apply to the dualled sections of the A9.

I've never been sure if the average speed cameras have ANPR so have always played it safe, however I seem to be in the minority in doing so. 

Sitting seething at 50 for hours in a light van while every other van clearly gives no fucks about the 50mph limit has me wondering what they know that I don't.

Either there are thousands of tickets being dished out constantly or these cameras are not capable of identifying vehicle classes.

The 50 limit for vans is indeed farcical and only causes unnecessary frustration, not just for the van driver but for everyone else they hold up.

[Central Belt Caley]

7 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

They definitely do between Perth and Stirling, FWIW. I learned that last week 

Sorry should’ve been clearer meant the dual carriageways between Perth and Inverness  Soon as I hit Dunblane the cruise control goes on at 75 until I hit Broxden roundabout 

[welshbairn]

10 hours ago, Zetterlund said:

The 50 limit for vans is indeed farcical and only causes unnecessary frustration, not just for the van driver but for everyone else they hold up.

In my experience most lorries happily trundle along at 60, it's only the odd van slowing everyone down, and then annoyingly speeding up to 70 on the overtaking sections.

Edited September 5, 2023 by welshbairn

[thistledo]

20 hours ago, alta-pete said:

Agree and disagree. It’s ANPR - they take your reg plate and the bot at DVLA gets triggered. A car will get away with 65/70mph or so, an LGV won’t. 

My Range Rover (other lesser products are available) weighs north of 2tn when loaded up. But having just replaced the pads and discs all round at a tickle under £2k I’d suggest it’s got far greater stopping power than a fully laden Bipper. 

And after a late finish in Inverness 6/8 weeks ago and fed up dicing with tourists in hired VWs I can confirm that (so far ) it seems the speed cameras do not monitor the dual carriageway sections. 

Almost certain this is the case, they do deploy camera vans to the dual sections at times though, fortunately no issues here for this law abiding citizen. 

Never actually met anyone who was caught speeding on the average speed cameras on the A9. Been told a few stories ranging from the tolerance is high, they aren't switched on and finally they calculate your entire trip so even if speeding in one section if it averages out to the speed limit you're all good. I have no idea if any of this is true. I can say that I've driven up/down a few times at a pretty high average without any issues. 

[Dan Steele]

20 hours ago, Loonytoons said:

Ach alta-pete got there first

Neither wonder, the speed he goes at.

[alta-pete]

I’ve posted this on here before but I made a FOI Request a couple of years ago asking how many drivers had been successfully prosecuted on the basis of the average speed cameras (the curiosity started from a debate in the pub one night about how not one of us knew anyone who had been done).  Transport Scotland were predictably useless but they did refer my to the Poileas on a (now broken) link that they catch a good few thousand a year. 

Going looking for it just now threw up the broken link but also this article- https://www.hdclaims.co.uk/average-speed-camera-devices-on-the-a9/

They’ve got is that 3,000 were done on the A9 in the 4 years to December ‘22 - roughly one c**t (looking at the data and the shared personal experiences, I think you must have to be a right c**t to get done) every other day.  

[alta-pete]

Four parent-n-child spaces in a largely empty car park. Impressive. 
 

[Derry Alli]

1 hour ago, alta-pete said:

I’ve posted this on here before but I made a FOI Request a couple of years ago asking how many drivers had been successfully prosecuted on the basis of the average speed cameras (the curiosity started from a debate in the pub one night about how not one of us knew anyone who had been done).  Transport Scotland were predictably useless but they did refer my to the Poileas on a (now broken) link that they catch a good few thousand a year. 

Going looking for it just now threw up the broken link but also this article- https://www.hdclaims.co.uk/average-speed-camera-devices-on-the-a9/

They’ve got is that 3,000 were done on the A9 in the 4 years to December ‘22 - roughly one c**t (looking at the data and the shared personal experiences, I think you must have to be a right c**t to get done) every other day.  

I've been caught on a 60. Got the final letter and sent it back just in time. Haven't heard a single thing since. That's a year now.

[ICTChris]

Great product, can’t wait to try it out!

https://twitter.com/sheldontarpey/status/1698748678129717291?s=46&t=VI9PBOGiArQ8qgQBk99O4w

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, thistledo said:

 

Never actually met anyone who was caught speeding on the average speed cameras on the A9. Been told a few stories ranging from the tolerance is high, they aren't switched on and finally they calculate your entire trip so even if speeding in one section if it averages out to the speed limit you're all good. I have no idea if any of this is true. I can say that I've driven up/down a few times at a pretty high average without any issues. 

I was caught going up the A9 on my way to Applecross late one night years ago, it dropped down to a 40 for roadworks and I never noticed, had cruise control on 60 the whole way through like a fanny. Ticket waiting for me on arrival home.

[morrison]

6 hours ago, alta-pete said:

Four parent-n-child spaces in a largely empty car park. Impressive. 
 

 

What a shock.

[IrishBhoy]

On 17/05/2023 at 11:18, flyingscot said:

I'm amazed at the speed people drive through the 40mph zone. I assume they think it's like the 40 roadworks around Charing Cross and don't realise there are cameras?

I drove along on Saturday afternoon was sitting at 40 on the cruise control and was getting passed by people going 50-60mph comfortably.

Realise this is an old post but the average cameras are back up on the same stretch of road, and I know exactly what you’re saying. Last week I was heading to pick my friend up from the city centre, sitting just about bang on 40 between the Braehead and Cardonald junctions, when a big Range Rover came flying past doing 70mph+. It got me talking to my dad and a couple of guys in work and we were saying how you never seem to hear about anyone getting fined with average speed cameras; none of us knew of a single person who had received a speeding fine because of them. When I worked up in Aberdeen and travelled the A9 between Stirling and Perth I would regularly see cars flying past me when I had my cruise control set to 70, and I always thought some of the locals knew something I didn’t that the cameras weren’t functional, but I never tested that out for myself. 
 

I also wonder if the tolerance they allow is quite generous and that’s why you rarely/never hear of anyone getting fined. Car speedometers usually overestimate your actual speed and you could go through the average speed cameras at 46mph and your genuine speed would only be a fraction over 40. I must admit I don’t hate them on that stretch of M8 tbh, the traffic seems to flow much better in the morning when everyone gets down to 40, rather than what it’s usually like with people flying past the Airport then slamming on the brakes when the traffic gets heavier at Braehead and everyone sitting nose to bumper.