American Reacts to Average Speed Cameras in the UK
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- čas přidán 21. 08. 2023
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In this video I react to average speed cameras in the UK for the first time. I never even knew something like this existed. While it wouldn't be fun to get caught speeding in one of these average speed camera zones, it's very likely this technology probably does make roads safer. If you're a UK driver, what do you think about average speed cameras?
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There was a family of Americans in the UK and the woman got a fixed penalty notice in the post. She told her husband that it must be a mistake as she never sped. She didn't know speed cameras take a picture, that comes separately. He has it framed.
😂😂🎉🎉
Of note: in France, the toll roads will also calculate your average speed between toll points. Go too fast, and you will have to pay a fine on top of your toll.
Same with Italian toll roads. It is easy to stop for a coffee to reduce the average calculated speed in between tolls 😅
I just posted that before seeing your comment. 😁😁
A good few years ago, I remember several times driving north back to the Tunnel, there were ALWAYS a load of police waiting at the final toll booths. They just KNEW they would have a field day, with Brits rushing to get back home. I always made sure we stopped at least once at a rest area between toll booths.
lol, I used to be a government driver in France, equipped with radar detectors, GPS average speed calculator and whatnot tech including wireless payment, you just drive through. Did a regular 240 in between booths when the private motorways were empty. I didn't have to bother with any fines 🤐
It’s the same in Canada on the few toll roads we have
I'm staggered that you're so shocked that we have this type of technology in everyday use here in the UK. Why should this be any kind of a problem? I frequently drive on roads with average speed cameras and have no problem managing my speed on them. It seems to me that the US is way behind Europe and the UK in lots of ways like this.
Note: a speeding fine also means points on your licence. Get to 12 points and you get a driving ban. Not that that stops the law breakers who just carry on driving regardless. Driving without a licence means youre uninsured as well which is even worse.
The fact that driving without insurance is considered a worse offence than driving without a licence proves the lawmakers care more about money than lives.
@@c_n_b Its not a conspiracy to make more money. Driving without a license means you are also driving with out insurance so of course its worse. And even if you only considered no license vs no insurance No insurance is probably still classed as worse as insurance is to protect the person you hit
@@c_n_b If you're driving without insurance, it also means that anyone in an accident that you were at fault with will have a very hard time getting their injuries and damages compensated. So caring about no insurance is caring about people's lives (or at least the quality of their lives)
@@c_n_b That's a very odd idea. Whilst it's not cheap, insurance is designed to protect the driver and anyone involved in an accident. It's the uninsured drivers who are driving up the cost of motor insurance.
@@c_n_byou interpreted it wrong, these are compound offences not superseding, its worse because it's in addition to the initial offence. You can't be insured though, if you don't have a license, is nothing to do with money and more to do with the fact that your insurance covers other people's losses if you crash into them, it's covering anyone you may harm
"... that you guys ALREADY have speed cameras...." - That made me chuckle, making it sound like it's this incredibly cutting edge brand new technology that's extremely rare.... 😅 The very first speed camera was invented way back in 1964.......
one other point has been missed here:
the cameras are reading your number plate, so they know the "class" of vehicle you are driving.
Car's are limited to 70mph on a dual carriageway or motorway
Coaches & lorries(trucks) are limited to only 60mph
The camera system will automatically fine a truck for doing 65mph in a 70 limit, but ignore a car at the same speed...
I suspect a lot of people who drive vans get caught out here as a lot of van drivers probably don’t realise that the speed limit for a van on a duel carriageway is also 60 not 70mph.
@@Cjbx11 on a motorway, the limit for a van is 70
@@DANGEROUSSCION on a motorway it is but not on a National speed limit duel carriageway with 70mph limit for cars. Also on 60mph single carriageways it’s 50mph for vans.
I'm sure a lot of people driving pickup trucks will not know this. I didn't until I had to go on a speed aware test and was asked what sort of vehicle I drove.
Coaches are 70mph on a motorway
Sticking to the speed limit is key.
That being said, I had an American friend who came over and rented a car. Before they picked it up I had pointed out the cameras, explained them, and told them to obey the speed limit. I had even shown them where the local ones were. The day after they’d picked the car up and had gone out to a night club, when they got up they asked me what the flashes were. I paused and asked how many and where, turned out they had triggered the local cameras, the very ones I’d shown them. They lost their entire car hire deposit.
I worked with someone who kept getting caught by the same speed and bus lane cameras. It was a deja vu moment, two near identical photos 6 months apart.
what a spazz😂
When I used to travel down from Scotland after visiting my parents there was a 141 mile stretch from Inverness to Dunblane which was covered by average speed cameras for the entire distance.
I used to drive that road weekly. I only found out recently that the average speed cameras don’t cover the dual carriageways. Don’t ask how I found out 😂
The A9
@@markyy3590 There are average speed cameras on the A9
Many, many moons ago I used to work South of Edinburgh ( peebles) and on my days off come home ( north of aberdeen), and before camers could do it in 2 and an half hours and have major fun, after the cameras came in would still hammer it, but knowing where the cameras where , so could race other idiots and pull in before the cameras and get them flashed😢 Evil?, yes fun, most assuredly😅
Because the A9 has a high death count because or reckless speeders, its the most dangerous road in Scotland, thank to idiots with a death wish in high powered cars who think its a race track
The 10% + 2mph came from guidance issued by the association of chief police officers (ACPO). In law you can be prosecuted for 1 mph over the speed limit, but there is usually a tolerance applied to cover speedometer inaccuracy and a bit of leeway. Each police force does not have to follow the guidance and can set their own tolerances. (In my experience, 36 in a 30 limit got me a speed awareness course but no penalty points (as I had not done a SAC in the previous 3 years). In 26 years of driving this is my only ticket.
I was clocked at 31mph in 1996, got to the court to pay the fine and the woman behind the desk was like "31, I'm surprised your here", still had to pay though.
The reason for the 2mph was the unwillingness to certify any speedometer to within 2mph.
The reason for the 10% was that no scientist or technician would swear on the Bible that the camera operating devices on speed cameras, were accurate to closer than 10%, so magistrates let it be known that they would not enforce any charge of speeding within 10%.
I would guess in law you can be prosecuted for just going marginally over the speed limit e.g. 30.001mph in a 30mph zone - or does it have to be a whole 1mph over?
@@petergaskin1811 If it's an issue with the accuracy of the devices, then shouldn't a speed recorded by the device as 56mph be charged as 50.4mph to account for that? Still over 50 so enough to charge for speeding in a 50 zone.
Part of this guidance for police was from equality. The older the car, the less accurate the speedo was, so a driver of a new vehicle cannot be treated differently from a driver of an older vehicle. When I was first driving, 10% +3 was ok and above that was a risk of formal action. I have no idea if there is still more leeway for older vehicles with less accurate speedos... but then, I've not seen speed cops at vintage car events!
We're top 5 in the safest roads to drive on in the whole world. UK, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Singapore 😎
We also have in NSW Australia Get caught speeding, using a mobile phone illegally, or not wearing a seatbelt or motorcycle helmet during double demerit periods, and you'll face double the points, not double the fine. You can stop it or cop it. Peace out
Not Suitable for Work Australia?
@@MostlyPennyCat Not safe for work Australia? LOL
I drove in Victoria in Australia for a few weeks. I was amazed by the sheer quantity of speed cameras there compared to the UK and by how few drivers seemed to speed. There were 4 or 5 lane highways where every car, in every lane was going at exactly the speed limit for mile after mile. In the UK you do see a lot of people trying to speed and trying to beat the cameras
@avmavm777 I live in Victoria (state). We have a lot. You really have to watch your speed. It's 3 kilometres per hour over the speed limit and every 10 kilometres over the fine goes up and you loose more points. We also have epencive fines.
@@starvr
OK, yeah, your version is better 😂
When you see people driving down a road with signs saying 'Average speed checks' suddenly slowing down right in front of the cameras, you have to wonder what is their problem with the word 'average'.
In South Africa we have average speed monitoring on many mountain passes and other roads which have an abnormally high accident rate. Some of them are over stretches of about 20km.
They do work. Old speed cameras you just checked your speed for a few metres then continued on at 90+mph. Speeds have definitely reduced, though some of that due to higher petrol prices and not thrashing the engine anymore. As for leeway, generally 10% plus 1mph.
You do get points on the licence as well as paying a fine. We also have laws on the colouration, size of font etc. so if caught you could get multiple tickets and, if you continue to try and avoid, the police will seize your vehicle.
I have just checked road deaths in the UK and USA. In the UK it is 3.45; in the USA it is 11.4 deaths per 100,000 people. You are almost four times as likely to be killed in a car crash in the USA, probably because of the lack of seatbelts and speed cameras.
Over a 40 year period, I've had three automatic speeding tickets that came through the post. Each was 34 in a 30. Two were fixed cameras, and the other was an average speed system.
Regarding trying to make your number plate not readable by the camera; well the next time a police car passes you, if it's ANPR camera can't read your number plate the police will stop you.
Richard, UK
Also, they can almost always read it by adjusting the contrast from the image from fixed cameras, and then they slap you with 'trying to avert the course of justice' for trying that game.
That's why they prohibit number plate covers in Belgium. If they can't read your number plate the police can take it very far if they want to because basically you are "driving without a numberplate". Read : fine, seized car, trouble with insurance company, etc ...
The lane-change isn't exactly a myth. It did used to be the case that a camera could only cover two lanes so if you approached one set in lane 1 then swap out to lane 3 then the system wouldn't link the two images.
That was fixed in the late 90s though and definitely doesn't work now
In the UK, they are also quite common on long motorway roadworks (with one or more lanes closed off), with a camera at the start of the restriction and another at the end (so they can be many miles apart).
Tell me about it! Drove from Cambridge to Glasgow yesterday (start of English bank holiday weekend 🤦♀️) up the M1/A1/A1M - the road to hell in all its incarnations. Roadworks, speed cameras, lane closures, accidents and queues. A66 and M6 about as bad. M74 was great until they closed it at Hamilton 🤦♀️😤 Took 10 1/2 hours, had three short but necessary stops
We also have "smart" speed limit roads where the limit changes based on the traffic level, each overhead gantry shows the speed limit for the next few hundred yards. Fixed cameras in place in case you speed. Kind of works until the speed limit changes just as you're going through one and causes some people to slam the breaks on. I think you're supposed to just let off and gently cruise down to that speed. I always use that method as I'd rather have a ticket than someone up my arse. No ticket yet anyway :)
anchors! anchors! anchors!
I believe they allow for time to change so you don't need to slam on the brakes - that would cause traffic issues rather than solve them.
@@andyjdhurley That's my understanding but when they suddenly change while going under them it still makes me think "am I going to get busted for this" :)
Thankfully it doesn't happen that much.
@@andyjdhurleyyou would like to believe that but I have been caught for this exact thing.
The gantry reading changed to 50 just as I was about to pass under it. I received a fine for doing 56.
I used to hate average speed cameras, since I always felt I was staring at the speedo and ignoring the road.
However now I have cruse control I think they are great. I just set my speed a couple of mph below the speed limit and just cruise.
But even without cruise control, if you find you have drifted up over the limit, you just need to slow down under the speed limit for a similar distance.
Plus of course the speed limit is the maximum speed you should be driving anyway, not the speed you have to drive at.
Same, would prefer without but if thet must be installed then I would defienetly choose average, set your limiter and its good.
Plus with a fixed if you are slightly over it may be too late when you do see it or cause some to slam on their brakes, at least with average you have time slow down safely and not get caught.,
Here in Germany they have those speed traps as well. What you sometimes see in towns are what I call Smiley Signs which are about the size of a 27" monitor on a pole. They measure your speed and on the screen they show a smiley, Green if at the right speed, Yellow if only 1 or 2 Kph over the limit or Red if going to fast. They are put there just to remind you to keep to the speed limit. They also can check cyclist, I got a Green smiley doing 22 kph on my bike.
We have the smiley signs in the UK too.
Yeah, we have those too but they don't have cameras and are incapable of sending a fine. Usually they are funded by local councils or neighbourhood pressure groups trying to calm traffic through residential areas.
I can't believe he didn't mention the hilariously stupid people who speed through the section and briefly slow down at the second camera, not realising what AVERAGE speed means. 😁 Stay in school, kids!
You can normally get away with going 10% over the average before you get a ticket.
You do get 3 points and a fine.
The higher the Avg% over, the points may increase as well as the fine.
The Avg speed camera really takes the fun out of a driving trip.
We also have roads with variable speed limits, so they can change the speed limit if there’s traffic or an accident ahead etc. They display the new speed above the motorway, so a usual 70mph road can change to 50mph if they choose
they are used a lot through roadworks, where the normal speed has been reduced to 50mph to protect the workforce in the road. bear in mind if the speedo is working off a wheel, the radius of the trye (tire) can make up to 5% difference between a new trye and a worn tyre. any speeding system has to take this into consideration hence the !0% margin. there is a tendency nowadays to assume that every car is fitted with GPS and can tell their exact speed, so the police can attempt to prosecute at say 73mph, but this would probably get thrown out in court if you appealed on grounds of your speedometer not registering to that accuracy..
GPS is accurate only if you are going at a steady speed on a straight road on the level. It calculates your speed from the straight-line horizontal distance between your positions at 1 or 2 second intervals. Go round a bend or down a hill and the distance is shorter and GPS under reads your speed... fun fact!
Living in Scotland there are some 'Average Speed Cameras', mostly to stop speeding on roads which had terrible accident rates caused by speed. The A9 has really benefited from this camera system.
They’re on the A77 too. It is stressful driving with these overhead… got to watch the speedo doesn’t creep up, brake lights of the vehicle in front while keeping your distance. Hate them, and I’m not a speeder
@@cgillman2744 Watching your speed should is surely a given when driving so I'm puzzled as to why you did it stressful. Sounds like you would rather make up your own rules.
Hi@@cgillman2744 - Yes drove it many times, and seem to remember the A77 system was the first trial (50mph) system in Scotland, if not in the whole of the UK. Unlike you, I set my 'Cruise Control' and just go for it.
@@cgillman2744 I run a nav app on my phone that monitors my average speed over a SPECS (avarage) speed camera zone, it calculates my speed and dings me if I'm going over.
They tend to use them on lengths of road where there are road works in operation. In Germany they have electronic posts on the side of the road. Some EU countries time you from entry to exit on toll roads.
Same in 🇬🇧
I don't live in UK so it may have changed since I drove there but my experience of average speed cameras is on motorways where there is typically one lane closed and people are working on that closed lane. There is a speed limit reduction to protect that workforce and the cameras are there to enforce that reduction. Before the cameras were used a lot of drivers would have ignored the signs and driven at 70mph or more.
They are mostly used in those situations but they are becoming more common on other roads too. Near me there is a 50mph road next to a dangerous stretch of water and there are no barriers, so average cameras are used to keep speeds down. It seems to be working, we've had fewer incidents there since being introduced.
@@lloydmorganmoore7810 Something similar where I live - two stretches of road, straight in places, gentle bends here and there - ideal for speed merchants like, er, me and for teenage show-offs in their souped up minis. The roads were death traps. Variable speed cameras were installed, and the fatality rate went way down.
These are claimed to be average speed cameras, not static motorway ones. The latter are real, the former is bogus !
There are roads in Notts with 50mph limits & the only place there are average speed cameras are on the dual carriageway sections, this almost completely negates the benefit of a short section of dual carriageway. If you are stuck behind a queue of 45mph traffic & you want to do 50, you have little chance of getting past the slow vehicle unless you are one of the first 4 or 5 in the queue. These particular cameras provide little in the way of safety improvements.
Your speedo probably under-reports your speed though & if you want to know your actual speed, use a GPS device, they are far more accurate.
Your speedo should over report rather than under report your speed.
But yes I agree GPS tends to be more accurate.
In the UK, almost every piece of information concerning your car is held on a Central Database. The cops can call up your status, or your car's status on a laptop in their patrol car.
In our part of the UK, if you drive onto a a road covered by "an average speed check area", you will pass a camera (A for you), you will then pass another camera (B for you) which could be within 2 miles or 200 miles. Your average speed will be calculated as noted in the clip. Changing lanes will not protect you from anything because it's the cameras on the slip road on and the slip road off that count.
He's generally wrong on everything about penalties, you will get 2 points on your licence for every offence.
He's also wrong about tolerances, the standard tolerance according to the Association of Chief Police Officers is 2mph
+ 10% of the speed limit. That's for only for speed cameras using film. If the cameras are digital it's just the 2mph. FYI, I was caught doing 58mph in the only section of the A1 road with a 50mph limit and covered by speed cameras, the ACPO limit would have been 57mph. I just wonder how many people travelling that section of road were clocked at 58mph. I would think that would be the vast majority.
3 to 6 points. Not 2
Speed cameras & average speed cameras have been in use in the UK for years,
we've also got another system thats just starting to appear on the UK roads, road/decibel noise detectors.
These monitor the noise from your exhaust & if your vehicles exhaust noise is too loud, you'll get a heavy fine sent through the post.
That’s good, hope they introduce these noise detectors in Pollokshields!
Called a revenue collection point.
Hi Steve in answer to your question at 4.58, the threshold in the UK for getting a ticket is 10%+1 over the posted speed limit. So for example if you're doing 34mph or more in a 30 zone or 78mph or over in a 70 zone. I hope that helps
Thats the *typical* threshold, the leeway they normally will give. But you can technically be charged with speeding for even just 1 mph over the limit at any speed, I know someone who was caught speeding going 72 on the motorway.
This is why (On journeys that I do not normally take) I use a sat nav with speed camera warnings as well as warnings showing when I am going over the speed limit. I still have to watch out for area's that might have mobile speed camera's.
I’m a truck driver in UK and something I’ve noticed some speeders do, since the cameras are mounted to the side-
You see some cars flying down, and then they hide tight up alongside trucks when passing the cameras. Especially if it’s a double decker trailer- the cameras can’t easily see past a 16ft / 5m tall trailer
Here is one simple trick to calm this tuber's driving panic, obviate the need to shield licence plates, end the frantic paranoia of camera dodging, skip the futile attempt to stay ahead of technology, avoid not just fines but also an accumulation of points or the loss of a licence: stick to the speed limit. It seems to work every time and frees the driver up to watch the road. Just a thought...
And you have never unknowingly broken a limit? Thing is i wouldn't believe you if you said you hadn't, Because the clues in the unknowingly part. No one can prove they haven't done something without knowing it.. lol..
They are altering road speeds on perfectly good roads but they don't alter the line markings which is very dangerous as you don't have time to overtake unless you speed if the road was 60 mph then they change it to 40mph it's crazy and smart motorways they change the speeds at random variable speed cameras sign comes up to warn you on each lane telling you to obey but for miles and miles you can't see a bloody thing happening also even as low as 20 mph but you have people vehicles coming past you both sides up your back end it's scary it's all one big scam because technology can stop any car speeding once it recognises the speed limit the car slows down but this doesn't make money it's all one BIG CON
Exactly….it’s not as if there aren’t signs to tell you the speed limit.
@@Markus117dhow do you unknowingly break the speed limit, do you not use your eyes while driving?
@@Bungle-UKBut it's not unusual in leafy counties for signs to be obscured by overgrown hedges and trees.
Then there are traffic holdups where, once the traffic gets going again, the driver has forgotten what the speed limit was.
Speed limits have tumbled in the last few years so you cannot necessarily rely on memory.
My otherwise very good SatNav app often tells me that the speed limit is higher than it actually is (now).
These cameras can be paired up to 50 miles apart, though rarely are. Couple of years ago we had a situation on one major road that had these cameras on it. There was a shortcut people could take, and frequently did, because the main road took the long way round. Unfortunately, two cameras were linked, one before leaving the main road on the shortcut, and one after people rejoined it. This led to hundreds of tickets and to a court case for all those who had incorrectly been read as speeding.
Here in the UK these cameras 1st appeared about 30 years ago, they were only meant to be for when there was road works/construction, however these cameras remained are still there today, though they have been upgraded over the years, there are many stretches of Motorways that have these cameras and no road works/construction in sight!
They got used to the money coming in.
One of the advantages is that you can exceed the speed limit to overtake a vehicle for a short period, and then get back into the slow lane.
This system also works to ensure that heavy vans and commercial vehicles have to drive at the lower speed limit.
I have written software for similar speed camera systems. They always have some flex in them.
I set my digital display to average speed and reset it at each camera. This allows me to overtake slow vehicles then go back to the correct average speed before the next camera.
They’re actually really great at managing flow during rush hour, there are quite a few “managed motorways” here in the UK, that combine variable speed limit cameras and variable speed limits that are shown on digital road signs. By reducing the allowed speed and enforcing it automatically it allows for far higher throughput of total cars with far higher efficiency because it eliminates the high speed acceleration and braking
If you get done for speeding, you get points and a fine. If you are speeding but not by very much, you are allowed to go on a speed awareness course. You have to pay but you avoid the points. You get one chance to do the speed awareness course. You are allowed 12 points on your license and then you get disqualified until the points disappear. Points last 3 years and must be reported for insurance for 5 years...
I have held my full UK licence for 4o+ years, and yes its still clean
I've had my licence for 55 years and not a mark on it. You're just a beginner. 😉
I was distraught when I finally had to part with my old paper licence, it was tattered from years of being folded, it was slightly grimy from being lodged in my wallet next to coins, but it was still clean! However, the first licence I had was one of the little red book variety. When I passed my test I waited excitedly for my full licence to appear but when it did, it said I could only drive a "motor mower with a fixed track". What? I told them I'd passed my test in a car so they checked, then stuck a new page in it but I still wonder how fast that mower could have gone. 😁
Nearly 50 years of clean licence, always worry in case I get caught after long distance driving but they say if you haven’t got a letter within a fortnight you’re ok
Average speed cameras are not usually in pairs. They are usually spread over quite a few miles (especially on motorways) and are many in number!
Yes, usually a camera every few 100 yards so the chance of speeding for a section without being caught is minimal. We have some on a nearby dual carriageway with roadworks (they are replacing the centrall barriers over night but it is taking many months and the cameras operate 24/7 regardless), the section leads into a roadabout where you will normally wait a few minutes but you can't rely on that to bring down your average as there are many cameras over a 5 mile stretch.
Watch out guys the new ones are comming they have been rolled out in Devon and Cornwall already infared tech only a single pole with bi directional cams. Also the coppers have mobile ones which can photograph inside the cab so catch you on the phone, eating Not wearing a seat belt etc
At one point there was two stretches of temporary average speed camera's on the road between Dundee & Perth due to roadworks, there were some people who kept to the limit during each stretch of average speed cameras then speed up between the two sets and got caught for speeding due to that.
The fact that you don't have speed cameras AT ALL in your state goes a long way to explaining what seemed like an extremely weird reaction about your privacy being invaded in the last video. We have speed cameras on nearly every main road in the UK and are just used to them. It seems crazy that you don't have them. Re the speedometer being set high, I know that mine is 2 mph over so I'm the person going past him on the average speed checks lol
Even weirder no compulsory breathalyser tests and that cryptic are you drunk tests they do
Its fine if (like me) you have a car with cruise control, with automatic braking and speed reduction and resumption. Not too stressful. But without these, it is bloody stressful as invariably the traffic is dense and often the lanes (through roadworks) are narrow.
As a retired UK Ambulance Paramedic, who undertook the Emergency Driving Course, and had to study the Police Roadcraft Manual plus memorise the entire Highway Code, we were taught about this 10% + 2mph rule as a part of the course, so whilst it isn't on the Statute Books, it has to be an enforcement guideline for the Police for Speeding (indeed the National Police Guidelines outline this), and as there are cars on our roads that are decades old, the rigorous application of enforcement has to take into account older less efficient and accurate speedometers.
Every car I've had with Cruise Control since the 1990's has over estimated the speed of the car when running alongside an independent GPS by 2mph.
There's also a difference in whether a Police Officer or a fixed camera is enforcing the Speed Limit, for example Police Guidelines on Speed Enforcement give a pass to anyone following the 10% + 2mph, so personally I adopt two strategies, I use a 10% - 1mph on roads without any type of camera enforcement, but on roads with Average Speed Cameras, Gatso Speed Cameras, and Variable Motorway Speed Limit Signs (which enforce a Light Matrix Roadside Speed Limit), I adopt the GPS Speed as being the true limit.
So on a 70mph road I'm either driving at an indicated 78mph (actually 76mph according to my GPS), or an indicated 72mph (actually 70mph according to my GPS).
This 10% + 2mph is listed under Fixed Penalty Notice if Education is inappropriate (see section 9.6 of the College of Policing Guidance). As a result of adopting the above two strategies, I have never had a Speeding Ticket, or been pulled over by the Police for Education regarding Vehicle Speed.
library.college.police.uk/docs/appref/ACPO-Speed-Enforcement-Guidance.pdf
My last car had cruise control so I had no problem sticking to the average speed when those camera's were around, generally these types of camera's are used on motorways and the average speed in set at 50mph, and just before the first camera I would activate my cruise control, set it to 50 and just cruise through the distance the camera's are in use
Well all over the UK there are more and more 20mph zones cropping up everywhere,
which is only causing congestion and more pollution and quite frankly its getting harder and harder to put your foot down a little without going up the arse-end of another car doing 20.
They have average speed camera set up on long stretches of highway here in Australia. It not only measures your average speed over a set distance, the camera also checks your vehicle registration to ensure currency. So you can be done for speeding, and driving an unregistered vehicle.
There's a ASOD (Average Speed Over Distance) system between Lostwithiel and St Austell, around St Blazey, that has a one stop shop where you can stop for Costa coffee between the two cameras.
There's a road in the Midlands in he UK that they had to increase the limit reading on the average speed cameras as they were catching too many people and couldn't keep up with the paperwork 😂 went from 62mph to 65mph to be able to get caught 😅
The police are not allowed to conceal (static) speed cameras in the UK. They're painted bright yellow, and there are "You're in a speed camera zone!" signs every 300 yards. No one accidentally gets a ticket from a speed camera in the UK :)
It is amazing how many static cameras seem to be behind trees, or signs? Or the yellow has faded and looks a very pale green?
Something else to mention is there isnt usually just 2 sets of cameras to do this. I make a trip on a route where there are 20+ sets of them. Stops you racing down the road and then parking up for a picnic just before the camera 😂
The Average Speed Cameras are predominantly on motorways for roadworks, reducing the speed from 70mph down to 50mph and they're bright yellow, easy to see.
The city of Coventry uses average speed cameras to keep drivers to 30mph.
I just stick my car in cruise control for the speed and relax.
I do the same with the smart motorway cameras, when they reduce the speed due to traffic congestion.
i have actualy seen a guy in the range rover piggy backing, he got so close to me, that his number plater could not be read, then darted off, to which i assume he will get so close to the car next to the camera, so it cant be read again
About 15 years ago there was a speed camera on the outskirts of a Scottish town that kept flashing at something passing at very high speed but never caught the vehicle; after looking at the regular times they realised that the way the camera was set up it was being triggered by the intercity trains on the adjoining rail track! (And this came from a police publication when i worked as police staff.)
It's quite simple really.
Each set of cameras are either operated by a police force or a safety partnership.
In each police force, they set their own thresholds for camera activations (triggering a camera).
Some are 10%+3 or more, and some are 10%+2. It varies from force area to force area. Most use the plus two rule but some are more lenient.
Changing lanes does not trick the camera - it takes a photograph of your registration, and adds the registration to a database, this is called a "Read" of your plate. Along with this entry a timestamp is added. Bearing in mind the cameras are at KNOWN FIXED points and don't move, they can easily calculate the distance between the cameras. As a result when you pass the second one in the pair and it does the same, they can calculate how long it took you to complete the set distance, giving your average speed.
If your average speed is say 52mph, in a 50 average speed zone, you are almost certain not to be prosecuted. However once you exceed the 10%+2 used by most forces (57 or above) then you are likely to receive a Notice of Intended Prosecution (also known as a NIP) through the post giving you 14 days to nominate the driver of the vehicle at the time. Depending on the recorded speed will then depend on how they deal with it.
Usually it's either one of the following
Speed Awareness course - Costs you typically £100 and takes about 4 hours to complete but you avoid points and a fine. You can only go on one of these however IF they offer it AND you have not been on a speed awareness course within the last 3 years. You can't ask for an awareness course.
FPN - Fixed Penalty Notice - Endorsable.
Used to carry 3 points and £100 fine but now with the recent doubling up it's 6 points and a £200 fine.
Court
If the severity of your speed is so high, for instance 80 mph in a 50 zone, AND/OR you want to contest the charge then you would opt for court. However if you lose you will likely receive more points and a much larger fine.
The people that speed through the average speed cameras usually either don't know how they work, know that they aren't working (because they've sped through them before and not received any NIP), or it's not their car. Quite often you'll see a lorry on foreign plates speeding through it and often tailgating you as you stick to the limit, this is because by being a foreign registered vehicle they can't locate the person/company that owns the vehicle as easily as the information is not held by the DVLA, because the vehicle is registered overseas where different laws apply.
It’s hard not to suspect that speed cameras are primarily to collect revenue rather that preventing speeding in some places….
I have a speed limit setting on the steering column of my car, so I can't speed unless I actively override the limiter. That, plus a dashcam that constantly records my speed makes me more or less immune from speed traps. I drove past a cop with a radar gun standing by the side of a 30 mph road a few days ago. I barely gave him a glance as I cruised smugly by.
I was also told on my one and only "speed awareness course" (pay fine, do course, avoid points scam) that only around 20% of speed cameras (not sure if that applies to average speed cameras) are working at any one time. He said that if all cameras were working all the time, the government knew that most of the nations drivers would be on a ban well within a year. You pass 4 speed camera in a single day and you are looking at 12 points! Oh, also, one guy on my course had over 20 points on his licence - but "necessity" meant he was not banned! Also, never owned a car with a speed limiter or cruise control (except US hire cars).
There is around 87 average speed cameras between Thurso and Glasgow
Add in the ones on the A77 and other roads further south of the central belt and you’ve probably got 200 🤣🤣
I live a mile away from a long section of 50mph average speed checks on a major A road and it switches to 30mph with a set of traffic lights.. with additional average speed cameras checks on the start and end of the 30mph section and red light/speed cameras on the lights
Years ago we had a speed camera in our village. It was constantly going wrong - it took photos of bicycles, joggers and on one notable occasion a squirrel, none of which were travelling at over 30 mph. It was removed, never to return😄
Depending where you are in the UK, we get 10% plus 2 so if it is a speed limit of 50, you can travel at 57mph
Just come to Victoria Australia. We now have cameras that detect if or not you are wearing a seatbelt or if you are on your mobile phone. Just say Cheese every hundred meters or so.😊
You CAN go faster than the Average speed limit for a short time as long as you also go under the limit for a time before you get within range of the next camera to “average out” the clocked speed. Nearly all cars in the U.K. do have cruise control unless they’re a cheaper “base” model or just a much older car so using it is the way to go. Having said that so many drivers in the U.K. never use it due to short journeys or don’t even know about it and the dashboards of new cars are so brimming with Tech that many people don’t even try to access it.
Exactly so, I have cruise control on a Honda but can’t figure it out or get it working plus it’s in the right side of the steering wheel and I’m left handed. Not risking taking my eyes off the road to try to set it, too many eejits around
@@cgillman2744 Have a look at your handbook while parked at home and you can work it out; if I can, anyone can !
After you’ve done it three or four times it becomes second nature even with the ‘wrong’ hand !
My GPS unit in my last but one car had a speed camera function - it was updated on a monthly (or so) basis and told me around 2 miles or so that speed cameras were in operation ahead. Saved my butt on many occasions! Well worth the extra cost for the software as its paid for itself many times over.
South Africa has Average speed cameras spread 20-40 kilometres apart, which means you need to check yourself distances at a time. What I do is to reset my cars Average speed counter on the Dash as soon as I pass Camera A. As I drive along, I can see the average speed until I reach Camera B, where I reset the counter again for the next section. This means that I can manage my average speed fairly accurately
Same in the Netherlands: maximum speed cameras, average speed cameras and of course traffic light cameras as well. In addition it is illegal to tamper in anyway with the license plate (for instance make it unreadable)
We have lots in Belgium! But after the sign it’s hard to make up if you can do 50km/h or 70, because they lose the speed signs, and make it 50km/h road of what was a 70km/h.
I live in Australia so I am used to traveling long distances, it is so easy to lose track of what speed you're doing and there have been times, before cruise control was standard, where I would either slow down to 10 or more kph or vice versa 10 or more kph over the limit, either way it was potentially dangerous. With cruise control in most cars these days that's no longer an issue for me.
We've had them in the UK for the last 30 years . We only got electricity and running water in Scotland in 2017. So , I'm not sure when we'll get them up here.
The major advantage of average speed cameras is it avoids the traffic bunching due to known instant speed camera locations - where everyone drops from 90mph to 70mph just before the camera locations.
Regarding the points - it's calibrated to specific threshold levels, based on the road, vehicle type, and if you have a clean license, so if you are just over the limit you might get a fine, if you are way over fine and points, if you have a clean record you might get the option of gong to speed awareness lectures.
However if you really put the pedal to the metal you can win a short break from driving 1 week - 3 months, extra points, losing your license for up to four years, and having to retake your test, you might even qualify for the star prize of up 14 years vacation at a resort of the states choice.
there can be more than two cameras depends on the location also we have some on slow 30mph roads but ones on A470 it's a 50mph Zone on the dual carriageway now. Also they may not necessarily all be linked/paired up so if you speed you could get two fines it's £100 plus three points actually so you will have points on your license
These are not the only speed cameras we have. The big yellow box ones are common and they have white markings on the road and will flash if you go over the speed limit. Again there are usually road signs with a camera on to indicate there is one around which there are loads in my area. As well as cameras sometimes you get speed bumps on the road which are there to slow down or prevent speeding especially in built up areas.
You can use you license in one Journey . For example if you speed past the first set of two iand get a ticket and 3 points. if you do this 4 times on the same strech of road you can accumulate 12 points and lose you license
i was once caught doing 58mph in a temporary 50mph zone, those saying you don't het points on your license for speeding in an average speed camera zone are 100% wrong, for me I was lucky as my speed was in the was he, wasn't he zone, if i was doing 2mph more i'd have had points and a fine, but i was offered to go on a speed awareness course that still cost me 110 pounds (this was in 2011), you will get points if caught in the excessive speed range, speeding is speeding no matter where you do it
Here in the Netherlands there's at least one average speed check stretch of road with a gas station. Every time I'm on that road there's always a couple of cars overtaking a high speed. Then a bit later you'll see them parked at the gas station, probably with a drink and a sandwich. And near the end they overtake you again.
So, basically speed all you want, just make a pitstop to compensate and you're fine.
OK, so this video is part right, in SPECS1 the cameras were in pairs, they operate with an entry and exit camera. We are on SPECS3 now where every camera is an entry exit camera, so it only requires any 2 cameras on the system to capture your plate. This means you could change lanes pass behind vehicles etc, but every camera knows the exact distance to every other camera. Also the police force jurisdiction sets the "limit" so if they get lots of people travelling over the limit meaning they can't respond fast enough to all the caught drivers they can up the limit to reduce the number of people caught to a manageable level, they can also lower the limit to up the fines issued. The general rule is 10%+2mph over the limit, but this may not be the case on many roads.
A31 to A3 in Surrey across the Hogs Back was needed as so many people killed speeding. 60Mph into a 50Mph average speed zone now.
There is a 140 mile stretch of cameras on the A9 between Dunblane and Inverness. Most stretches are between junctions or sections of dual carriageway, so that they monitor stretches that are the same speed limit. At the end of dual, you'll see a camera, and another either before the next bit of dual, or before the next junction. People have worked out that dual sections don't come under average cameras, so police have started using mobile cameras again there. If there is a camera on a dual section, there will be another camera on the same stretch, so mind your speed.
A speeding ticket is usually £100 fine and 3 points; 12 points means disqualification. 25mph or more above the limit isn't speeding, but dangerous driving, which is an automatic ban.....
To comment on some of your statements. In the UK there are various speed cameras the classic is the Gatso designed by a rally driver and is a fixed camera on a post that uses radar but is less accurate if there is a big angle to it. The average speed cameras are SPECS and started life looking like a camera with 2 Gatling guns(these are the ir LEDs). There are others that use a variety of laser and even pipes across the road to trigger the timers. As far as fines and points go they start issuing fines from 1mph over to 10%+2mph over which is all dependent on the police force operating the speed trap. Also if there is a fine there will be penalty points which depend on the speed. You can be offered a speed awareness course in some cases at avoid the points and fine but this has a cost too the speeder almost as much as the fine and generally is only offered once.
Hi Steve, generally good video. One thing it didn’t cover was “speed awareness “ courses. These are offered in the U.K. to offenders instead of having points on their licence and possibly losing it. But it has strict offer criteria. I did one about about 8 years ago and found it very interesting and helpful, normally run by semi-retired or retired police officers.
But they have to be careful who they are offered to. I sat next to a lady in her 60’s who lived in a village with 30mph and then recently introduced 20mph limits. She was caught doing 35mph when she shouldn’t have been. The course shows absolutely no graphic images, but did show some computer simulations of real major accidents resulting in loss of life on some U.K. Motorways (Highways) caused by speeding. Another advantage of our closely camera monitored Motorways is that after the accident the police can piece together the sequences of an accident in great detail.
Unfortunately the lady was completely traumatised by it, I didn’t think it helped her.
But for me, I learnt that the police call the lanes on a 3 lane motorway simply Lanes, 1,2 and 3. Up until then I thought 3 lane was called the Fast German Car Lane for smug people like me. So at least I learnt something.
Speed Awareness courses are not offered across the UK there is no such program in Scotland. Which is why when I was offered a course after being caught speeding I had to drive over a 100 miles to Carlisle to attend my nearest course.
We also have ANPR cameras on roads and in police cars, it checks all car's and in milli seconds will know if you have insurance, tax, MOT, it knows if the registered owner has a driving ban, if it detects any of these things it will alert the police. If your car is stolen they can enter your registration on the system and track it wherever. Known drug dealers are tracked also.
My hubby got caught by a hand held speed gun hidden on a bridge doing 34 in a 30 zone. He had the option to pay for & attend a speed awareness course or to have points on his licence and pay a fine. The cost was the same
Here in uk we use a system where they can be a discrepancy in speed between different vehicles so they allow a 10% plus 2mph in most plays so a 50mph limit would 10% of that which is 5 then another 2mph so would be 57 in a 50 with avarage speed camaras if you go through the first camara 10mph above speed limit you need to be 10mph under the speed limit by the second camara then your avarage speed works out at the limit.
The other thing with them is that you can speed up briefly to say overtake a tractor on single lane road (60 limit) and be doing 70 in the overtake as long as you ease off a bit and get your average under the threshold.....
Legally there is no set threshold at what speed above the limit you can be fined, but the 10%+2 rule is "guidance" and is implemented by many police forces... Although not all allow the +2 or might only allow it at certain speeds.....
And yes you get 3 points on your licence if you get caught. They last for 2 years and if you accumulate 12 you get a driving ban (6-12. Months typically)
However for a first offence depending on how much you were over you can avoid points by going on a driver training course for a day
I of you’re caught speeding you have choice of points on your license + fine or attend a half day sort of spêeder’s rehab, which is actually quite interesting.
Never been fined via speed cameras, average or otherwise, and have been driving for 16 years. I have been fined once by an officer with a speed gun though - many years ago! 🙈🙈
Depending on where you live and your laws that are in place, there's quite few in Australia. The speed varience here depending on the state is about 2 - 4 mph are your maximums over the posted speed limits
You get points on your licence for any speeding offence in the uk but if you havnt been caught speeding in a 3 year period and below a certain percentage over that speed you may get offered a speed awareness course, the other thing is they have recently changed the fines for speeding which is salary related also the camera's go off at 10% +2
The 10% + 2 is a discretionary allowance. Not all police forces apply it, or apply something different.
They work for sure, however I feel like you spend more time watching the Speedo then the road. 🏎️
Yep, and we have "smart motorways" where the speed limits can vary, and the cameras work with those changes. In my experience, most drivers will set their cruise control at 10% over the speed limit as they know this is "safe" due to the manufacturer tolerances. The 10%+2 rule varies from county to county so using this as a rule isn't sensible! All new cars now in the EU also have to alert the driver they are speeding, so when you do exceed the limit, you will get dashboard notifications! I actually find this really helpful, as you don't always see the changes in the limits.
In general odometer’s are calibrated to indicate you are driving a little slower than indicated on dashboard.
But as a rule I think tickets get issued when you go 10% plus 3 mph over limit
We do get points on our licence
Hi Steve, I once got a call from someone who decided on issuing tickets generated by cameras. He said" Mr W* I found you through the vehicle database, I have a set of pictures here of you standing by the open door of your car removing something from your windshield whllst doing 48mph. Obviously something has gone wrong but can you remember any thing about the incident". I could, it was extremely windy and I stopped at a queue for traffic lights and got out to remove broken twigs from the glass. The camera just back up the road was flashing away at a line of stopped cars. I told him that I passed that camera from time to time and had noticed it flashing with nothing in front of it. He thanked me and said he'd get the camera checked. Next time I went that way I got out and had a look around, just in front of the camera their was a bus stop sign It was just a metal plate nailed to an electricity pole, it was loose and swinging in the breeze. A friend in the Police force had told me that the cameras were spooked by any moving metal in the vicinity of the radar gun. Sure enough the next time I passed the camera had been moved to a different spot! They have been know to flash electric milk floats and the gully emptying machines. Always insist on seeing the picture you might be surprised to see what sets off the static cameras.
The law is strict, cameras everywhere! Got caught overtaking a bicycle for their safety. 30mph zone. I got caught at 34mph ( 1mph over my 10% allowance) 1st offence in 38yrs. Either a fine & points or 1 day driver awareness course or represent myself in court. I opted for the course to keep a clean licence. Points = higher insurance that is mandatory.
It's also an offence to obscure your registration plate. If you bumped into a police officer with an ANPR camera on board their vehicle they'd spot it and you'd most likely be pulled over and get in trouble for it.
On some long sections there is not just two cameras, there are ten or more, plus junction exits and entry points.
The amount over the limit you can be before getting a ticket varies from force to force.
ALL speeding offences come with a minimum of 3 points on your licence, tot up 12 points and its a driving ban.