“Always eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you” – one of the lesser-known quotes from the George Orwell novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, in which ‘Big Brother’ is always watching. Despite being seventy years old this year, the whole “Big Brother is watching you” has never been apter, with the number of speed cameras dotted around.
A raft of new speed cameras introduced in the south-west has the ability to monitor your speed, check your seatbelt, detect mobile phone usage or see whether you’re eating, smoking or drinking, and it could lead to prosecution. These new cameras have been nicknamed ‘The Yellow Vultures’.
While we’re used to seeing average speed check cameras throughout various locations, these new cameras are the next generation, they use infrared tech and high-definition, which means that day or night, they have the ability to catch you unawares.
The legality
While smoking, eating or drinking while driving isn’t actually illegal (currently), there is an argument for distracted driving; a study by Leeds University found that motorists consuming food while driving were on average, 44% slower than usual. But if you were found to be speeding while distracted, you could face a charge of careless driving, along with the speeding conviction.
One further point is that these new breed of cameras are much more accurate, which in theory, means that when we reported back in August that Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, Britain’s Road Policing Chief wanted to fine motorists for breaching the speed limit by just 1mph, he may just get his way.
Currently, the National Police Chiefs Council guidelines recommend a 10+2 limit, that is 10% over, plus 2mph – 35mph in a thirty limit, 57mph in a fifty and so on, but that really is only a courtesy, set in the days where speedo accuracy wasn’t top of the list for the manufacturer; most speedometers were set from the factory to under-read by around 5% purely for this reason.
It’s also worth pointing out that the old ‘lane change’ trick won’t work either – gone are the days that you could confuse an average speed check camera by swapping lanes, or by riding a motorcycle with only a rear-facing number plate. The yellow vultures are capable of spotting every indiscretion, committed by any vehicle.
Spotting the cameras
At the moment, the new breed of super-camera only has limited geography – based in the south-west on the Gdynia Way heading into Plymouth and the A38 at Haldon Hill, but if proven successful you can almost guarantee that they’ll be rolled out nationwide.
The camera unit itself is similar enough to existing average speed cameras, but the tell-tale is that they’ll be preceded by a bank of LED equipment and sensors 20 metres before the first camera, even so, you’ll need sharp eyesight to know when you’re entering a zone.
The reality is that the cameras are there for speeding, and while they’re technically capable of spotting things like missing seatbelts, eating and smoking, it’s unlikely to lead to prosecution unless you commit an act of careless driving due to it. However, they’re also capable of spotting mobile phone usage, and that can only be a good thing.
What seems to be an unknown is whether the cameras are constantly scanning for illegal or dangerous driving, or whether they only activate due to speeding.
Avoidance
From what we understand, it seems a genuine effort to place the emphasis on safety first rather than raise revenue, but this could just be the tip of the iceberg, the trial run before understanding just what the real-world capabilities are.
As we reported last week, slow doesn’t necessarily mean safe, but it seems that on the whole, anti-speeding measures are generally accepted, where appropriate. As to whether a fine for eating a sandwich on the go, or staying caffeinated would be quite so well received remains to be seen.
It would seem that since ‘speed’ cameras were overtaken by ‘safety’ cameras (meaning fewer locations), the battle has been on to justify further camera usage, perhaps in a bid to minimise loss of revenue, or it could just be that the UK is in need of safety education when it comes to driving?
Driving within the speed limit is clearly the best way to avoid prosecution, and perhaps you’ll be doing your digestive system good by not having a three-course meal ‘on the go’, but then perhaps you should be allowed to choose for yourself.
One of our partners, Drivesmart, has a speed camera detector which they’ve given PetrolPrices members an exclusive 28% off, bringing the price down to £129.99. The Drivesmart Alpha has been developed by experts in the speed camera detection business, having brought out their first detector over 10 years ago when they were the first pioneers to offer free database updates. You can buy that here.
What do you think of the new breed of safety camera? Is it too much? Let us know in the comments.
Not before time for mobile phone usage. The number of times drivers have been seen to be using phone is getting ridiculous and very dangerous
Complete disregard of the law whilst driving and using the phone is a joke, so many innocent people have died due to these idiots
Mobile Phone or SmartPhone? Holding a mobile phone to the ear and talking I agree is stupid. Smartphones perform a lot more tasks that are useful to drivers. If your car as Airplay for example, your Smartphone suddenly becomes you SatNav. I know this because I rented a car with Airplay and as soon as I plugged in the SatNav started to work. This was useful. My iPhone has a facility to ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’. Thank you Apple for thinking of my safety.
But this now leads to other questions that the Authorities don’t want to think about.
We live in a world where punctuality and performance in your employments is an absolute. Apologise for being late too often and your chances of retaining employment start to dwindle.
My son is a Multi-drop delivery driver. He is already overloaded and so cannot take a break during the day and eats when he can: often whilst driving between drops. He HAS to take a telephone calls when customers change their delivery whilst he is en-route.
If he doesn’t meet the quota of drops issued to him by his employer he is reprimanded and warned. He has already received a written warning for not meeting quota. So his employment is in jeopardy. Is he to become just another statistic of modern world driving?
The do-gooders want they cake and to eat it. They don’t live in the real world where the pressure to perform is paramount. They sit in their ivory towers and prevaricate at what is best for the rest of us lowly mortals who sin daily.
Perhaps one of these people could spend a week with my son and have their employment threatened for not meeting target. I suspect they would soon start to think differently about UK roads and re-evaluate their thinking. As should we all. We all complain about white van man. Sit with my son for a day and see what he thinks about all the other car drivers on the road that cause him to face discipline from his employers.
Doesn’t matter what type of phone it is, simple solution is to pull over. I work for a gas emergency company and we have targets to meet. Kill someone vs not kill someone, I wouldn’t fancy prison thanks
I sympathise with the situation your son is in . The employer should be prevented from causing this situation . Neither he nor you can do anything alone but you should be able to make your MP aware that this corporate irresponsibility leads to accidents and unnecessary stress on employees
Then his employer is guilty. They surely cannot insist on callabeing taken on the move.
More than once I’ve been behind a driver at a junction (usually a young lady, sorry to say) who has their phone in a cradle high on the dashboard, and they’ve been Skyping or FaceTiming their boyfriend/mates or whoever. Not for one moment suggesting that anyone on here does that, may I add.
it seems to me young females cant drive unless they’re on their phone. But then they can’t drive period.
Do you know that there are more accidents caused by male drivers than female drivers. There are good and bad drivers on the road, I have held my license for 60 years and not had one accident, done many many miles in that time, and still hold a clean license.
No excuse for breaking the law, none at all. Sounds like your sons employer may also be breaking the law.
Whenever I was asked to do as your son by my employer. I would ask for the demand to be written on company headed paper. Which I informed my depot manager would be passed on to the local Ministry of Transport official for a ruling.
I tried that and got the sack.
My company has a very strict policy on phones in cars. We aren’t to use them. Even hands free. If we call someone and they’re driving we have to terminate the call. Safety is paramount.
Name and shame the employer. Is there a union involved ?
The problem is with your son’s employers. Not the police. Not the do-gooders.
We want to be able to go about our business without getting killed by some distracted driver. Your son needs to think seriously about his employers and his job. Is it more important than peoples lives ?
All very good reasons for your son keeping his job but an excuse for the people he might injure or kill while taking his eyes off the road? I think not. Only last year a young man near me was killed when his car broke down, by a lorry driver texting on his phone. Oh well, what are a few devastated families as long as your son doesn’t lose his job 🙄 He might even lose his own life.
The employers are the ones at fault here. Question is, would this persons son drive while eating and using a phone if he didn’t ‘have’ to??!
Ive done that job, the pressure from the top is not good, it’s all about meeting their qoutas, half of the managers have never driven in their lives, i feel for him.
Why don’t such drivers use hands-free kits? They won’t be breaking the law then.
Your son should speak to his union rep. No meal break No hands free in his van. These are just two reasons the company have breached their own health & Safety rules.
The majority of these delivery drivers are considered to be self-employedbby the ’employer’ and are paid pennies for each delivery, hence no meal breaks, ridiculous quotas etc
Better to leave a job than be forced to take the bus after being fined and possibly banned.
How many? Where are you getting your information?
https://metro.co.uk/2017/09/28/mobile-phone-drivers-killed-one-person-every-10-days-last-year-6963209/
35 deaths directly attributable to phone use in 2016, as recorded by the DoT (from police statistics). Hope this helps.
Although it’s absolutely fine to use a walkie talkie or a CB radio microphone for some reason….
And that includes emergency services. And the argument that they are highly trained doesn’t change that occasionally/rarely an emergency service vehicle hits other vehicles or pedestrians.
I believe there should be a higher training standard available for all drivers and that should they commit to a yearly 1 day training with testing they should be able to mimic some of the actions allowed for blue light vehicles such as going over the speed limit on clear roads.
I know a two-tier system isn’t ideal and maybe not practicable but it would guarantee a larger amount of highly trained drivers that care enough to attend a one day course every year to renew their knowledge and re-prove their skills for the privilege of a few perks. This in contrast to passing a driving test and having no follow up until a person reaches approximately retirement age or a doctor advises them to inform the DVLA of medical or eye issues that may prevent them from driving.
Off topic – I think it would also be a nice option to copy the US where they can go through a red light only if they are turning onto a side road on the same side they are driving (not crossing traffic).
If drivers were interested in safety, they would enrol for very cost effective training with R ospa or the IAM RoadSafe. Again, this takes commitment, which is sadly lacking in society these days.
ROSPA…………….Are you having laugh. These idiots don’t even understand the basics of safe driving.
‘We would rather you observe than indicate’ and ‘There is nothing illegal about overtaking by the left’
are two examples from the business driver training course they presented.
You must be joking!!!!!!!
True, it goes to show how incompetent the people are who write the laws are. The same can be said for allowing cyclists and pedestrians near or crossing a road to be able to legally continue to use their phone. 100% attention is needed in all cases.
It would be better if you had posted photographs of the cameras and LED sensors so we know what to look out for. I’m just glad that my latest car has a speed limiter and cruise control so it is less likely that I will be exceeding the speed limit, and I don’t use my phone while driving, but who knows what other offences they will come up with that will carry fines and points on licences.
Probably talking to your passengers next!
Again any distraction can cause an incident, including passengers, I believe I read on here a few months ago that they we thinking of adding such a pretext to the law that constitutes dangerous driving or not driving with due care and attention.
I wish someone who is super rich goes and buys the patents for all speed camera technology and either make it far too expensive to produce speed cameras or block the use of the technology.
We all know the truth it’s all about the money. It’s an easy money maker. What are they going to do when the cash cows are self driving and won’t be exceeding the limits. That’s when they try and tax the air you breathe.
How dare they challenge my right to drive dangerously right! Wah, Wah. Wah!
I hope the Wah! Wah! Wah! is the police siren pulling you over for being a d***head
Bless you and your wishes.
The sooner the self driving cars come the better – then entitled idiots like you will be off the road.
Waaah waah waaah – I can’t even speed or use my phone on the road. I’m so much better than the laws.
“Anthony Bangham, Britain’s Road Policing Chief wanted to fine motorists for breaching the speed limit by just 1mph” – No he didn’t.
He wanted to reduce the point at which you went from getting a speed awareness course to points to get rid of the buffer.
In a 30, for example, the buffer is 5mph (10% + 2mph). So you can drive at up to 35 and you won’t be prosecuted for speeding even though you obviously are. His argument was that a lot of people don’t use 35 as a buffer, they use it as their new “normal” speed for a 30.
This is already not the case. I was caught doing 35 in a 30, and attended a speed awareness course where all the other drivers were doing UP TO 35 in a 30. Be warned. This was in Bucks.
Yes, me to. A heinous crime of letting my vehicle reach 35 down Marlow Hill before slowing it back down to 28. 3 points and £100 because my last speed awareness course was 2 years and 11 months previously. Fair enough I broke the law. I now drive at 28 around High Wycombe which must really upset other road users. Maybe they should concentrate on people jumping traffic lights.
The 10% +2 is only a guideline. If the takings are down, (sorry, I mean, if they feel that the roads need a bit of extra “safety”), they can choose to ignore it
same here, course was interesting, god bless TVP traffic unit
Maybe create a camera that can detect the idiots who sit in the middle lane for 10 miles as they have no idea how to drive?
… especially at 2.00 a.m.!
And even worse, lane 3 or 4 on an almost empty road, “I’m going fast so I must be in the fast lane”.
The only thing that should be going fast in lane 3 of an empty Motorway is the drivers licence.
But unless you are speeding and they are at the speed limit – why are you bothered?
How about because everyone should be driving within the law and road traffic regulations. In this case then we drive on the left and only use lane 2 3 or 4 etc to overtake a slower vehicle, then move back left again. Simples.
Yes. It’s a real pain having to move across 3 (or more lanes) and then back again to overtake a driver who is unaware of (or selfishly ignoring) the highway code. Unless they’re in lane 2 I tend to just carry on in lane 1 as technically it is not illegal to undertake and it’s probably safer than swinging across multiple lanes.
I went on a coaching holiday the coach driver stuck to 100kl per hour undertaking where necessary. He is not allowed 3rd lane. He had to get to a ferry on time and to follow a individual until he realised there was a coach behind and perhaps mover would prevent that
That’s true bobl, I use to be a full time coach driver and have done exactly that. Another reason for it is that when you go to overtake in lane 2 or 3 (on a motorway of 4 plus lanes) the driver hogging the middle lane or any lane usually speeds up preventing you to overtake and then you are stuck yourself hogging the lane hence holding up traffic. The fact is that the near side lane (lane 1) I find to be a lane that’s less populated and practically empty…
While I can totally agree with your point on safety, legally you have committed an offence. In law its referred to as ‘overtake by the left’. ‘Undertaking’ is just a lay term.
Accoding to the Highway Code, if traffic is travelling in lanes and the traffic in the lane to your right is slower you can overtake on the left.
If i remember correctly, as long as you yourself don’t exceed the speed limit while passing the “twat” in the middle lane, then you are not “undertaking” as it is called.
When you get idiots who are oblivious to everything and trundle along in the middle lane do they know the highway code at all???? Please middle lane huggers your going to cause an accident lane 1 please
If people drove properly, overtaking without speeding would be virtually impossible. Allowable speed range when nothing was obstructing you, in my driving test was -3 to +0 of posted speed limit. Exceeding the limit was an instant fail driving slower for a sustained period resulted in points being deducted.
xxx
It’s a speed limit not target. Sometimes its better to go slower, save fuel and wear on the car rather than have an extra 15 minutes in a travel inn. Driving at lower speeds when in the correct lane shouldn’t be a problem. On single lane roads it might be more relevant but with different speed limits based on vehicle type driving at 60 will only mean you catch the next queue sooner.
they’ll will soon find something to fine you for. money not safety
All cars have slightly differing views of what 70 mph looks like. I use cruise control and often find myself catching up with people in the outside lanes going slower.
The point is well made though…..these are overtaking lanes not cruising lanes. If nothing else its rude to hog them.
Idiot they cause such disruption to the flow of motorway traffic you would have to be that incompetent driver that sits in the middle lane to leave a response like that 🤦♂️
YAWNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Because they are ignoring the first rule of the road – we drive on the LEFT, and they are obviously not paying attention to their driving – which is an offence of itself.
It became an offence to stay in the middle or outer lanes unless overtaking last year.
No point in having laws if there is no enforcement – when did you last see a traffic cop – certainly not to stop someone centre lane hogging or a truck in the middle lane trying to do 60mph or far too close to the vehicle in front to be able to stop in an emergency.
Humberside police followed a car driving in the middle lane of the M62 near Howden East Yorks when the nearside lane was empty, the car was followed for 4miles before being pulled over and reported for careless driving, that was only last week.
And how many have been prosecuted?
It has always been an offence to obstruct a highway in this fashion, be it either a motorway or dual carriageway
It have actually always been an offence as pointed out by Roger.
he’s got nowt better to do, hee hee
Tom Covenent moron!
Only an incompetent person would make such a comment.
I know your kind. If you were minister for transport you’d have us all driving to YOUR ability. Which is clearly sub standard!
There are many that drive under the speed limit in outer lanes, which causes frustration with people driving at the speed limit and can’t pass.
Because it’s the law and carries a £100 fine currently.
These people are inevitably incompetent drivers in any other number of ways. Not only disregarding road rules, but generally unaware of other traffic around them. They should lose their licences.
Because what happens Tom Covenant is that someone who is speeding comes along and finds the 3rd lane blocked so he switches to the middle lane, still at speed, just as a car pulls out to overtake a lorry in the slow lane and the result is a fleet of Ambulances and a closed motorway!
Tom Covenant, are you referring to good, safe, intelligent driving, or selfish, blinkered, always drive at the ‘lawful’ speed limit, even when it may be inappropriately fast – like 30 in a 30 even when there’s ‘kids and all sorts going on’, never had an accident in me life (but caused and left dozens behind me’ kinda drivers??
No such think as fast lanes. Theirs lane one, then overtaking lanes.
idiot!
Certainly not going to be disagreeing with you in principle, but, the outside right lane, commonly known as the ‘Fast Lane’, is in fact the overtaking lane and is only supposed to be used as such. So when you have finished overtaking, your obligation is to move to the left, into the ‘Fast Lane’. We all know that with traffic volumes these days that is mostly impossible, but it does actually make you realise that the sanctimonious unmentionables, who wish to control everyone else’s speed, by breaking the law and not moving to the left (normally whilst breaking the speed limit themselves, but only by what they themselves consider to be a ‘reasonable’ degree) are actually not only worse than first thought, but are also breaking the law.
If they are doing the speed limit – why do you need them out of your way?
Are you Bryn from Gavin & Stacey? You know that sanctimonious boring pedantic chap that stuck fast in lane 3 and wouldn’t keep left as he was ‘fully at the speed limit’ (that line said in a thin nasal voice). Truth be known some of us do 75mph so as we can have a speed differential and more safety space – rather than be door handle to door handle with automatons saying ‘i’m fully at the speed limit and i’m not moving’ in their head, over and over again. Best get away from such types usually… But please, meantime, just obey the Highway Code and keep left – there’s a good chap.
you obey the laws p**t and do 70 not 75mph Bloody Clever s***e
We drive on the left…
Why are you so obsessed with the speed limit. As a rule, I will stay well within the 10% +2 rule, mainly to balance getting where I want whilst getting reasonable fuel economy
Because it’s THE rule of the road: Highway Code rule 160 “…keep to the left, unless road signs or markings indicate otherwise.” It’s your job to obey the law and drive with courtesy. You are not the police and should avoid obstructing other traffic BY KEEPING TO THE LEFT!!
They are breaking the law see my earlier reply
Ah, so its YOU who sits in the outside lane doing 68 MPH and holding everyone up because your speedo tells you that you’re doing 70?!
Usually VOSA Highway wardens driving 68mph
Ahh so it’s YOU who follows behind slow moving traffic in the right hand lane, observing the mythical ‘careless driving” offence?
“IF” they are doing the speed limit; there’s your argument deflate right there in 2 letters.
The law prohibits not moving back to the left side of the carrriageway when free. Drivers who fail to do this are breaking the law. Drivers who break the law should be prosecuted. OK?
There is a law against tailgating as well. Noone ever there to enforce it!——— End of!
I seem to remember a decade or so ago, I think it was inYorkshire, the police prosecuted somebody for driving at 70 in the 3rd lane because a huge queue had built up behind him and their comment was that he had no right to try and police the motorway and if drivers wanted to break the law that was their problem and not his.
this where people do not or ever will update read the highway code, yes in principle the driver you refer too as your example should be prosecuted, but not for doing the prescribed speed limit but for obstructing the highway, especially if lanes 1 and 2 are clear where in that case should have switched lanes, and no police officer would willfully say breaking the law is satisfactory. so where you heard this happening was hearsay and has no basis in reality, because if I was pulled in the same circumstances and unable to switch lanes due to lane congestion and sticking to the speed limit no prosecution would be issued under these circumstances, other than the disciplinary that officer would have faced, in forcing said prosecution which would have been laughed out of court.
Just wish people lived in reality and not in the dream world of hearsay, The only people complaining about speed cameras and safety cameras are the excessive speeders that are being caught BREAKING THE LAW. As a further example how the theory test is a good tool is that a question asked on this subject, example you are travelling at the prescribed speed on a road, the car behind you is tailgating flashing lights and making at total a**e of his/herself, A. do you speed up B. make rude hand gestures in your rear view mirror. C If safe to do so and the road markings permit gradually slow down move as far left as safe to do so, and let the dingbat over take at excessive speed.
Bet you can guess the answer common sense right.
Tom Covenant – are you not aware that different classes of vehicles have different speed limits ? Something tells me that you are one of those clowns who are actually a big part of the problem.
I f you driving within the speed limit then you must be driving too slow as the speed limit is 70mph, but then maybe you are one of those drivers always complains about other peoples driving but never think about your own standard of driving which I am sure is well below par. Do you drive a BMW or Audi?
Did you know that BMW, Audi, Jaguar and Land Rover are going to put indicators on the options list because drivers of these cars never use them as standard?
K Woodward why are you driving too slow if you are driving within the speed limit,I usually drive 2 mph less than the limit eg 30mph drive at 28 70 mph I drive at 65 to 68 just because the motor way limit is 70 it does not mean you have to do that
I am sorry if the following offends but I do feel strongly about this matter.
Do you work for the authority? Who gave you the right to tell others what to do? If I choose to go 5% faster than the speed limit or faster to take over knowing I will slow down once I compleat the manoeuvre why should it matter to you?
If you want to be a police officer go get the training and apply for a job, at that point I might be willing to listen to you and tolerate your condescending attitude.
You do know that the speed limits were developed in 1950 when cars just were not sophisticated. We can now break and stop in 1/5 or less the breaking distance. Cars can handle much better than old cars.
o In summary, the rules on the road are outdated.
o cars can handle situations 500 x better.
o If I need to pass traffic and do it safely, that’s my F£$king business.
Who the f$%k gave you the right to tell me what to do? Mind your own business and let others do what they need to do.
PS – I have been driving for over 30 years. Never been caught speeding in that period until very recently on a dual carriageway were the repeater speed limits were badly signposted. I moved from driving on a 40mph road down to a 30mph road on a road that did not have any defining differences between the two road speed limits. I got caught doing 37mph (as I thought it was a 40mph road). My car showed 40mph and I guess my speedo was off by 3mph luckily as the fine, would have been higher with the new UK bands.
Yes, I wrote a letter and explained to the police but they said sorry we understand but have to follow the law and can not make any exceptions even though we feel you may have a case. You can take it to court but you will have to pay to do so. It’s an expensive process so I decided to swallow the s**t and purchased a rader detector and speed camera auto root on my iPhone as it was money better spent.
The law is an A** and you are compounding the s**t with your DIY policing.
STOP THAT S**T NOW!
As you rightly say, cars can handle situations much better now than 60+years ago but that doesn’t mean that specific individual drivers can – hence speed limits
I always like to pre-guesse the gender, age or apparent place of origin of such drivers. Not often wrong. Although they are frustrating, it does give you satisfaction that you have guessed correctly.
Oh a thumbs down! am I allowed to guess which of the three groups you belong? – lighten up! I’m in the middle one myself..
I love driving in the middle lane , and I’m not an idiot , idiots are the ones who drive like a mad person when it’s raining and dark
Good grief……….
YOU are the idiot who loves to drive in the middle lane.
All I can say is that you do not deserve a driving licence(if indeed you have one), if you adopt that attitude.
I managed 60 miles in the outside lane before moving back to the inside, going to break my record this summer and try to get to get to 100 miles.
If I come up behind you I’ll pass you on the left.
Spot on Gaz
Right on. I do the m25/m40 drive regularly. Absolute nutters. Where’s the law when you need it…
If it tackles phone use then that’s good but if forces dispense with 10+2 guideline it will be unreasonable. I travel the M25 smart (ha ha) motorway. The speed limit signs change up and down inexplicably. In response most of the traffic generally ignores them. As a result it is then very dangerous to drive at the limit. There has to be common sense, fat chance!
Motorist are just use to generate money,perhaps we wouldn’t complain if all other crimes were treated with zero tolerance and criminals were presumed guilty
Correct, let’s milk the driver for every penny whilst the rest of the country collapses in unbounded near anarchy – stabbings, burglary, mugging etc etc etc.
Very good point, Glenn. A comparison of death by stabbing figures in the London area alone against countrywide death by distracted driving would put this in perspective and give evidence of the true motivations.
Problem is drivers are in control of 2 ton plus devastation machines, one slight mishap, one misjudgment could not only cause problems not only to the possible multiple victims if an incident arises, but how about the drivers legacy, after the fact, the remorse for the families that maybe affected, to count less other that may have suffered disruptions to their lives due to a rash error of judgement, i.e about delivery drivers on set quotas and time limits, who have to face repercussions for being late due road incidents beyond their control. Then worse case scenario laying, bleeding out, and dying in a smashed up 2 ton wreck, listening to those brave emergency service personnel trying to save you and get you out, what would your last thoughts be? Bet you wouldn’t be thinking I wonder how much it cost to clear up this mess I have caused, this is why we have rules regulation and laws, because its always someone else that has to foot the bill. For an instance if we as drivers actually stuck to rules and laws and not for a drop of a hat ignore them and break them, maybe the funds used detection of lawbreaking on our roads, would be of less importance, and could then be plowed into other areas of detection and rid our communities of the criminal scourge that roam our streets.
This is getting beyond a joke. Everywhere you drive, cameras watch our every move just waiting for a chance to fine us. Drivers are an easy target. Why don’t they put the same level of effort into solving other crimes or (heaven forbid) actually patrolling our streets.
Target the people breaking into cars not the ones driving them legally.
Sorry, but if you were driving the vehicle legally ie not speeding or not using a mobile phone, then there would be no issue.
There are probably more cars and vans with built in hands free function for voice calls on the roads these days than vehicles without. My point is that technology had rendered the new statutes largely irrelevant by the time they were legislated (we if ignore text and social media purely for this point).
That largely covers business communications and it is only right employers who expect employees to take calls for business are largely liable.
Those who cause catastrophic consequences for their own selfishness (social media etc) rightly enough have uncomfortable accommodation behind a locked metal door for a few years to look forward to.
I have this crazy idea that if people weren’t as selfish and were more respectful towards each other there would be no need for most of these measures and statutes.
If you’re driving legally you won’t have a problem…
Alas as speed limit compliance is rising but the road deaths and serious injuries are not falling (as we were always told they would when people stopped speeding), they need to look elsewhere for revenue!
If they can see you eating drinking or phone usage. Then they can see my kids in the car child protection springs to mind. Invasion of privacy…
Bring those old fashioned windscreen visors back, the ten inch ones they used on old Ford Consuls, make them more aerodynamic with vents in where they join and that should provide a good measure of anonymity.
good one
Human enforcement is underfunded. The gov’t are not interested. The cash for all these detection devices is wasted. Invest in police, wake up Tories!
Wake up Labour – no different to the Tories!
“a study by Leeds University found that motorists consuming food while driving were on average, 44% slower than usual.” – Could the author please check this? Frankly, I don’t believe that people slow from 60mph to 36mph (on average, so some will be even slower) when eating. Maybe the study said that 44% of drivers slow down??
I think they’re referring to reaction times
It probably means that one’s reflexes slow by 44%.
More useless statistic gatherers clutching their degrees after spending three more years at school.
Or that their reaction times were 44% slower? ,-)
The more people feel that they are living in a Big ‘Brother’ world they more resentful they will be and the less willing to take responsibility for driving intelligently. Nothing will convince me that all these measures are not to generate income for the police. It’s nothing to do with driving safely!
Believe that if you like. Make all the excuses you want, but if you drive too fast you need to accept the punishment.
Perhaps Andy you could define “too fast”. I accept your argument only if the “too fast” is arrived at inteligently and takes into account ALL of the variable factors involved in an individual situation. I do not accept that “too fast” is simply the posted speed limit. If that were the case then why the exception for trained drives of emergency vehicles that does not apply when they are off duty.
He can’t Richard because he’s a sheep and doesn’t have the brain capacity to think for himself.
Can someone please clear up a couple of points about average speed cameras?
Where they are placed one after the other, over several miles, do they detect your average speed from the first camera you pass to the last, or is it re-set every time you pass another camera?
And, if you have had to deal with a short patch of slow moving traffic, is it permissible to exceed the ‘instantaneous’ limit for a short distance in order to bring your average back to just below the limit?
I don’t recall seeing a definitive answer to either of these, but I may have missed something.
Your number plate is recorded after passing the first camera, Individual cameras don’t have the facility to measure vehicle speed – a car must pass a second camera for its average speed to be calculated. So you would have to be quite savvy to work out how fast/slow you were going during the two camera stretch in order to risk driving over the limit. The time you would save is negligible and in all honesty you should be keeping you speed down.
So, you can be prosecuted if you exceed the limit between ANY 2 cameras within the restricted zone, which has no limit in the length or quantity of cameras used.
With the best intentions we all drift over the limit from time to time, so I find it quite stressful monitoring my speed so precisely through these zones. And if they are on a very long stretch I get driver fatigue. They are there for a reason but they are also a curse.
Technically you must keep within the set speed limit at all times…but average speed cameras can obviously only tell whether you’ve kept to it on average so will have no idea if you drove at 100MPH briefly after being stuck in a traffic jam so long as “on average” you haven’t broken the speed limit (Speed = Distance / Time). Naturally I wouldn’t advise that… 😉
I suppose if drivers just kept to the speed limits, the revenue would drop to zero for those cameras that we allege are for cash only: They would soon be removed.
You never forget seeing your first teenage corpse, especially if it is a friend.
Really? So dramatic. Kids are reckless and will always have accidents – cameras just provide easy revenue.
reckless kids, results from bad parenting, and bad role modelling. Oh my dad drives fast i’ll show off and do the same.. ooopps just killed someone… see you when I get out.
My cousin was killed in a road accident in Taunton aged 18 (she was a passenger). The accident wasn’t directly caused by speed but due the driver of her car jumping a red light to turn right late at night. Speed was a contributing factor as the other car was doing about 70MPH in a 30MPH and had they been driving slower they might have avoided her or she would not have been killed.
That doesn’t stop me exceeding the legal speed limit, however it does reinforce my tendency to not drive at inappropriate speeds (which may be higher or lower than the legal limit) based on road conditions and expectations of other road users e.g. they won’t expect you to be driving at 70 in a 30 so might do something stupid.
Similarly I will slow down when the signs show a 50 MPH limit on a totally clear motorway (a pet hate) but only because it increases the likelihood of encountering other cars being driven at 50 (or slower “to be safe”) and not expecting to encounter cars travelling significantly faster; in other words the temporary speed limit introduced to reduce risk actually increases it as some drivers will totally ignore it because it is pointless.
It’s a shame that the police don’t make the same efforts to catch serious crime perpetrators. The vast majority of theft, fraud and burglary does not even get investigated let alone solved. Motorists are an easy target and a way of inflating crime clear up statistics.
I’ve said this for years!
If you can’t catch criminals, criminalise the one’s you can catch
Any action by a driver which they would not perform during the DVLA driving test, should be an offence. An exception should be made for using the car radio/CD player.
And the in-built satnav, cruise control, windows, air-conditioning/ climate control, heated seats, hands-free (built in), viewing all the various car settings, checking the in-built traffic alerts…
There is so much technology being built into cars that it is hard not to be distracted by some control/feature/function and there is no difference between using the multi-function built-in screen or using your mobile in a holder but currently one will definitely get you in trouble if caught and the other is at the discretion of the officer….
is it not time then, to ban children from cars unless accompanied by an adult who is not engaged in the driving of said vehicle ??
Doesn’t work. I know. I regularly drive with 3 kids and the wife…
What is it that makes normal reasonable intelligent people think they are above the law once they get inside a car?
My previous satnav picked up average speed sectors and changed the current speed display to average speed since entering the sector. Unfortunately the current one doesn’t.
Stick to the indicated speed of the vehicle and you should not be speeding.
Yeah right 🙄
don’t they need legislation to allow prosecution of new offences based purely on the testimony of a camera ? speeding is the only crime you are currently guilty of based solely on a photo.
and to those who say ‘don’t drive illegally and you will be fine’ that works so long as arbitrary/baseless laws are not passed, and works so long as local authorities don’t do things to ‘construct’ areas to generate revenue – there are multiple places in the US where police change rules over a very short distance just to catch more people. Here we hear of main roads with changes from 60, to 50, to 40, to 30, to 40, to 50 to 60 over short straight distances – whilst the reduction to 30 might be appropriate, the serial nature of the changes encourages people to ignore the intermediate steps – providing ‘income generating’ locations whilst actually doing nothing for safety.
The A30 east of where the A303 starts, and the old A30 where now bypassed by dual carriageway is a case in point!
In the villages there are 30 mph limits but some wag in the past has moved the 30 limit to a fair distance out of the villages and on the approaches to the 30 limit there are hundreds of yards of 40 limit way out in nowhere!
It’s the sort of nonsense that brings limits generally into disrepute, fortunately the local police forces apply common sense to the enforcement of the silly limits.
For now…
Good! The amount of people who are killed and injured on our roads is utterly unacceptable and speed is a major factor. Fines for exceeding the speed limit to more than 40mph in a 30mph zone should be increased to £1,000. That would save lives!
I have recently been on a motorway driving awareness course and we discussed these new cameras.
Speed checking is good, however it seems to me these cameras could be construed as to invading drivers privacy fairly deeply. If I can’t eat a sandwich or hamburger without feeling “big brother” is watching somewhere I and others will become very uncomfortable and that could also lead to lack of concentration on the job at jand— driving safely.
Gus, this country has the highest number of CCTV per head of population so it’s not only speed cameras that are monitoring what you are doing. If you are going to spend your life in the UK get used to it
The reason why the government is finding more ways of fining drivers is the loss of revenue year on year as they demand deisel cars to be scrapped. We are already on average paying 10 p alitre more than petrol. So where will they get their revenue when we all have electric cars. We will all pay a tax on electric to pay for more power stations.
Could you have given us a photo of these new cameras and the preceding LED and sensors
Thanks
They used to say Don’t stare at the tarmac but now they are going to nick you for not looking at it
If everybody tried to abide by the rules, the roads would be a lot safer and the whole need for speed cameras etc. would not be there! Therefore the people who are to blame for speed cameras are the ones who believe that the rules do not apply to them.
If they were serious they’d be governing speed so we can drive without ‘clock’ watching.
The facts don’t seem to bear that out! Since World War 2, deaths and serious injuries on our roads have been falling steadily, but over the last decade, that fall has slowed and even stopped. We have removed proper traffic police in that period and relied more on “automated enforcement” (cameras). Could there be a connection…?
…Or could it be the huge increase of vehicles on the roads, many of them trans-european hauliers, coupled with large increases in vehicle power in private cars (how many Audi/BMW/Merc/Range rovers do you see), and no extra training in distance control and response times? Not to mention huge cuts in road maintenance that leaves tarmac pitted, rutted, and less adhesive for braking or cornering.
Deaths started dropping with the introduction of DUI and seat-belts in the mid 60’s and other safety improvements over the decades (like air bags and ABS) have steadily reduced the chances of accidents causing fatal injury; but all we’ve really seen are greater protections from the same human failings; arrogance, aggression, alcohol.
It isn’t the cameras and no cops that encourage bad driving: You put a the ‘Ordinary Hard-working man’ in a 2-litre injected or turbocharged engine, and you’ve got a lethal weapon waiting to discharge. Brakes have vastly improved, but response times and IQ haven’t.
You could also mention the vastly improved tyre and brake technology (disc v drum, ABS etc – you do in passing I admit) on every car, apart from those with intelligent lane control, city safety, adaptive cruise control etc, which means cars can stop and avoid accidents far better than they used to…yet accidents still go up.
I believe also that drink driving has vastly decreased so you can’t really blame alcohol.
You can rule the hauliers out. Their vehicles are speed-limited anyway (and therefore “safe”….).
While I’m all for catching the dangerous speeding driver,however this just another way of increasing the money take.
When will “they” learn that there is a difference between “speeding” and “exceeding the speed limit “. We all know of places where the legal speed limit is higher than it should be as well as places where it’s lower than it should be.
Plus who is the “they” that decide what differing limits should be on any particular location ?
Surrey County Council started blanket applying 40 MPH limits on country roads despite Surrey police telling them it was unenforceable.
Nobody driving within the law is a target. Everyone who has been granted the privilege (not the right) of having a UK Driving Licence is required to drive safely and legally on the highway. If you fail in this responsibility and are caught, then you have only yourself to blame. How many of the whiners and whingers who bleat ‘unfair’ or ‘picked on’ have got away with it umpteen times in the past before the day of reckoning.
I totally agree with the dangers of talking or texting on a mobile phone. But the other things? So when are they going to ban passengers to talk to, kids on the back seat distracting you, sat navs to look at, radios to turn on, etc etc.???
I noticed when I had the built in sat nav running AND the Tom tom running at the same time the speed of travel was different by as much as 3 to 5 MPH from the speedo reading. so which one is right ?
Before you ask why I had two Sat Navs running at the same time… I did not like the built in model.
On a straight level road you can trust the satnav. Car speedometers are intended to give a reading approx 10% higher than actual speed.
Both satnavs depend on signals from satellites and there are delays in the signals especially varying according to how many satellites the satnavs are communicating with. However there are no such delays with your car speedo. So that is the most accurate.
I do the same. Traffic info from google maps on my phone is far more reliable than the traffic info on my built-in satnav. Sadly neither tell me what my speed is nor the speed limit, although I do get “safety” camera warnings.
They will stop you from talking while driving next!!
I believe that in-car speed camera detector equipment should be made illegal – it encourages drivers to disobey speed limits that don’t have any associated speed cameras!
Again the motorist will be the cash cow
So, as a member of IAM and allegedly a ‘safe’ and ‘competent’ driver, if a camera catches me in a momentary aberration am I to stand convicted of this. These cameras should be banned in favour of old style and proper policing in cars who can watch and witness how drivers manage all matters and manoeuvres and only prosecute those deemed necessary.
Here here Ron. I would rather see slightly speeding but alert, inteligent and well trained drivers than pedants, slavishly following speed limits whilst ‘turned off’ by a lack of understanding of driving. Most RTCs would seem to be caused by inattentive drivers. One effect of various ‘traffic calming’ measures is to distract drivers from seeing further ahead and planning thier drive. Speed limits are the same. Slavish attendace to the dial on the dash must, purely by logic, reduce the time drivers spend looking at the road ahead.
And don’t forget the huge distraction of our widespread poor road surfaces, let alone actual pot holes. On every journey I am frequently obliged to vary my preferred line to avoid uneven surfaces. When did you last drive over an inspection cover that was so level that you didn’t feel it?
Yes. I have a tyre that constantly slowly deflates as a result of hitting a pothole at the entrance to Membury services slip road on the M4 eastbound. I suspect a small crack or buckle in the alloy. How about spending the money fixing the roads 🙁
Well said
This story is fake.
The truth about ‘Yellow Vulture’: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/truth-yellow-vulture-speed-cameras-15657974
Exactly so. The camera cannot ‘detect’ eating, mobile phone use or not wearing a seta belt … BUT if an image is taken, the civilian in charge of sending out the NTP will check it to see if any of these offences has also been committed
Too much ? Not enough, more like. Whenever I drive at the speed limit I am almost always overtaken, regardless of the limit. What is the point of me driving responsibly when I’m left in the wake of almost every other vehicle. Speeding is out if control and needs addressing, urgently.
Gary Massey, you not thought that may be the speed limits now need to be reviewed up? I don’t mean in 30 mph I mean motorway and open countryside, they keep putting the speed limit down but still you get the same crashes, the whole driving test needs to be sorted out with more car control training off the road. Every car I buy, I take away from the road and find max speed in every gear, and turn in speeds pushing all the way until I find the limit of my vehicles grip, full on braking from high speed and 30 mph to see how it feels. You have less problems when you know how your car performance such as you won’t go for that over take as you know you can’t.
All very sensible. I assume the new cameras can also help with identifying tailgating. On the subject of limits, I did a speed awareness course just after Christmas and there was somebody there who got done for doing 32 in a 30. Zero tolerance is here already in some areas.
There is a small error in this piece. Car speedometers “Over-read” your speed by 5 – 10%. So driving at an indicated 50 mph, is probably 45 mph. Under-reading, i.e. 50mph actual shown as 45 mph in car is illegal.
All that will happen is everyone sill start driving at 69mph on the motorways, therby leading to congestion and more accidents.
Safe driving is not always related to speed.
Hear hear!
Actually if everyone drives within the limit and remembers to keep a safe distance to the vehicle in front then congestion will be much reduced. Currently people drive too fast and too close and all have to stop when they come to a junction, incident etc. By observing the traffic ahead and easing off the gas instead of going as fast as possible until getting to the back of a queue, traffic flow would be much improved. People would still have to stop but with slower speeds and sensible gaps the traffic can keep moving to some extent, which overall aids average speed of all getting through a junction / incident / road works.
If everyone drove at 69mph why would there be congestion and more accidents as you would never catch the one in front of you
If everyone kept the ‘correct’ gap ahead of them, some roads (although not congested as such) would have no space in which to enter the road. How about a 10 mile queue on the M25 while people are waiting to join a break in a 60 mile stream of traffic on the M4?
What about picking ones nose?
haven’t the government seen the gilet jauns protests in france about an overbearing state victimising motorists?
Funnily enough they also vandalised/destroyed all the speed cameras where they were protesting. Tempting….
Why not adopt the American way and use all the lanes for all the speeds. That way you can pass on either side.
We do on so-called “smart” motorways when traffic is heavy. Technically there is no law against overtaking on the left.
Hi I’m one of the older generation and still like to do 70 in a 70 and 60 in 60 zone,and yet cars still pass me and not just the odd ones and as for smart cameras when they drop the speed to 40-50 it’s often not safe to do so as most drivers are not slowing down.me personally would like to see average speed cameras cover most of the country from 30 Wright upto 70.
I live on a main road supposed to be 30 mph and am battling council and police because of the constant speed of traffic from 5 am in the morning until 1 am following morning . Speed cameras are ok if not too much warning is given to motorists so that they slow down and then speed up again. More 30 mph signs especially in built up areas and unmarked police speed vans or cameras. I chose to live in a 30 mph area not on a racetrack
It’s time the manufacturer’s were banned from fitting all these distracting gimmicks in cars. But gimmicks sell cars so they will keep fitting more as standard just to sell more cars
Its just another way of penalising motorists & making big bucks
Amazing technology, maybe soon these cameras will be able to spot all the boy-racer cars with no front plates “it just fell off” or all the d***heads driving with their fog lights on, or no lights because those great DLR lights make them think they are on.
Doubt it though
I hope they inform everyone before that start prosecuting for traveling at 71mph. I will then set my cruise control to 65mph. Will that be safe enough? Does anyone know of sudden downhill section with ‘safety’ cameras that will get you, even if you are well within the limit at the top of the gradient? I think there’s one in a thirty limit eastbound on the A13 and then there’s the A414 in Danbury westbound. It’s all uphill but it levels out just where the camera is, so the car speeds momentarily just at the camera. Not a problem at the moment but if the leeway is changed, the revenue could increase significantly!
Why not set cruise control for 70 MPH?
We have a steep hill near where I live with a 30 MPH limit. The only way to keep to the speed limit is to keep your foot on the brake (or changing down to 2nd gear in a manual). Back in the days when we actually had police they’d sit at the bottom with a camera; now we just have camera signs, but no cameras (yet).
It’s okay if you know about it, i always go down a local hill in 2nd but if you’re not used to the road, you end up doing some emergency braking.
Anything, and I mean anything that stops these idiots from using their mobile phones gets my vote. I am a mini bus driver for disabled children and the amount of drivers I see on their phone, pulling out of side roads and just not paying attention is horrendous. I’m sure if a fine and points are enough. They should be taken off the road and required to take another test before they can drive again. Rant Over!
How exactly are these fancy-pants cameras going to tell the difference between me pressing a button on the centre console/ICE (allowed), adjusting the vent/AC (allowed), phoning someone using a mobile phone in a cradle in the same area (e.g. attached to the vent) or a built-in ICE/Satmav touch screen in the same area? I mean, fair enough it it snaps you with a phone clamped to your ear or drinking from a coffee cup, but the others?
Are yet more Police officers going to be diverted from more important things to this sort of thing, often mistakenly prosecuting people or shifting the burden of proof to the motorist to prove their innocence, or, even worse, are we to have banks of ‘intelligent computers’ that will ‘interpret’ photos and just send you a fine if you hand is next to the ICE screen but actually was adjusting the vent or pressing the A/C button, especially when driving on a clear day with a clear road ahead?
All this is to me is more remote-control policing and revenue-raising by the back door. It’s hardly going to endear Plod to the Public, is it, and given their low standing at present over their prioritising woke internet thought policing over burglaries and anti-social behaviour by local yobbos, this is sheer stupidity in my view.
iN all honesty as already reported a bit further up if the camera has pinged you for speeding you already broke the law, it will be down to others viewing that scrutinise the image to determine any other offences committed which if your using your phone could contribute to the lack of attention to the speedo hence the reason the camera pinged your vehicle in the first place, common sense really,
I do have a thiught about the 1mph over the speed limit being a terrible distraction when driving. It will lead to more accidents and deaths because drivers will be doing more clock watching than road watching. The spedd above the norm should be set at 5mph grace.