To wonder if people who speed through motorway cameras just don't care about a fine?

[5toMidnight]

I am regularly on a motorway with variable speed limits and active cameras/painted speed lines positioned behind every gantry. Every single time it seems I am the only person who sticks to whatever the speed limit is. Others seem to be doing at least 5 and sometimes 10 mph more than I am.

Actually I also see this a lot on regular roads. If I stick to the limit then I inevitably create a tailback. This morning I ended up doing 35 in a 30, I created a tailback and at one point the bloke behind me actually overtook me.

So. AIBU to think that I am the only person who is worried about speeding any more?

Anotherone
Why is driving at the speed limit a law it's okay to break "a little bit", but others aren't?

If someone punched you in the face, you'd expect them to get arrested because they broke the law. You wouldn't handwave it as 'well they only gave me a bruise rather than breaking my nose, so they only broke the law a little bit.'

If someone stole from you I assume you'd still think it's a crime if they stole £50, rather than £5000?

Firstly crimes against property and crimes against the person are taken more seriously because you are either purposely or recklessly harming someone or stealing something.
That's quite different to making a risk assessment about whether you can drive safely on a straight, clear section of motorway at 71mph instead of 70mph.

Secondly the courts will take seriousness of offence into account, so if you slap someone or take 50p you will receive a much reduced sentence haha as if than if you had chopped someone's leg off or stolen £3mil. Quite rightly.
So it's ridiculous to say people going at 1mph over the speed limit should be fined. Even the police and courts don't believe they should.

the motorway thing does puzzle me. Noone does 70, 80 is the default fact 70 now. Does that mean that the cameras are actually set to 80 now and they just haven't let on. I mean I've been overtaken by police trafgic calming cars at 75 before.

The ones that flash up your registration always flash mine up wrong, one digit is consistently incorrect. So I think I am effectively invisible to NPR. I am happy to hire myself out as a getaway driver if anyone is looking for one.

I was told that on the motorway the speed cameras don't tend to be switched on unless the lights come on and display a lower speed limit

The motorway in question has lower, variable limits every morning and evening. Just today on my way home it was 40 / 50 / 60 / 50 / 40 / 60.... And yet I appeared to be the only person sticking to these!

In terms of safety I'm still not convinced that being 5/10mph over the limit (assuming safe traffic conditions) is much of an issue.

I think far and away the most dangerous drivers are the conservative 'middle lane hogs' who take on the role of the 'speed police' sitting at 70mph in the 2nd or 3rd lane, obstructing traffic , and because they're doing the 'limit' think it's their divine right to obstruct 2 or 3 lanes of traffic, because they don't have the driving skills to overtake/manoeuvre adequately, or are simply arrogant enough to think that they get to police the world.

For the safety issue, apparently some countries are starting to use around 80mph as their speed limit. (130kmh)

I suspect this normalises driving at closer to 90mph. And actually if I remember right aren't we all pretty much buggered if we crash going anything much over 30/40 anyway?

I'm playing devils advocate here as I actually very rarely speed. But I do think the middle lane drivers and those slowing down suddenly for cameras are much more dangerous than someone going at 75/80mph!

Yes to middls lane drivers. Have seen some horrible incidents happen when someone's pottling along in the middle lane and people have been forced to undertake.

I tell my DH off for speeding (he doesn't do it to excess) but he's an excellent, defensive driver.

I agree about middle lane drivers. They are a menace.

schbittery I do a lot of motorway driving - mainly at the top end of the M1 and the A1M. I would say that most drivers do around the 70mph mark. One reason is that at the times I am on it it is usually too busy to go any faster. Another reason is there is quite a heavy police presence waiting to catch speedsters (especially on the A1).

PeachBellini123 pootling in the middle lane and peeps have been forced to undertake?.

Wherever was the outer lane in all this then, gone off on its holls;?.

To be honest I don't think they have the resources to deal with all the fines. I've been driving along an 'average speed' lane for over two years and although I'm sure over gone over I have never had a fine.

Meaning I don't think they're enforced.

I find driving at 70 very slow. I wonder what the difference in stopping distances is between 70mph and 80mph. Do you think that 10mph difference causes most of the accidents? Or are they caused by careless drivers not paying attention? Or another reason?

Have seen some horrible incidents happen when someone's pottling along in the middle lane and people have been forced to undertake.

Forced? By who?

The only vehicles I can think that would be forced to undercut would be emergency vehicles, everyone else can just come to peace with it. If the middle lane "hogger" is doing 70, then whats the problem exactly? 70 is the limit, they are doing the limit, in a lane that they are entitled to drive in. If you want to do 85 and they are in your way then tough, deal with it! It is annoying when people sit in the middle lane when the left lane is empty, but its hardly dangerous. Its the people who immediately start driving like arseholes when they see one that are dangerous,

I have found that people who think that the speed limits dont apply to them excuse it by saying that they are excellent drivers and are therefore ok to drive at speed. An ex BF was convinced that the reason he could drive at 100+ was because when you drive fast you get quicker reactions. Didnt stop him getting a ban though, or writing off 2 cars and almost himself.

Its arrogance that causes accidents, the assumption that you can drive dangerously because you are so much better than everyone else.....right up until you wrap your car around a tree or kill some other poor sod.

What gets me is the people who don't understand average speed checks. You can't out wit them by slowing for the camera unless they are actually off!

I got stuck on.....think it was the M6 during roadworks and it had average speed cameras. H worked out that if I drove at over 100 between where we left the tail backs and the end of the cameras, my average would still have been below the 50 limit :o Didnt try it, but several others seemed to be doing it!

If the middle lane "hogger" is doing 70, then whats the problem exactly? 70 is the limit, they are doing the limit, in a lane that they are entitled to drive in.

Spot on Bogeyface

A lot of people dont realise they will be caught on camera.
And they dont seem to understand how average speed cameras work -braking as they pass the camera.
According to this article nearly 1500 fines were issued over a 3 month period in the roadworks around Glasgow.
www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/13895429.New_speed_cameras_near_Glasgow_cost_motorists___150_000_in_first_three_months/

Speaking as somebody who was recently shunted across the motorway by a lorry overtaking me fast on the inside on a 50mph average speed check section of motorway (he must've been doing 60+ - I had my cruise control on 50) I know what you mean OP. Noody else seems to stick to it

Mind you this was a lorry from Europe and I always wonder if perhaps the cameras can't read the foreign registrations?

I was on a speed awareness course last week. Only one person out of 20 had been caught on the motorway. The majority of us were in a 30 zone getting caught. I genuinely thought I was in a 40 zone but was doing 35 and it was a 30 .

But if they have done a speed awareness course and not learned from it, then I don't think they should be driving.

The middle lane hogger is, in my experience, rarely doing 70

I would agree that some people do seem to fail to grasp the concept of "average" speed cameras.

Today 13:45 Yamadori

If the middle lane "hogger" is doing 70, then whats the problem exactly? 70 is the limit, they are doing the limit, in a lane that they are entitled to drive in.

Spot on Bogeyface

The problem is, in the U.K. We drive on the left. The middle and outside lanes are for overtaking and unless continuously overtaking you should be driving in the inside lane. It is dangerous for people to plod along in the middle lane, especially when going 50-60 (when not in traffic obvs!) which is more often the case. It has been proven it is more dangerous to drive considerably under the speed limit on a motorway And I believe you can also get a fine for that if caught.

When I'm on the M25 and the variable speed limits are on it's usually a bit of a joke as it says the speed limit is 40 but everyone is crawling along at 10.

Do the cameras on motorway gantries flash if you're caught?

Noble- it's like they're taking the piss at you isn't it! Hahaha 40? M25 rush hour?! You've got to be kidding me! Haha

And yes they do normally flash on the motorway x