Average speed cameras!

[Rick999]

Having had the immense displeasure of driving up and down the M1 last week and encountering a long stretch of 50mph average speed camera monitored sections in both directions all I can say is that these are a complete PITA and the standards of driving by some, including professional drivers was horrendous.

I was driving at the 50mph limit (as shown on my GPS so reading around 54mph) and had LGV's traveling within 2m of my rear at times. I also witnessed one in the middle lane giving someone a long main beam flash from a distance of less than 2m. The poor lady in question felt pressurised into speeding up to get away from him and I hope she didn'ty pick up a ticket.

I can't say that I am an angel with regard to speed limits, in fact far from it but in my works car which is tracked I try to stick to the limits, and normally obey limited areas, however the driving I witnessed here makes it look like it is more dangerous to keep to the limit than get out of there, it was also nigh on impossible to drive with a sufficient space in front, behind or to the side to avoid anything which may (will at some point) occur.

Any other opinions on this?

[martine]

What's the problem with maintaining a gap in front?

[Rick999]

What's the problem with maintaining a gap in front?

People filling it, and then when you ease back to maintain it you are then in the clutches of the vehicles behind. If I was an inexperienced driver it would have been very intimidating.

[TheInsanity1234]

They're always terrible.

I pity anyone who has to drive through them as they have no other choice.

They don't work, as those who speed will just continue to ignore the speed limit, and those who obey speed limits will just get bullied and pressured by other drivers.
The fact that most lorry drivers don't bother slowing down to 50 but just maintain their speed on the limiter doesn't help either.

[Rick999]

They're always terrible.

I pity anyone who has to drive through them as they have no other choice.

They don't work, as those who speed will just continue to ignore the speed limit, and those who obey speed limits will just get bullied and pressured by other drivers.
The fact that most lorry drivers don't bother slowing down to 50 but just maintain their speed on the limiter doesn't help either.

True. I wish my camera had been rear facing as I would have had some very interesting shots, however I doubt anyone would have been interested in pursuing it.

[martine]

What's the problem with maintaining a gap in front?

People filling it, and then when you ease back to maintain it you are then in the clutches of the vehicles behind. If I was an inexperienced driver it would have been very intimidating.

It does happen but it's pretty rare in my experience...if it does I just ease off slightly to open the gap back up...job done.

I habitually move to lane 1 well before the lower limit starts...drivers there seem more content to stick to 50 (or 49.9!) rather than trying to mix it with the fast guys. I really can't be bothered to nail 50 using GPS...much easier to just rely on the speedo and it's makes sod-all difference in practice to your journey time.

[MGF]

The problem is that speed differentials are very small. I try to find space by reducing my speed to allow others to pass more comfortably. bearing in mind that LGVs are not always permitted to pass in lanes 2 and 3.

[Rick999]

What's the problem with maintaining a gap in front?

People filling it, and then when you ease back to maintain it you are then in the clutches of the vehicles behind. If I was an inexperienced driver it would have been very intimidating.

It does happen but it's pretty rare in my experience...if it does I just ease off slightly to open the gap back up...job done.

I habitually move to lane 1 well before the lower limit starts...drivers there seem more content to stick to 50 (or 49.9!) rather than trying to mix it with the fast guys. I really can't be bothered to nail 50 using GPS...much easier to just rely on the speedo and it's makes sod-all difference in practice to your journey time.

Well you must have a better standard of driver where you are. I did all of the above and in fact a large proportion of it was in the hard shoulder. I think it is irrelevant whether you use the speedo or GPS other than if you are going marginally slower you get even more LGV's cruising up behind and trying to push you on even there is nowhere to go either in front or into an adjacent lane. This is twice I have driven through this section in the last month and it has been the same both times.

[Rick999]

The problem is that speed differentials are very small. I try to find space by reducing my speed to allow others to pass more comfortably. bearing in mind that LGVs are not always permitted to pass in lanes 2 and 3.

This is true, in this particular section they can use lane 2 but obviously not lane 3.

[Carbon Based]

they don't work, as those who speed will just continue to ignore the speed limit...

On the contrary, IME. the yellow poles of an average speed camera zone seem very effective at bringing speeds down. The problem, if combined with heavy traffic is, as mentioned, that everyone has a very slightly different opinion of what is actually 50mph. So you get overtaking with 2mph differentials or blocks of two or more lanes in a rolling roadblock.

Best advice is to engage cruse control, micro manage speed and relax, watching the average MPG improve. And find a different route next time, if possible.

[martine]

Well you must have a better standard of driver where you are. I did all of the above and in fact a large proportion of it was in the hard shoulder. I think it is irrelevant whether you use the speedo or GPS other than if you are going marginally slower you get even more LGV's cruising up behind and trying to push you on even there is nowhere to go either in front or into an adjacent lane. This is twice I have driven through this section in the last month and it has been the same both times.

Ha - doubt it. I haven't driven the particular extended bit of 50 you are referring to but there was a pretty long (several miles) temporary section on the M5 recently and I can honestly say I didn't have a problem for the several journeys I did. We also have 'managed motorways' down here in Bristol with variable limits and again, I've not had a problem I can remember during the times of lower limits.

I've have had it on the M25 very occasionally with an LGV much too close - but if you keep a constant speed they seem to get bored and give up trying to intimidate and move out to overtake. I think it probably helps if they can see a big gap in front of you as a landing place for their overtake.

[TheInsanity1234]

they don't work, as those who speed will just continue to ignore the speed limit...

On the contrary, IME. the yellow poles of an average speed camera zone seem very effective at bringing speeds down. The problem, if combined with heavy traffic is, as mentioned, that everyone has a very slightly different opinion of what is actually 50mph. So you get overtaking with 2mph differentials or blocks of two or more lanes in a rolling roadblock.

Best advice is to engage cruse control, micro manage speed and relax, watching the average MPG improve. And find a different route next time, if possible.

They do indeed.

The worst drivers are the lorries, as I said above, especially in the 50's.
Mainly because they just plough on at 56, safe in the knowledge they won't be flashed or pulled over by the police etc.
It's bloody annoying.

[jcochrane]

Like martine and carbon based I like to get into L1 nice and early and onto cruise control at 50 mph for the average cameras for road works. Seems to work for me and I don' get pressure from behind. In fact it's quite relaxing and not bad for mpg either.

[Rick101]

I do this journey regularly, York to Milton Keynes. It makes a tedious commute into and frustratingly tedious commute.

I must agree, 50 doesn't make it any safer. People just drive close to each other and then when it finally clears (after 19 miles) often speed to make up for it.

I've recently taken delivery of a new car. I chose is specifically because it came with Advanced cruise control as standard. It's a godsend in the average speed camera hellhole that is the M1.

[WhoseGeneration]

The worst drivers are the lorries, as I said above, especially in the 50's.
Mainly because they just plough on at 56, safe in the knowledge they won't be flashed or pulled over by the police etc.
It's bloody annoying.

You're correct and it's another example of the hypocrisy of Goverments.