White Lines on M25

by **James** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:47 pm

Whenever I go on the M25 (rarely) I come across white dotted lines, like gatso lines, in all lanes about once every minute or so. They appear under signage generally. But there are no camera's on the back of the signage so the lines appear useless. Also, everyone and I mean everyone FLIES through them usually in excess of 90mph.

Which got me thinking, obviously they are not active speed camera's so what is the deal with them. So far I have heard 2 theories:

1) They become active during times when a reduced speed limit is in force

2) They were put there when Essex were going to use their force plane to scan and issue speeding tickets over the M25, but this never went ahead due to excpetional public backlash over use of resources.

Any light that can be shed?

by **7db** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:51 pm

They are for the removable gantry gatsos which reinforce the variable (and nsl) limit.

by **Standard Dave** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:52 pm

They are there to confuse you :wink:

by **James** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:53 pm

7db wrote:They are for the removable gantry gatsos which reinforce the variable (and nsl) limit.

So basiclly there could be a camera at each and every site then? It is just there are people who obviously use the M25 regularly and I have seen some fly through at speeds that made me look like I was standing still at 70mph.

by **Angus** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:55 pm

If they're solid square blocks, about 2 feet square, they will be an exact distance apart (usually half or one mile) and are used to measure speeds (and I believe calibrate on board equipment).

Essex always denied that they would use their parrot for catching speeding motorists, though I think that the Met considered it until the outcry.

If they're like the lines you get with urban Gatsos then they're probably left over from roadworks when a reduced limit was in force.

Essex do sometimes put a mobile unit on bridges over the A12 and A130 so may do the M25 too.

by **James** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:09 pm

The ones I have seen are in the Surrey stretch, although they are elsewhere aswell. They usually appear around these parts of the Motorway:

by **ScoobyChris** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:05 pm

James wrote:So basiclly there could be a camera at each and every site then? It is just there are people who obviously use the M25 regularly and I have seen some fly through at speeds that made me look like I was standing still at 70mph.

There could be, but the cameras are only active when the variable limit is in force. I think they do occasionally move cameras around too, but it's been a few years since I've driven that section........

Chris

by **James** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 9:32 pm

Ok, but 7db thinks they enforce the NSL aswell...

by **kwakba** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 7:37 am

I'm pretty sure they enforce the variable limit only, I've been through the stretch between the M4 and the A3 at a fair bit faster than NSL and never had anything, on several occasions.

A mate got caught doing 74 when the variable was set at 60.

by **7db** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:06 am

The bloke who installed them he told me that they were able to enforce NSL as well. However, whether they do or not and what their trigger speed will be is anyone's guess. IIRC there are some hoops to jump through before SCPs are allowed to enforce NSL on a motorway.

The other point worth noting is that there's only about two of them between A3 and A40. And one of those was broken a few months back.

by **TripleS** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:52 am

7db wrote:The bloke who installed them he told me that they were able to enforce NSL as well. However, whether they do or not and what their trigger speed will be is anyone's guess. IIRC there are some hoops to jump through before SCPs are allowed to enforce NSL on a motorway.

Exceedingly small diameter hoops, one hopes. :lol:

Best wishes all,
Dave.

by **martine** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 1:12 pm

7db wrote:The bloke who installed them he told me that they were able to enforce NSL as well. However, whether they do or not and what their trigger speed will be is anyone's guess. IIRC there are some hoops to jump through before SCPs are allowed to enforce NSL on a motorway.

Wiltshire SCP regularly enfore NSL on the M4 around Chippenham/Swindon. They park a camera van on a motorway bridge. Rumour has it they only prosecute above 79 (which is the 'recommended' 10% + 2).

by **nuster100** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 2:49 pm

They end up doing every car in lanes 2 and 3 on the M5 at that rate.

Jay

by **martine** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 10:55 pm

nuster100 wrote:They end up doing every car in lanes 2 and 3 on the M5 at that rate.

Jay

Oh no, the speeding but observant drivers simply brake unexpectedly in L3 from 95 to 70 causing chaos to the tailgaters and sending ripples of braking backwards through the queue. :roll:

Most effective speed cameras? I reckon it's the 'average' ones popping up in road works...nearly everyone settles at the limit and many are even spreading out rather than tailgaiting the vehicle ahead that's doing 49.5 rather than 50. :roll:

Am I right in thinking the French motorways sometimes employ average speed checks between toll points? What lee-way do they give I wonder?

by **notaboyracer** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:45 pm

I don't know about the M25, but on the similar variable limit bit on the M42 south of Birmingham I was told that the cameras will enforce NSL when the variable speed limit sign displays the NSL sign, and not when the signs are off altogether. It was a friend who lives in the area who told me he read it in the local press.

Anybody else heard that/know if its true?

White Lines on M25

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