Motorway speed cameras to be rolled out to stop those driving faster than 70mph
By Martin Evans - 6:53PM GMT 02 Feb 2014
Motoring groups condemn planned introduction of motorway speed cameras, claiming scheme is about raising revenue rather than road safety
A pregnant woman driver caught speeding at over 100mph told a court she put her foot down because her
Speed cameras will line miles of smart motorways Photo: PA
Speed cameras designed to catch motorists driving in excess of 70mph are to be installed along hundreds of miles of motorway for the first time.
New so-called ‘stealth cameras’, which will be grey rather than bright yellow, are to be deployed on busy stretches of some of the most important motorways including the M1, M6 and M25.
Previously, motorway speed cameras have mainly been situated on stretches undergoing roadworks, in order to enforce variable speed limits.
But now for the first time the Highways Agency is looking at the widespread introduction of cameras to target drivers exceeding the maximum allowed speed of 70mph.
The cameras will be deployed on sections of so-called smart motorway, where the flow of traffic is carefully controlled using a variety of techniques.
According to the Highways Agency, smart-motorways will prevent jams and allow the better flow of traffic by carefully controlling speed limits and opening hard shoulders to traffic where necessary.
But critics claim the introduction of cameras aimed at enforcing the 70mph limit, is not about road safety but about generating income through fines.
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Yes - efforts should be made to target those who exceed the speed limit 14.99% (592 votes)
No - I doubt they'll have an impact on slowing drivers down 81.32% (3,212 votes)
Not sure 4% (146 votes)
Total Votes: 3,950
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One recent survey in Autocar magazine, found that almost 95 per cent of motorists admitted driving in excess of 70mph while on the motorway.
The authorities are also allowed a certain amount of discretion when prosecuting speeding motorists, with drivers travelling as fast as 86mph in a 70mph zone allowed to avoid points if they pay to attend a speed awareness course
With the cameras likely to be less visible than those currently in use, critics also point out that they will have no impact on actually slowing drivers down.
Roger Lawson, a spokesman for the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD), said: “We are opposed to speed cameras in general. The evidence of their success in promoting safety is not good and in reality what is happening now is that the police are using speed cameras to fund their other activities through speed awareness courses.”
He added: “If these cameras are grey rather than yellow they are going to be harder to spot and so will have no impact in slowing traffic down. If there is a good reason for the traffic to be slowed down then the cameras need to be as visible as possible.”
The ABD has called for an increase in the upper speed limit on motorways to 80mph.
It is thought that the new cameras, dubbed Hadsec3 (Highways Agency digital enforcement camera system) will be and running along more than 100 miles of motorway within two years, with the further roll-out eventually covering at least 400 miles of road.
Speed cameras have been a politically sensitive topic with the Coalition scrapping the capital grant for local authorities to pay for cameras in the 2010-2011 budget.
The police have also been reluctant to employ speed cameras on motorways because of the cost implications.
But digital technology has made it cheaper and easier to install, monitor and collect information from cameras.
A spokesman for the Highways Agency said: “These are not stealth cameras they are more visible that they were before. These motorways are not about speed limits. They are about smoothing the traffic flows and increasing capacity.”
The spokesman said the new cameras would be signposted and added: “The onus is on the driver to abide by the speed limit.”
We know from TRL 595 that speed enforcement makes the motorway 32% worse and that trafpols make them 27% BETTER.
So which would we rather ?
Road safety or those profiteering by those who might speed by a few mph and make the roads less safe.
These are our safest roads.
This is an appalling action for them to consider ...
It WILL COST LIVES.
It will fail to make people recognise that slowing as soon as the road become heavy and slower will help to stretch the slowing traffic and keep it flowing. Many know how to achieve this ability - so of that is their claimed purpose then you simply teach it to the great audience for the greater good!
Automatic warning signs of congestion ahead or if the traffic ahead has stopped is FAR SAFER and FAR better.
Placing up VAS (or SID) devices WILL sensibly inform drivers of their speed AND with warning signs of all hazard issues ahead.
THE M25 system doesn't work and is often wrong - it is a computerised system and is not 'person supervised', so often tells you incorrect information and reduces the road to incorrect speeds at many incorrect times.
This is incompetent, greedy, foolhardy dangerous and will cost lives.
Not to say too that it will also damage the Stats for our safest roads AND criminalise those who might be otherwise driving safely.
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