Safe Speed Forums

I travelled from Darn Sarth to Crewe last Thursday night and back again Friday early afternoon. It is now dawning on me how dangerous the SPECS made the roadworks.

I refer specifically to the out bound journey. The road lanes narrowed - hard shoulder in use - to provide a respite for the (nonexistent) work force in the central reservation and fast lane.

The inside lane was doing I think around 35 - 40, middle lane 40 - 45 and outside lane 45 - 55. The inside two lanes were fairly full; I was in the more sparsely populated outside lane, keeping my distance. It has only now dawned on me that I am likely to receive a ticket for this journey. I stayed in the "fast" lane throughout. It was making better progress than the other lanes, and very safely. However, I could see ahead of me people swapping lanes willy nilly, forcing local gaps to close right up and occasional peristaltic waves of slowing in both the inside two lanes. I hadn't thought of it at the time but this intertwining all over the place was presumably people attempting to keep their average to less than 40+10%+2. Some of the lane changing was quite hair-raising - I was subconsciously baking away from things - but still probably (didn't check) between 45 and 55. I also forgot to take exceptionally close order at the cameras.

By not enforcing lane changes and/or not enforcing wholly unnecessary bunching - and acting as an unofficial policeman (which slowing down would have done) I maintained a nice safety cocoon. In doing so, and by NOT tailgating at strategic times, I may well have collected a ticket. What a wonderful contribution these things make to our road safety.

Are these the ones round Birmingham?



This is the bit that really gets to me, my son sits on this road every day for an hour (pouring out CO2!) and has ONCE seen ONE workman digging a hole. I don't mind roadworks, I even understand the reduced speed limits - but not when 99% of the time there's nothing going on. It just shows they don't give a sh*t really about congestion or emissions...

In fact - has any one got a working email address for Ladyman? The one I sent my rant to about this very subject got bounced...

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Wake me up when the revolution starts
STOP the Toll Tax http://www.traveltax.org.uk

Found this G ---doesent give an address as such -

http://www.parliament.uk/directories/hciolists/alms.cfm

Perhaps encouraged by recent articles stating that changing lanes between pairs will circumvent detection - each pair of SPECs cameras are only approved for use in one lane only.

Also very likely. I was unaware of this "dodge".

I now routinely swap lanes to avoid specs even if I think I'm ok I use it as a precaution. Its very dangerous. But then I'm a product of bad road safety strategy

Noticed last time on M1 in specs area that the idea about becoming invisible was showing up - several cars tailgaiting HGV through the cameras and pulling back afterwards

You could try LADYMANS@parliament.uk

It used to work, and I have even got a reply from him, but he has now blocked my emails.

Various other options to try;

stephenladymanmp@souththanetlabour.org.uk

http://www.dodonline.co.uk/engine.asp?l ... 4&id=25559

http://www.dodonline.co.uk/

www.faxyourmp.com

http://www.hearfromyourmp.com/

Failing all that, you can use Fax, or even old fashioned post, preferably registered .

Dr. Steve Ladyman MP
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

or Ministry
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DR

Tel:020 7944 8300
Email [firstname.surname]@dft.gsi.gov.uk
possibly Stephen.Ladyman@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Hope you and others are able to get through.

Thanks, this is the one I tried 'steveladyman@email.labour.org.uk'
Will try the rest now!

_________________
Wake me up when the revolution starts
STOP the Toll Tax http://www.traveltax.org.uk

Best to write to your local MP rather than ladyman himself. Only some minion will respond if you do the latter. If you write to your MP with specific points then they are bound to go and get answers. It also makes them aware of the strength of feeling against things if people bother to write to them rather than just sending a ranty email to Ladyman!

I shall be writing to mine (seeing as I actually have the time just now) as there are about half a dozen things to get answers about.

Why would you want to do that? They calculate the average speed between the cameras by working out how long it took you travel between them. Your actual speed as you pass a SPECS camera is immaterial.

My guess is that they're not interested in clobbering people for averaging (say) 45-50 through the roadworks, but people with much higher average speeds. What gets me is the mentaility of these people who can't see that there is nothing to gain from belting along then suddenly slowing down for a bit to "average it out". I see the same thing with speed humps on a local road. I do exactly 20 (the maximum speed you can go over the damned things without wrecking your suspension) for the entire length. Often the driver in front goes along at 30, then brakes sharply to about 15 to go over the hump, before accelerating back up to 30 again. I just catch up at each hump before they disappear into the distance again.

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Brian

I have to say that if these are the SPECS on the M6 north of the M6 Toll junction, I have had no problemswith them; everyone seemed to slow down and yes, I did see men and machines working !! If I was a road maintenance worker, I think I would like to see everybody slowing down, the levels of traffic are absolutely ENORMOUS.

I don't think they cop you for a 45 mph average as most people are around 40-45 at least on the speedo reading my car shows.

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Good manners maketh a good motorist