Safe Speed Forums

Hi guys

Something peculiar happened to me today, on the way to the office.

Got into the slip road to join the A2. Three cars: a van, me and someone else on my tail. The three entering the motorway at a perfectly sensible speed. On the near end of the slip road, right-hand side, there is a GATSO which supposedly looks towards the motorway just before traffic joins in. Look into my mirror and run head slightly to check for traffic coming from the A2 and no-one there, not a flea.

At that moment and still not having joined the motorway I spot 3 flashes fom the GATSO

WTF? It looks as one for each vehicle, as we were (obviously) doing the same speed when going into the A2 in succession.

Never-ever been caught speeding, and now what? And on top of that none of the 3 cars was speeding, but the GATSO flashed to someone, and there was not a single car coming through the motorway. So who else?

Anyone had any similar experience? Cannot believe a GATSO is pointing simultaneously to the motorway and the slip road, and if it was out of alignment, the 3 cars were very certainly below the 50 mph speed limit for the thing to trigger.

What to expect?

I don't think you should expect anything, TBH. Were you even on the white lines painted in front of the camera?

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In times of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

Don't think so, I was not even physically on the motorway, was still joining-in from the slip road...

Well, to be pedantic about it, you were [on the m/way] !

Conceded... by the book I was on the m/way. Said so to convey the idea of my physical location within the m/way.

Never heard of anyone being flashed by a GATSO on approach from a slip road. In fact, the 3 vehicles (mine in the middle). Dunno what to think... maybe worrying for nothing. I thought GATSOS pointed to the m/way lanes towards the white lines used as secondary evidence... never seen white lines on a slip road, and there were none in this case. You could even argue there was no traffic cam warning on the approach, even on the roundabout above.

If it was a fixed (unmanned camera) then there must be white lines on the road for a prosecution to stand. From what you describe I would say you are in the clear.


The (single) warning sign can be located up to 1km away from the camera, so there’s a chance you may not even pass the sign if there are multiple routes to the camera.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

Just went out for some stuff to the nearby Sainsburys and used the same approach as before.

No GATSO white markings (secondary evidence) on the slip road, these are on the m/way lanes themselves, as it should be.

I was certainly in no m/way lane, as I spotted the GATSO flashing me from behind to my right and I was travelling on a South-North direction, so that I was physically to the left of the GATSO (on the slip road).

There is no GATSO pointing towards the slip road.

The GATSO markings are way before I joined the nearside m/way lane.

Oh well...

Strange place to put a camera. No pedestrians, and drivers are meant to be matching the speed not going slow...

Don't worry about it, you'll be fine (not fined).

Sometimes GATSOs start to malfunction and randomly flash passing traffic in the way that you describe. I have personally witnessed this several times, and it often seems to happen on motorways/dual carriageways for some reason. (Presumably they "wear out" quickest on high-traffic routes.)

In each case that I saw, the GATSO was eventually removed (and in some cases not replaced at all...yay!) In the meantime of course (sometimes months), the blasted devices cause shock, worry and confusion to all and sundry, which obviously makes them drive much more safely as a result.

Even if the cameras were to take photographs while flashing randomly, it would be very clear when processing that the camera was not operating properly, and no NIPs would be sent out.

This phenomenon doesn't exactly instil confidence that GATSOs are reliable.

That presupposes that the SCP operatives are checking the photos as they are supposed to do --yet another reason to insist on a photo .



Nor does the revelation in another post ,some time ago , that at the time of annual calibration a high percentage (??? anyone) had to be repaired before they could be calibrated.


Meanwhile ,Dazed and confused, the two motorists who believed that all SCP are honest gents just paid up sooner than confront the legal system

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Wild shot in the dark: Was there anything coming the other way? I've managed to trigger a Gatso on the opposite carriageway before now (the one by what was The Dutch House on the A20) It was very early hours of the morning and I was the only vehicle on the road.

Whereabouts on the A2 specifically waas this camera? I ride it every day and there are lots of cameras to choose from.

Mike.

Hiya Mike,

It is the one at the right edge of the slip road coming in from Shooters Hill road roundabout towards Blackwall tunnel. On the other A2 feed (towards Kidbrooke) there is another GATSO at exactly the same position: right edge of the slip road, just after passing underneath the roundabout bridge.

If you are ON the m/way you would only see the damn thing almost in your face, as they are very concealed by the sidewalls (you have to know they ARE there...)

Further down the A2 southbound towards the M25 (and on the contraflow) there are a couple of GATSOS concealed behind the relief bays. And then there are the famous scameras exiting Blackwall tunnel (again travelling in the southward direction) to catch you as you exit the tunnel, 40 mph limit. Coming into the tunnel, contraflow (South-North) there is one GATSO tuned at 30 mph.

HTH

I know the one you mean now. (Circled in this pic)



I see that one flash quite often, usually because lane 1 and 2 drivers know it is there and slow down and move over but matey in lane 3 just hammers past because his lane has just cleared.

The one hidden in the wall heading towards the tunnel further back down the A2 causes lots of late braking as people spot the lines in the road in my experience (even though they are under the limit a lot of the time).

Mike.

Spot-on Mike, that's the exact location.

The one coming into the Blackwall tunnel on the northbound arm (traffic in the south-north direction) typically makes people brake late, which compounded with the pavement being in very bad condition (due to lots of lorry traffic) made me witness a couple of hits. The scameras on the exit on the contraflow are nasty, as many people (when leaving the tunnel) press on the throttle, making them easy picks.

Sometimes it is not just the scamera, but scamera + bad pavement conditions what leads to trouble, trouble being getting rammed from behind or clipping someone elses side. But then, no-one cares.