Hectors House Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Speed cameras on the M62 are working when the illuminated signs are off, it has been confirmed.The news came to light after a Twitter exchange between a motorist and West Yorkshire Police, amid a claim a camera had flashed at Hartshead Moor when the gantry system was turned off. Previously it had been thought motorists would only be automatically fined if they broke speed limits when the digital signs were on. But a police tweet said: “Scheme is managed by @HAnews_yorks. It indicates a vehicle has exceeded national speed limit which applies when signs are off.” West Yorkshire Police refused to comment further but the Highways Agency has now confirmed the new £150m overhead gantry system between Huddersfield and Leeds CAN catch speeding motorists, even when it is not being used to slow the traffic. Campaign group, The Alliance of British Drivers (ABD) described the news as “unacceptable” while celebrity traffic lawyer, Nick ‘Mr Loophole’ Freeman, dubbed the development “underhand”. A spokeswoman for the Highways Agency said: “The speed enforcement system is capable of enforcing variable speeds including the national speed limit, including when the signs are blank. “Enforcement of the speed limit is a matter for West Yorkshire Police, but drivers are reminded that they must follow motorway regulations and obey the speed limits at all times.” ABD spokesman, Brian McDowall, said it had been their understanding that the signs had to be illuminated for motorists to be caught speeding. “It’s the first time we’ve heard of this,” he said. “It’s unacceptable because otherwise you have no forewarning. “For everyone’s understanding, it should be clear that if the signs are on then the limit is enforced, and if they’re off it is not being enforced.” Mr Freeman said he would defend anyone who got a ticket for speeding when the signs were off. He said: “It’s the most underhand and devious way of trapping speeding motorists. “The expectation is the cameras are only used to measure the reduced speed limits. “If the police or the Highways Agency are going to start using these cameras to measure speed during normal road conditions it’s grossly unfair. “It’s imperative that at all times they display what speed is being enforced.” AA spokesman, Edmund King, said the situation needed to clearer. He said: “If the cameras are working when the signs are off then motorists should be told. “There should be a sign that says ‘cameras in use’. “They should be transparent about it, it should be clear what their objective is. “The objective should be to get drivers to slow down and not to prosecute thousands for speeding.” http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/highways-chiefs-reveal-m62-cameras-6152759 As well as the M62, this also applies to the M42, M1 in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, M1 in Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire, M25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spot Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 As well as the M62, this also applies to the M42, M1 in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, M1 in Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire, M25 M42? I thought all the speed cameras in the West Midlands had been turned off? Linky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hectors House Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 M42? I thought all the speed cameras in the West Midlands had been turned off? Linky Speed cameras on motorways are the responsibility of the Highways Agency, the M42 has hard shoulder running and has digital cameras already in place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byron Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 I cannot understand what all the fuss is about. So, a speed freak gets caught, who cares? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkG Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 I cannot understand what all the fuss is about. So, a speed freak gets caught, who cares? Because it's not 'speed freaks', it's people driving at a safe speed for the conditions, which just happens to be higher than a speed limit set when people were still driving Ford Anglias. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
up2late Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 Instead of turning the gantries off, have them display 70 when the normal limit applies. Problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChumpusRex Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Every single gantry with the cameras has a big speed camera warning sign on it, as well as the gantries leading up to the one with the cameras on. They are far better signed than speed cameras on normal roads. I've seen them (or I thought I saw them) go off a few times when nothing is displayed on the gantry, having driven the M42 far too much. However, you had to be really moving to trigger them, probably 95 mph at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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