How intelligent are speed cameras? (1 Viewer)

Aug 27, 2014
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I don't see how they can differentiate the speed limit. Nowhere on the V5 or even the van itself does it say what the unladen weight is, which is what dictates the speed limit difference.

The key point is, is the van above or below 3.05t unladen? Below and the speed limits are the same as in a car, above and it's 50 on single carriageways and 60 on dual carriageways, the others stay the same.

Mine's definitely below 3.05t, honest Officer. Truth is I don't know but if it was completely empty, no fuel, no driver, it probably would sneak under. I can't see it ever being checked though - not exactly easy to do, unlike your gross laden weight.
 

Silver-Fox

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Weight wise in a panel van it makes no difference

Any van that isnt car derived goes into the 3.5t catagory
 

DuxDeluxe

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I don't see how they can differentiate the speed limit. Nowhere on the V5 or even the van itself does it say what the unladen weight is, which is what dictates the speed limit difference.

The key point is, is the van above or below 3.05t unladen? Below and the speed limits are the same as in a car, above and it's 50 on single carriageways and 60 on dual carriageways, the others stay the same.

Mine's definitely below 3.05t, honest Officer. Truth is I don't know but if it was completely empty, no fuel, no driver, it probably would sneak under. I can't see it ever being checked though - not exactly easy to do, unlike your gross laden weight.
Can you prove it if you receive a NIP? And what would it cost to do so? It certainly isn't a theory that I would like to test........... Save some fuel and stick to 60 on dual carriageways

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DanielFord

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Weight wise in a panel van it makes no difference

Any van that isnt car derived goes into the 3.5t catagory
Not true, motorcaravans fall into a different category to goods vehicles, see here: https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

A standard transit would fall into the category goods vehicles under 7.5t (it even states this on that site), whereas if that same van were converted to a motorcaravan, then the unladen weight rule of 3.05 tonnes takes effect.

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Aug 27, 2014
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Can you prove it if you receive a NIP? And what would it cost to do so? It certainly isn't a theory that I would like to test........... Save some fuel and stick to 60 on dual carriageways

60 on dual carriageways isn't so bad, but 50mph on single carriageways can be a bit painful. The A9 north of Perth is infested with those SPECS cameras, before I'd checked the rules thoroughly I went along there at a steady 50, afraid of being caught. I quickly had a large buildup of traffic behind me at that speed, with the inevitable idiots overtaking where it's not safe to do so - and yes, I did pull in every few miles to let the queue past.

I don't see how they could catch you, with no recorded unladen weight anywhere. It's a rather archaic rule that I presume will eventually go away or be changed to work on gross weight. If I had to I could take everything out of the van and weigh it on a public weighbridge as part of an appeal, but it's so unlikely to happen that I'm not concerned.
 

DuxDeluxe

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60 on dual carriageways isn't so bad, but 50mph on single carriageways can be a bit painful. The A9 north of Perth is infested with those SPECS cameras, before I'd checked the rules thoroughly I went along there at a steady 50, afraid of being caught. I quickly had a large buildup of traffic behind me at that speed, with the inevitable idiots overtaking where it's not safe to do so - and yes, I did pull in every few miles to let the queue past.

I don't see how they could catch you, with no recorded unladen weight anywhere. It's a rather archaic rule that I presume will eventually go away or be changed to work on gross weight. If I had to I could take everything out of the van and weigh it on a public weighbridge as part of an appeal, but it's so unlikely to happen that I'm not concerned.
Fair comment. Someone on here was prosecuted for doing about 67mph on the A 14 a couple of years ago, but I can't find the thread, so it is a bit like gassing........
 

Badknee

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You can always change lanes after each camera has been passed.

The license to operate this system was for one camera to cover one lane, or was originally not aware of it having been changed :)
Yes it's changed, plus they want the whatever percent +2mph variance removed because the accuracy far exceeds expectations. Plus all car speedometers have by law to read higher than the actual speed travelled at.
They want to set the cameras at 50mph and not 54mph because you see 50mph on your dash but you will actually be travelling at 48mph.
So if your actual speed is 54mph at the moment then your dash will read more like 56mph and so you are taking the proverbial.

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Silver-Fox

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Not true, motorcaravans fall into a different category to goods vehicles, see here: https://www.gov.uk/speed-limits

A standard transit would fall into the category goods vehicles under 7.5t (it even states this on that site), whereas if that same van were converted to a motorcaravan, then the unladen weight rule of 3.05 tonnes takes effect.

Providing you have changed the classification at DVLA :)
 
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I don't know about the fixed cameras differentiating between motorhomes and vans but I would think that modern ANPR cameras will be able to do just that with instant access to V5 data.

What I can say for a fact is that fixed cameras have been able to detect the size of a vehicle and trigger at different speeds for many years. I was prosecuted for 46 mph in a truck on the A556 between the M6 and Northwich in about 1989, very annoyed because it is a 4 lane road at that point but no central reservation.

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DanielFord

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What I can say for a fact is that fixed cameras have been able to detect the size of a vehicle and trigger at different speeds for many years. I was prosecuted for 46 mph in a truck on the A556 between the M6 and Northwich in about 1989, very annoyed because it is a 4 lane road at that point but no central reservation.
Even more annoying, you would in fact be 4mph under the new speed limit for trucks on a single carriageway!

I'm afraid you fell into the trap that many people do, the number of lanes available does not define a dual carriageway, which I am sure you now know to your cost. A road may well be a dual carriageway even if there is only one available lane, as long as there is a central reservation.
I only make this comment for information to everyone out there.
 

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