Just a bit of awareness really that there is clearly now a move to start having cameras related to variable speed limits on motorways operate to enforce the limit even when the variable limit is not on. ie 70mph. This is a move away from what has been practice for many many years.

I was pinched on Friday evening doing 83 with no reduced limit in place. Was rather surprised to see the camera flash (especially as I was travelling at a very similar speed to other traffic - to the point that I wasn’t even sure it was me being flashed - the cameras are now to the side of the road).

This is on the M4 and M5 around Bristol. There is nothing to indicate that there’s a change in how cameras are used.

Whilst it’s a perfectly “fair” cop, it’s missing a trick to not make people aware that the cameras are now full time. Had I known, I’d have driven accordingly which makes the cameras far more effective.

To indicate how poorly the change has been publicised, I called the Speed Enforcement Unit at Avon and Somerset Police and the agent had to go and check if this was the case. A quick straw poll of people in my office brought a unanimous view that the cameras don’t operate to enforce 70 when no signs are lit.

This is a bit worrying as I use the M42 regularly with these cameras. Have you had a NIP yet to confirm it ?

I seem to recall a few complaints from users here being flashed on the M25 in recent years when no lower limit was in place.

From a couple of years ago: it seems, reading between the lines, that the decision is down to the local police force. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-34719997

Yup

I don’t have a problem with it provided you know. All of our fixed speed enforcement is predicated on the fact that people are aware of it.

The Speeding Enforcement Unit seemed to believe it was a Highways England decision in this case. Regardless, without awareness, it only serves to issue fines (courses, in my case) but doesn’t control speeding.

I found a couple of other references from this year that suggest this is becoming more common.

I've complained before about the effect of the speed cameras on the A505 causing clueless drivers to suddenly scrub off twenty or thirty mph, down to fifty or sixty... never seen one flash but only this week one of them was being serviced in some way by a fairly official looking bloke with a van.

There's a lot to be said for cruise control...

The only reference I’ve found is in The Sun website, of all places, from Jan 2018 that says the M1 cameras will be always on. I can’t find an M4/M5 reference.

I know the Bedfordshire police commissioner was talking fairly publicly about moving the M1 cameras in their area to always on “to raise money”. Notwithstanding whether it’s a fair cop, this isn’t meant to be the point of limit enforcement, and maybe he should have got the message at the last election when he tried to get the locals to sign up to increased tax to fund the police and they said “non”.

I take the view now that if it says nothing I’ll drive at 70 and be safe. Of course, that means you’re looking at your speedo more than the road, but that improves safety right...?!

Could be true, the ones near Luton seem more aggressive these days

Ahhhh but if they made Joe Public aware that the cameras are in operation 24/7, they wouldn't be able to generate the income they do. It's not about safety or traffic flow, it's about making money, despite what the authorities say.

Over the next 15/20 years I reckon the plan is to make all Motorways 'Smart'

Smart motorways are just about making money! Would the accident rate soar if the cameras weren't there? I doubt it very much.
There are far more accidents on rural roads than motorways but you don't see smart cameras popping up all over the countryside do you?

I got a very vague letter back from the Speed Enforcement Unit (via PCC) saying that the cameras had been “always on” “since they were installed” and there was “no change” in the way that they are used. .

I asked for clarification if this referred to the old cameras or the brand new ones.

No reply today....

As someone who drove at least a 100 miles on the M25 everyday for nearly 2 years I see things very different.

Before the variable speed limits the motorway was fast and flowing, but regularly my journey (and someones day and life) would be ruined by a largeish accident of some sort.

Then they introuduced the variable speed limits and although my average journey time increased the number of long journeys reduced significantly. My journeys became more predictable.

For me over a large period of time the variable limits on the M25 came as a positive.

That's a really interesting perspective, which I have to say I share due to regularly using the M25 most days to get to and from home when working in Surrey and Sussex. I too perceive a reduction in serious collisions, so had a look at the available data on the highways agency website.

The latest data is showing in some areas a reduction in travel time, but a slight increase of on average 4 minutes between certain junctions. They have also picked up a reduction in fatal collisions, but call this small and not statistically significant at this stage. Fatal's were down, but there were data quality problems as two of these were suicides rather than driving attributed. Where the big falls were, was in serious collisions (down from 36 to 4) and slight (down from 401 to 90) during the reporting period.

Of course the stats can be interpreted in different ways...

What I find immensely irritating about the M25 is how often there’s variable limits up on weekend evenings (when I’m normally on them) for no reason I can see and, because they are weekend drivers, rather than commuters, it causes more problems with people behaving erratically and unpredictably. They then seem to cause more problems than they prevent.

In busy commuter motorway situations, I’m generally a fan of variable limits.

Update from the local camera team is that they are saying that the cameras have enforced 70 mph since they were first installed (originals) in 2014. Yet, I can find no evidence of this anywhere. Quite the opposite judging by the flurry of reports about the smart motorways having “always on” cameras and lines like “And the strict 70mph rules could be adopted by other forces beyond Derbyshire, too” being printed.

Crappy last response from Avon and Somerset plod.

Not up to them to put up signs. Enforce a 79mph limit. Not their cameras - they only operate them etc etc.

Meanwhile Highways England says that they neither request nor require the cameras to be “always on” - that’s down to plod (who don’t feel responsible for telling people that they are always on...).

In short, I think, in this instance, it’s a money-making venture - else you’d let people know...

And there, TBH, is how my faith in the constabulary of our country drifts away.