New M4 speed cameras catch 500 in four days

miniyazz · 25 Jan 2015 at 23:48

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-30950712

Looks like they've decided to drop a section of motorway to 50mph. Not sure on the specifics but I'm guessing motivated partially by noise pollution given its close proximity to the town.

Shock as people didn't stick to random 50mph limit on a stretch of normal motorway :eek:

Bet they thought the cameras weren't live.

Rich_L · 26 Jan 2015 at 00:47

Ah it's probably because the speed limit signs were in English.

mccarf · 26 Jan 2015 at 01:33

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/6179113.stm

They removed a camera there years ago because it caused tailbacks. Seems pretty daft to put cameras on the exact same stretch now.

miniyazz · 26 Jan 2015 at 17:48

mccarf said:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/6179113.stm

They removed a camera there years ago because it caused tailbacks. Seems pretty daft to put cameras on the exact same stretch now.

To be fair there's a big difference between a Gatso type and average speed cameras - one keeps the traffic flowing at roughly the speed limit, one causes jams and danger due to people braking suddenly.

mattyfez · 26 Jan 2015 at 18:01

Rich_L said:
Ah it's probably because the speed limit signs were in English.

That's an issue with managed motorway speeds, I'm never sure whether they are active or not, and often speed limits are reduced for no obvious reason.

The M62 between Leeds and Manchester has all new hi tec gantries now.

Sod it, I'll stick the cruise on at 50 mph, sit in the middle lane and hope for the best, and hope I don't fall asleep. :cool:

mccarf · 26 Jan 2015 at 18:18

miniyazz said:
To be fair there's a big difference between a Gatso type and average speed cameras - one keeps the traffic flowing at roughly the speed limit, one causes jams and danger due to people braking suddenly.

Actually I think it's the other way around. People are going to be coming from 70mph to 50mph which they have to maintain for the entire affected stretch now on a two lane motorway. Before they could just brake just before the camera and speed up once they're out of range (thats what most people do there for the gatso they kept). That really created a much shorter pinch point than what they have got now.

Really they should have just killed off the worst sliproads where you can't see people coming from behind a wall until the last moment, then on each side of the affected stretch put proper sliproads. Then limits could be removed and it could be a normal 70mph motorway. Yeah it's a little more inconvenient for people of Port Talbot, but why do they need a sliproad every few hundred yards anyway? Even Swansea only needs one every mile or two.

Westyfield2 · 26 Jan 2015 at 18:18

Why is a section of motorway limited to 50MPH?

MrMoonX · 26 Jan 2015 at 18:23

miniyazz said:
To be fair there's a big difference between a Gatso type and average speed cameras - one keeps the traffic flowing at roughly the speed limit, one causes jams and danger due to people braking suddenly.

Tbh people are idiots I see them regularly throw down the anchors for an average camera speed up and then do the same at the next one, hopefully those morons got tickets

Kenai · 26 Jan 2015 at 18:31

Westyfield2 said:
Why is a section of motorway limited to 50MPH?

In heavy traffic, assuming a compliant pool of motorists, it can actually be beneficial from a traffic flow point of view to have everyone drive slower and try to avoid so much brakes on brakes off brakes on driving. People sharply braking rather than slowly changing speed can cause huge ripple effects resulting in near gridlock miles back - the phantom traffic jam.

This link shows the effect http://video.mit.edu/watch/formation-of-a-phantom-traffic-jam-8152/

Westyfield2 · 26 Jan 2015 at 18:41

Variable Limits

Kenai said:
In heavy traffic...

But the photograph in the OP link shows a permanently erected sign.

FC1983 · 26 Jan 2015 at 18:52

It's been 50mph for a long long time, I think it's because it goes through a residential area. The static cameras caused terrible tailbacks, but now a lot of people do about 40mph which is frustrating.

Lopéz · 26 Jan 2015 at 19:40

It's been 50 there since before I moved back to England, so at least 10 years....

CaptainRAVE · 26 Jan 2015 at 20:08

Good, that section is terrible. It has been 50 for ages and has been sporadically enforced by cameras and police cars. Most people stick to the limit, but a fair few completely ignore it. They have also been warning people for weeks.

Nasher · 26 Jan 2015 at 20:10

I'm seeing more and more people driving around with no front plates these days to avoid cameras. Small fine and no points if you get caught too. But on country roads theres almost no chance of actually getting pulled over.

Anyway, average speed cameras always worry me. Because I see so many people watching their dashboard instead of the road. While driving inches from the car infront (including lorries). Until car manufacturers fit cruise control as standard (so you can set it and take your eyes off the speedo), they should be scrapped. :/

bledd · 26 Jan 2015 at 21:00

It's been a 50 section for years and years, typically people only slowed on the way to Cardiff. It needs a 50 limit tbh, so many small entrances and exits on that piece of road.

Plus it allows you to inhale the lovely fresh sea air of Port Toilet

CaptainRAVE · 26 Jan 2015 at 22:34

bledd. said:
Plus it allows you to inhale the lovely fresh sea air of Port Toilet

And take in the stunning view...

mejinks · 26 Jan 2015 at 23:07

Its a money spinner for the council to share with gosafe. Rather than try to alleviate the problem of congestion, they punish the serfs of Port Talbot. If you live in Port Talbot, you have to drive to either end to get on the motorway. They built a distributor road around the back, but there is one access road to it in the town before you hit the motorway, so for the residents, its totally useless.