M11 Speed Camera Increases Accidents and Raises £500k/Year

[MaFt]

Thanks to PistonHeads for the initial story.

Some people call them Safety Cameras, others call them Speed Cameras. Today's news is one of the reasons for the latter!

Under the Freedom of Information Act (and with intervention from the Information Commissioner) Essex Police have shown that a camera on the M11 (Gatso 4785 in our database) brings in around £500,000 per year and that crashes have almost doubled! This is clearly one example where 'safety' is not paramount. The camera is placed on the southbound carriageway between junctions 4 and 5 where the speed drops from 70mph down to 50mph - obviously causing people to break suddenly.

[BigPerk]

Interesting - I've found that stretch a bit treacherous as well. IIRC the camera is quite close to the 50mph sign and, as pointed out, quite near also to where the 3 lanes go down to 2. It's true I think as suggested in a comment on the article that initial speeds would probably be nearer 75-80 in practice. A fairly straightforward recipe for increased accidents?

I would assume that it's the lanes reduction that's the hazard 'justifying' the camera (probably rightly so, actually), and raking in the cash. What isn't right is the siting - if they had thought properly about safety, or perhaps not given revenue a higher priority, they would surely put the limit sign and the camera further away from the narrowing point, and possibly even step the limit down to 60 first.
_________________
David
(Navigon 70 Live, Nuvi 360)

[pendlemac]

So how many of those that caused the shunts were done for driving without due care and attention?

Has any one done a similar survey on that clockwise section of the M60 at J25 where the limit drops straight to 50 and is enforced with SPECS?

[DGJones10]

I made my contribution to the funds a few years ago.

I drive generally within the rules and keep an eye open for limit signs and of course cameras.

I was clocked at 76mph at this camera one summer evening in daylight, which was the average speed of the flow of traffic.

Being so much over the limit I was automatically proescuted.

I am sure that at that time there was no sign on the central reservation, as I saw no sign, as I was clocked in the middle lane overtaking lorries, which presumably screened the sign on the left.

When there has been reductions in the limit it was usual in Essex to have advanced warning as on the many roadworks we experience.

I was joined at Harlow Magistrates court with a large group of law abiding citizens. Middle aged generally, housewives etc and a young air hostess returning from stansted.

I was fined £200 pounds and had the inevitable points applied, which of course increased the cost of my insurance for a few years.

[jonrome]

If there has to be a camera here, it would be the ideal place for variable speedlimits. In the morning rush the traffic rarely reaches 50 mph. At 4 a.m. on a sunday morning when the is no other traffic at all, to be forced to travel at 50 mph is lunacy unless they're expecting a cyclist or a child on the motorway.
It is also badly sighted as it flashes in the eyes of drivers on the other carriageway. I remember late one night back when there were still terrorist bobms exploding, it flashed in my face & it took several miutes for my heart rate to drop to normal. A potential accident in my view.

[keefieh]

I wonder how MONITRON:54721@50, a camera monitoring eastbound traffic on the A40 in Northolt, compares? It's shortly after a 70 to 50 MPH drop in speed limit and there are usually 'fresh' skid marks when I drive past.

Is it easy to get the revenue/crash figures?

K.

[DennisN]

[MaFt]

[MaFt]

is there a count down for the speed limit change? i.e. a greyed out 50 sign with the count-down bars or even '800yds ahead'?

coupled with a speed camera sign then that would probably be a cheap option to actually warn people to slow down in advance!

at the bottom of the m606 in bradford (one of britains most pathetic motorways) it drops to 50mph for going around a relatively sharp bend towards manchester (m62). the limit drops a good 800yards before the junction and gatso camera and has plenty of warnings for both the lower speed and the gatso. it works as people gradually slow down before the camera rather than having the speed limit change THEN suddenly get the camera. ok, people are still speeding but there isn't the sudden dangerous braking as you see the camera as you've had plenty of warning.

MaFt

[BigPerk]

Funnily enough, I was just wondering this morning whether I had seen preliminary warning signs on that stretch. As MaFt says it's the obvious, cheap solution, which I'm sure would solve most problems (apart from the Government's national debt that is ).
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David
(Navigon 70 Live, Nuvi 360)

[TVR_nut]

[DennisN]

[Andy_P]

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