I read in the Times on Sunday that more sites are to be given over to average speed cameras.

Currently they're only used on motorways through road works, this is set to change with approx 650 miles of motorway to be covered.

This will coincide with the (insane in my opinion) move to using hard shoulders at peak times in certain areas.

So, what's safer, people driving at 50 with their eyes glued to the speedo, or people driving at 55 looking where they're going?

Oh, the insanity!

 

The variable speed cameras on the M25 work pretty well IMO. Ok, they're not average cameras but there are enough of them to mean that average speeds are maintained.

This means that the usual moronic "accelerate hard, then brake hard whenever anyone moves into your lane" driving is removed, reducing rear end type accidents from "not braking hard enough" and reducing congestion as well.

It's not neccessary to drive with one's eyes glued to the speedo to maintain a constant speed, simply keep one's right foot still, checking the speedo periodically in the same way as checking mirrors.

Unfortunately, these cameras are needed as it seems that most people are incapable of driving a car properly on a motorway, maintaining a decent gap to the car in front, looking further ahead than the rear bumper of the car in front, and unable to drive at a constant speed, prefering to speed up a bit, then slow down a bit, make no compensation for inclines of any sort and so on.

Only be enforcing everyone to drive at the same speed in all lanes can most of the problems be alleviated.

 

Lovegroova's wrong, of course; try that in a Civic VTi, where an indicated 80 occurs at 4,500 RPM.

The engine's oversquare dimensions make it a torqueless wonder, so if it falls off cam uphill with a constant throttle, it slows to a crawl.

Naturally, a slight downhill means VTEC and the little devil firmly gains speed, even after the downhill bit.

Yet it will whizz along all day at about 90 and sounds like it is enjoying itself for the simple pleasure of existing.

The Prelude is undersquare and the contrast is less marked. And it has cruise control, which is nice. But 80 is so damnably slow!

 

Northhampton have been using these for a few years now on normal A roads, its amazing how many people do not understand the concept and speed and brake all the way down the road
The only way is to make it more expensive repairing them than the revenue they collect

 

I think I was editing as you typed. Of course one needs to be sufficiently aware of one's surroundings to notice one is going up or down an incline and adjust the accelerator accordingly. Unfortunately, most people are seemingly incapable of this. And 80 is way too fast for most of the braindead population to cope with.

 

In Northants/Nottt=s, I've seen people in an empty slow lane brake for no reason. A lot.

Surely easing the throttle would be more appropriate.

The most useless drivers seem to be in South Yorkshire.

I wonder if it's linked to coalmining?

 

M60 has had them for 12 months/

Proper PITA

 

i have cruise control, i do a gps'ed 70 everywhere

 

That's not insane, that's a great idea. Anybody who'd used the M42 would agree.

I agree the M25 variable limits work pretty well, and they don't enforce them when the limit is 70.

 

Bloody dangerous when everyone does Scalextric-style lane changes just before the second set of SPECS.