Learning Point 449 | Pushing Speed Limit Tolerances

My viewer gets a little surprised by a sudden change of speed limit on a smart motorway.
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[@thefrenchareharlequins2743]

These smart motorways seem quite stupid

[@insanephantom6293]

The speed limit is still 50 until the NSL sign is passed, so 'speeding up because a NSL sign is seen further up' is incorrect.

[@Mikeper94]

Of course. But Ashley said the guy likely couldn't see the quick 50 change from his driving position.

[@MrTuts4life]

If you’re in lane 3 doing 75 and slow down to 50 when everybody continues at NSL speeds, you’re creating a danger for yourself, I’d continue until I can get towards the left at a speed closer to 50, but by the time you’ve done that, you’re back to the NSL sign.

[@musawerbelfamyja6955]

Nobody cares

[@JohnR31415]

@@Mikeper94he clearly did see it though…

[@pwners4u]

Well putting a 50 on a speed camera just to get tickets when there is no traffic or accident is also incorrect use of smart motorways

[@Richard-jw9wo]

West Mercia police force do Roads Focus - Driver awareness sessions every few months. I attended one of these training sessions and during that someone asked the person doing the training about this situation where the smart motorway speed limit changes just in front of you. Their response was that as long as you are slowing down all is good. They did say not to brake sharply as it would be dangerous just come off the accelerator to let the car slow down gently

[@smilerbob]

That was my understanding as well

[@georgejohnson1498]

I did not know this, but it sensible pragmatic policy. I live in the West Mercia area ...

[@spikyone79]

Variable speed limits are a terrible idea. The speed limit often goes up and down seemingly arbitrarily, and it's possible to pass four or five consecutive gantries each displaying a different limit. In many cases there is either no obvious reason for the reduced limit, or traffic is already moving more slowly than the limit. It's also difficult to differentiate between 50 and 60. The absolute mess of a system means that drivers spend more time trying to work out the speed limit than looking for hazards and checking their mirrors. That cannot possibly be safer than having a single limit that we all know.

[@georgejohnson1498]

Never mind pushing speed limit tolerances, I have not been in the right lane of a motorway for more than twenty years. On motorways I like to tag a lorry three quarters of a mile in front and let him pacemaker. Say 56 or 60 mph, never getting closer so it is easy to be overtaken without close calls. Effectively I am driving like another HGV in a Citroen Berlingo van, and this neither annoys nor shocks anyone. It is ultra-defensive driving, but remarkably stress-free and also good on fuel. The van does not have cruise control but at these distances you don't need it. You just chug along causing nobody any issues. I learned this trick in the 1990s when I had a Volvo 240 [2.3 litre] which if driven this way would get 40 mpg compared to typically about 28 if continuously accelerating and braking. At 60 mph the terrible aero-dynamic of the car was not a very significant factor. At 70 the fuel economy meant that you passed lorries, but not many fuel stations! Best wishes from George

[@dragxngaming248]

The HADECS 3 Cameras ofc only start enforcing after 1 minute being set, there is also secondary cameras behind the gantry as well pointing at the overhead signal to conform the limit, it then goes to a computer in a metal box on the side of the motorway. Also the camera enforcement only checks your speed 100 yards past/behind the gantry regardless whether it has speed camera lines or not, there is no "average speed" between gantry's typically, technically once you're past the lower limit you can speed back up then slow down for the next gantry, I'd imagine it would be still illegal though. Also 99% the HADECS 3 camera will flash if you have been caught. I usually notice that there are faults with some signals between speed restrictions not working at all, or sometimes some overhead signs on certain lane signs are just blank. Which it it is not good as it adds confusion. When I'm driving I always slow down the speed limit, as on the M25 they usually have hidden camera behind each signal I don't want to risk prosecution by a "Stealth Camera" You should always speed up after the NSL sign not before it. Although most people speed up when they see it.

[@billyskoda6839]

I read that as HADES camera, for good reason...

[@tomsixsix]

The M25 cameras are long dead. Film based and they haven't worked for nearly a decade because it was too expensive for Highways to change the film, they needed to do a full road closure as it was deemed unsafe to have operators climbing up there in moving traffic. Since prosecutions need to be notified to the accused within 14 days that meant having to close the motorway around every 10-12 days to change film - not going to happen.

[@billyskoda6839]

@tomsixsix although in March heading to Dover... I saw them flash clearly after darkness had fallen.

[@dragxngaming248]

@@tomsixsix Ah is it why they installed Yellow HADECS 3 cameras while keeping the ones above the gantry's too. I suspect those cameras where put up around 2000s

[@bikeman123]

Aren't the yellow cameras average speed cameras which were put up when major road works were being done?

[@freddieandrews3471]

Re: Speed tolerances. I'm sure not all will agree with this, but something I find particularly difficult on 4 lane smart motorways (mainly the M25) is that it is almost impossible to stick at 70 in any one lane, as the lane hogging by the 65mph brigade often leaves lanes 2 and 3 inconsistently speeding up and slowing down. This means that the only option is to move out into lane 4 and speed up slightly above 70 so as not to slow the flow of traffic in this faster lane (as the cammer here appears to be doing). I'd argue that the slightly higher speed is far safer than travelling at 70 and causing people behind to get frustrated as you take 5 minutes to pass the vehicles going 65-70mph in lane 3 (given a safe following distance of course), as well as making for a far more relaxing drive as you're not constantly feeling bullied and trapped. When the road is empty, its far easier to stick to 70.

[@leewatson8129]

The car speedo will read a higher speed than actual, to avoid any push back to the OEM. When I worked for an OEM the speedo was set to 3km + (0 to 10%) over the actual with new tyres inflated to 70 psi. (For storage). Tyre wear will also produce around 2~3% error. GPS is generally much more accurate.

[@CarCapture]

I find the best use of SMART motorways is to help define the term 'oxymoron'.

[@tichwykes]

Interesting video Ash typically I set my cruise control on a motorway or any other road 3 mile per hour over the speed limit apart from towns villages etc, my reasoning for doing so is according to satnav & GPS my speedometer is a little off its calibration as according to them they're reading the exact speed spot on. I guess you have to ask yourself which would you trust?

[@christophergallagher3845]

The GPS isn't perfect but way more accurate than your speedometer . The speedometer was calibrated in the factory using fresh tyres , not that those tyres are worn/replaced the speedometer is no longer calibrated. The speedometer determines speed by how many times the wheels turn , with worn tyres you travel less distance with one rotation of the wheels

[@piggypiggypig1746]

There is a grace period of at least 60 seconds after the new speed limit is displayed when cameras are not used to enforce the new speed limit. I see our driver keeping pace with the traffic while keeping a good distance, so no real problem. Technically almost everyone is exceeding the limit but the conditions are good and the traffic is moving as one. I've seen documentaries where unmarked police patrol cars travelling in the middle lane ignore cars doing 80 mph, so long as they're simply keeping with the flow, more or less.

[@musawerbelfamyja6955]

I've passed police doing 80 lol

[@rustydusty2992]

@piggypiggypig1746 Year came here to say the same thing except mine was going to question that there would possibly be a time lag for the activation of tthe cameras as that would be straight forward common sense of Highways.

[@davem9204]

@@rustydusty2992 You think they would apply common sense or tolerance? I'd like to think a decent police patrol driver would, but be less trusting of the setup of these gantry cameras.

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@musawerbelfamyja6955 I've had police pass me in an unmarked car with no blues and twos on doing 95mph+ (I was doing 85mph at the time on a clear motorway). The fact is that the motorway speed limit of 70mph is too low, as concluded by DoT at various stages over the years. Europe has a common 130kph (81mph) motorway speed limit, even Germany, the land of the unlimited speed Autobahn has a great many stretches that are 130kph.

[@clivewilliams3661]

@@davem9204 The problem with most speed cameras is that they take a picture at an instant in time and then its a case of was he/wasn't he breaking the law, whereas a traffic cop can make an assessment as to whether the speed travelled was safe over a period. Driving is a dynamic action so needs to be viewed as such. Having average speed cameras can help solve this problem as the driver is allowed to moderate his speed to suit the circumstances.

[@i3d3]

Looking at the M6 smart motorway law (The M6 Motorway (Junctions 21a to 26) (Variable Speed Limits) Regulations 2024) (I assume all the smart motorway acts are laid out very similarly), there is a provision at s.5(4) that explicitly provides for a 10 second grace period if the limit changed to a lower one just before you pass it.

[@TheEulerID]

I posted my own comment to the effect that there is surely a period when the cameras are not activated (or the results acted upon) after the speed limit gantry sign is illuminated (or reduced). Thanks for confirming that, although as I've got a dashcam that would be good evidence in the event of it being contested.

[@radishpea6615]

It would be unfair for the cammer to be prosecuted for doing over 50 as they passed the gantry but after 100 yards or there abouts, fair. Accelerating while in a 50 due to seeing a national speed limit sign ahead is wrong and again, fair if they get ticketed. An interesting point perhaps the BBB could comment on, if as Ashley mentions, the 50 mph limit was displayed in error, would a prosecution be justified? If all other traffic slows and remains at 50 between the two speed limit signs, does that have any impact on any prosecution?

[@eddyrichards8474]

The camera only activates a minute after the speed limit is changed so this driver wouldn't be prosecuted anyway, they would be a mile up the road at that point. No need to slam on the brakes. Slowing down gradually (on the basis that the next gantry might also be showing 50) is the right thing to do.

[@1988dgs]

There might have been a reason why they needed the lower limit between the two signs, road harmonics over a culvert for example. Just because you can see a speed increase sign it doesn’t take effect until you pass the sign so they might activate the cameras, there is usually a grace period between the sign being activated and the cameras

[@TarikM2C]

Nice try Ashley, I'm not falling for this question. Comment section police waiting to pounce 😂

[@Galerak1]

Yeah, I had this 'discussion' with him a few weeks ago on one of his motorcycling videos. Nice to see he's consistently looking for viewer validation over his "pushing the tolerances" ideology 🤣🤣

[@geko7844]

I imagine the 50 limit was set for the section of motorway that the camera car had just travelled along, and they had already reached the end of the section when the signs came on. Hence, the 50 followed by immediate national limit.

[@shm5547]

Depends on the scenario. Whilst the limit is a legal requirement, there are situations where you would be right to treat it more as a guide. This case is a good example. It would be extremely unfair for the speed camera to start enforcing the limit the second it changes. I think it's almost certain there is a time delay before enforcement begins. Generally, I will adhere to speed limits as best I can, frequently not getting anywhere near the limit when it's not appropriate. But on a motorway, I will push it a bit to keep up with other traffic. Mainly to avoid aggressive tailgating and constant overtaking. It seems to be accepted practice 🤷🏻‍♂. Interestingly, some police services publish their speed camera enforcement data. A trawl of the records for one showed that enforcement of their national limit motorway cameras, when the variable limit was not in force, was only triggered by speeds in excess of 100mph. When the variable limit was in force, the margin was much tighter, with prosecutions at 67mph, 56mph, and 45mph respectively for the 60/50/40 variable limits.

[@sue.Hoo123]

I was on M6 in Birmingham recently in one of the areas there’s been roadworks, although they are not obvious now, road appears clear. Physical signs (with temp cameras) show 50 mph, the gantry signs changed to 40, but when past the roadworks sign NSL everyone sped up to 70+, next gantry still showing 40, I suspect a few tickets will have been issued, it can be really confusing.

[@fp6343]

I set my cruise control to be at the speed limit when I am in the left or middle lane. When I go to the rightmost lane and there is traffic behind me, I would set the cruise control 1 or maybe 2 mph higher. Then when I finish the overtaking, and go back left, I dial it back again. That said, I set the cruise control according to the speed my satnav says. So in my car that means that cruise control is set at 73 to go by 70, and when overtaking, I set it at 74 or 75. In my wife's car I set at 71 to go by 70.

[@LITTLEbigREG]

Pretty sure it’s something like 1-2 minutes after the gantry sign changes that the speed is enforced via the speed cameras.

[@andyfarms9653]

I am more interested in traffic flow and general conditions than absolute speed, but I will push on a bit if conditions allow to a speed that won’t get me a ticket. 3 speed tickets in 48 years says I’ve not been far out.

[@paulfranklin8636]

Having to do a speed awareness course this Friday for doing...wait for it....26 in a 20....first time in over 50yrs driving I hasten to add, I really don't push tolerances, in fact I'm pretty intolerant of people who do

[@sb1056sb]

I’ve always wondered how long it takes for the camera to start up after the initial reduced speed limit has been illuminated. Should be a 30 second grace period after the initial illumination.

[@user-mv5zt8qd9l]

I go by my speedometer and my car's smart limiter function. My understanding is that police don't have to give _any_ leeway if you're recorded exceeding the limit. Unless you're on a particularly long journey, speeding and racing traffic lights will not make a noticeable difference to your arrival time. The road gets you there as fast as the road gets you there.

[@CraigNiel]

Even on a long journey, it makes very little difference. Due to traffic, stopping for petrol or traffic lights etc... driving at 75 or 80mph vs sticking to 70mph will gain you, at best, a minute or two over a very long period. We've actually tested this on a charity motorcycle ride from Jon O Groats to Lands End (so doesn't get much longer a journey!) and the guys that sped off couldn't believe how fast we caught up when they next stopped for fuel etc... 👍👍

[@rustydusty2992]

@user-mv5zt8qd9l No thats true although there is the 10%+2mph that some forces do allow, but I have just gleamed the answer from someone else on here what I was going to question is that the actvation of speed cameras does have a time lag of 60 seconds so that should be enough time from the time of illumination to slow down.

[@Robinbamv]

A cars speedometer is the only measurement instrument that is mandated by law to be inaccurate, they have to over read by law, most speedometer’s indicate 70 mph when the car is traveling at 66-68 mph.

[@musawerbelfamyja6955]

No one cares, its good to practice overtaking at high speed for fun and to improve your skills

[@JohnR31415]

@@Robinbamvno, they just can’t read under… ie their errors aren’t evenly split +/-5%, but +0% and -10%

[@TheEulerID]

I have been in the situation when one of those overhead gantry signs has suddenly flashed up a speed limit (although I was below the national speed limit). I assume that there is a time delay between when that happens and the point when any speed camera is activated with the new limit.

[@TheNecroFrog]

I unfortunately got caught out by a similar situation last year. I was on the M1, the overhead sign changed from blank (NSL) to 50 just as I was going under it and I got flashed doing 57 and attended a speed awareness course. In hindsight I should have contested it, but didn’t have dashcam footage to back up my claim. Someone on my course was flashed around the same time, on the same stretch of the M1.

[@paulstevens9409]

That's terrible, they should be reimbursing you any fine and a bit of compensation for the stress. It's about time drivers were given a break in this country.

[@Poodz_]

Everyone around is speeding through this section as well, and they're in the right lane, much safer to just continue on in my opinion than slow to 50 and pull all the way to the left lane, despite whatever the 'smart' motorway was trying to accomplish.

[@itsbilln2178]

Smart limits are dumb. When the reverse of this happens you can have people ahead doing 50ish and then people come through after when the limit has been removed doing 70ish. Dangerous mismatch in speed.

[@johnmorris7815]

The smart motorway system (like it or loath it) is designed to stop ‘bunching’ the very thing your viewer is contributing to by speeding up and as one of the other contributors has already said, the limit 50 in this case is in force until passing the next speed limit notice. The smart system is a simple fact of life in the south of the country it being present on the M4/3/25/5/42/40/6, most people just get on with it, my personal method is to just set the adaptive cruise, adjust when necessary and don’t take the piss! If it says 50 set 50, the next one could be 40 and it takes more time to decelerate to 40 from 55 than it does 50.

[@tomburton8239]

1. FYI - I cruise-control limit to 70mph actual (73mph car displayed, mine is 5%). Why: because the minute or two gained by going faster would be used on some low value task, and the hassle of a ticket is such a pain. 2. What still gets me is speed limits that do not have an end-of-limit sign. Can be anything from 60mph to 5mph (yes, really), and commonly 20mph school area limits that, legally, apply for the miles ahead as there is no end-of-limit sign, until the next regular speed limit sign appears.

[@gordon861]

20mph zones should have a sign to say end of the 20 limit. If it's local raise it with your local council.

[@davem9204]

@@gordon861 There's a road I drive along quite regularly that goes from a 30 limit to a NSL as it leaves a village. I recently noticed a lot of drivers kept dawdling long at 25-30 after the NSL sign a lot more than they used to. I then noticed just how badly obscured the sign was by overgrown trees. So regular users of the road know the sign is there, but those unfamiliar with the road simply wouldn't have seen it. So I do wonder how many people have been caught out by obscured signs? It's obviously worse if the obscured sign is showing a limit reduction.

[@beneverard7430]

There's going to be a grace period in this scenario. Whilst perhaps not the point of the video, I don't believe the camera highlight is a speed camera, but a CCTV to keep an eye on the roads. Speed cameras would be above each lane, and would need road markings to allow the speed to be calculated.

[@50LightSabersInAPack]

Should always make everyone aware (including when and where) of any prosecution for speed within the tolerances

[@retroonhisbikes]

My sat nav and road angle tell me my actual speed, not the cars speedometer speed. I stick to that 2-3 mph higher than the car says im doing. That’s good enough for me. But the important thing is to never tailgate, ensure i have enough room to stop

[@robinthebobin6537]

2-3mph higher on the speedo on a national speed limit dual carriageway/motorway is what I normally do (providing conditions are suitable of course). Makes the most of the speedo tolerance, but never anywhere near prosecution worries (given that if the speedo says 73mph the actual speed is probably 69-71ish). I think the cam car in the video is perhaps pushing it a little... If their dashcam gps is reading 76mph, I imagine their speedo is at 80mph+. Not something I'd do as I think it's an unnecessary risk, but I am aware that there's definitely more dangerous things you can do on the roads than do 80pmh on a clear motorway - before the "our speed limits are outdated I want to do 90mph" brigade arrive

[@retroonhisbikes]

@@robinthebobin6537 exactly ive also tested the accuracy of the satnav speed display against the road side speed warnings signs. I’m happy im not breaking the law. Which means i can 50mph on the motorway road works in stead if doing 48 and pissing off lorry drivers who like to drive an inch from your bumper

[@howitsdone5581]

I remember reading somewhere that the cameras are paused for a minute when the speed limit changes for this exact reason. Regardless, it wouldnt have been safe to slam the brake on, I would have kept 70 and below thought.

[@funkycowie]

I always travel between 5mph under and to the limit unless the limit is 30 then I switch to about 3mph under and to the limit. I also don't increase until I pass the limit changes when they increase or before when they decrease. I honestly feel more relaxed doing this. The only exception is when I am on the motorway and can see I am entering a squish risk point where I will either drop speed or increase, potentially and temporarily going over the limit, to avoid danger. But regarding this video I think what the driver did was appropriate for the amount of traffic there was on the road.and his position.

[@cliffwood4610]

driving at speeds above the limit makes such a little difference to journey times that it isn't worth the extra fuel or the headache.What can you do with the few seconds saved?

[@C-RENITY]

My job requires 2-3hr drives 1-2 times a week, so the speed certainly does make a difference! Not everyone is doing 20-30 minute drives

[@user-mv5zt8qd9l]

​​​@@C-RENITY But the vast majority of journeys people make on the road _are_ short journeys. Ultimately, it's up to you whether you choose to exceed the speed limit and take a chance with the police's tolerance.

[@izzard]

It also causes problems for those sticking the limit. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid getting boxed in by someone doing 75 in lane 2 when you’re doing 70 and closing on a lorry.

[@Junbav]

@@C-RENITY say you're going 200 miles on the motorway, pushing to 75 instead of 70 will take 2h40 instead of 2h51. It really makes almost no difference

[@stormveil]

​@C-RENITY an absolutely constant 75 versus 70 over 3 hrs is 12 minutes. Wow what do you do with all that time?

[@MarkyBoy-z5w]

I tend to sit at 80 but follow reduced signals.

[@iallso1]

In the past I have driven at well above the speed limit (85 or 90mph on the clock), but on moving to New Zealand with speed more strictly enforced, I slowed down to the tolerance the police were lenient with. These days, I'm even more strict, giving myself about 5% for the inaccuracy of the speedo. In the marked works vehicle, which is GPS tracked in right on the limit because apparently that is what is recorded, and we do get into trouble for speeding. We are also monitoring for excessive acceleration, braking, and cornering forces, and generally my report puts me in the top 10 of the 68 assigned vehicles.

[@thomaselliot2257]

I used to think that these were just advisory speed limits, though I usually obeyed them, even though I never saw any other driver really cared. I do know that if everyone obeyed them, then this would actually mean better traffic flow, and not traffic bunching up and having to queue.

[@TheAviationChannel]

There’s typically a 2 minute or so buffer between the smart speed limits and the cameras being activated for that speed limit.

[@georgerains8494]

A smart motorways course I did a few years ago said that you have between 30 and 60 seconds from the sign changing before the cameras are activated to the new speed limit. But the cameras can still get you up to 400m down the road. I would have waited till the new national speed limit sign before accelerating 😂

[@davem9204]

So 30 seconds at 70mph is about 900m (rough calculation in my head), so you should be well clear of the 400m range. Maybe boot it up to 140mph to make extra sure you clear the range of the camera! ;)

He was overtaking someone. If someone was behind him, slowing down to sort behind the overtaken car would be unsafe. Better to speed up and finish the maneuver, then be compliant with the limit.

The cammer was also actively overtaking and it might have been unsafe to continue easing off and change lanes behind the car he was previously overtaking. He was within the limit tolerances because that tolerance allows him to continue overtaking safely.

[@JasonUmbrellabird]

Hi Ash, are your Learning Points in a playlist on the joiners? I'm teaching my 22 year old daughter to drive (Car Drome track in Essex is great!)

[@irritatedmushroom2]

My guess is that there’s a 10 or so second delay between the gantry speed limit reduction and the camera activating. Otherwise everyone would be fined unfairly with no safe way to reduce their speed, and risk having a huge accident. Nevertheless, the 50 limit was in place for this driver until the gantry in the distance displaying the national speed limit sign, so he should have kept safely reducing his speed. So even if there is a time delay, that doesn’t excuse speeding once the driver’s speed can be safely lowered.

[@PleiadesImprezaT2000AWD-l4l]

I once had a reduced speed limit and lane 1 and 2 closure on the A1M, which i obeyed. The government guidance said you must wait for the overhead gantries to show the restriction has been cleared before moving back or speeding back up again. The obstruction was road workers and was less than 100m long in total. But the next 7 overhead gantries after it were blank. Everyone else had speeded back up and or moved over. Continuing at 40mph in lane 3 was dangerous. What do you do? The consensus in the comments seems to be you must obey the overhead signs no matter what.

This is why in the Netherlands the gantries show a green arrow (meaning "lane in use"), indicating that normal speed limit is in effect. That way, if a gantry shows nothing, drivers know it's defective and last given temporary speed limit is effective.

[@jonno209]

This happened to me, except it went down to 40mph. I eased off because I’m not slamming on the brakes with traffic behind. I got a speeding ticket.

[@raylewis395]

So I was ticketed for speeding at 22 mph past a speed camera in a 20 zone. In theory this should not have been pursued, however the allegation from the camera unit was that I was travelling at an average speed of 26mph between the two photographs. When I analysed the photos myself, and the police camera unit had confirmed the time-interval between the images, it showed that I was going at 21.67mph. However, even if this is below the threshold to start the prosecution procedure, as the procedure had started, the only recourse would be at court, and at 21.67 mph, I had exceeded the limit, so there would be no chance of success in contesting the penalty.

[@johnb8956]

I don’t see any road signs, is this the M1? I had a very similar situation a couple of weeks ago, though the sign did not just show up. It went national - 50 and then no more than a couple of hundred yards up of minimal traffic you could see another national. Rightly or wrongly I admit I did disregard the 50, instead ensuring there was nothing on either carriageway I had missed. I also know it wasn’t for a specific incident as I had the reverse coming the other way two days prior! 🤨

[@ibs5080]

Writing this from my hospital bed. One common issue I've encountered in this type of situation: 1. I'm in one of the overtaking lanes doing 70 mph and overtaking slower vehicles on my left. 2. We all then come up to a slower temporary limit, for example 60 or 50 mph 3. I diligently slow down to the lower temporary limit. 4. However, the vehicles I was previously overtaking don't slow down to the temporary limit and are now travelling faster than myself 5. This now leaves me stranded in an overtaking lane travelling slower than the vehicles on my left, making me look like a lane hog 6. The situation is made even more awkward if a vehicle behind me in the same lane doesn't want to slow down to the temporary limit either 7. So now I'm being bullied to get out of the way but with no ability to do so due to the speeding vehicles on my left. I try to anticipate this situation but still get caught out occasionally. In a somewhat ironic twist, I feel more "protected" in the scenario I describe when there are also signs to advise "Stay in lane".

[@R0ssMM]

I have this happen to me on occasion. It's made worse when people start undertaking from your lane before you've had a chance to safely pull left. I'll usually put a left signal on to stop that, and move over when it's safe to do so. But even then I've had lorries tailgate me for sticking to the limit in the left lane 🙄

[@rustydusty2992]

@ibs5080 The answer to this is one I was going to ask but someone had already answered it is that there is 60 seconds before the activation of cameras after dispayed limit is illuminated, so this would then allow you to maintain speed for that that period giving you time to move over.

[@shaun__3]

Happens to me all the time on the M6 smart motorway this. I'll often be in lane 3 or 4 going 70mph, but then slow down for the speed limits and others don't bother. All the issues you wrote I have the exact same thoughts.

[@OldSkoolLover1996]

This exact scenario, really annoys me. Happens alot..

[@johnkeepin7527]

The HoC does permit passing on either side in situations where variable speed limit is active at less than the top limit, in heavy traffic, so as to reduce the risk and loss of capacity caused by lane changes. It’s a bit mealy mouthed about it, as it appears to contradict the normal requirements when there is no reduced speed limit on display. (268: “In congested conditions, where adjacent lanes of traffic are moving at similar speeds, traffic in left hand lanes may sometimes be moving faster than traffic to the right……Do not weave in and out of lanes to overtake”. The implication is that the use of less than the maximum on display is done at busy times, or at times when there has been an incident ahead. It is fairly common for some to run slower than the variable limit, if they do not understand how accurate (or not) their instruments are, or if they over react to the gantry signal, but then the most important outcome is to maintain enough braking distance in front, including taking into account of what is behind. Came across a nasty looking one recently where an HGV was kind of tailgating a little car that was doing just that in a 50 mph zone. And think about where someones blind spot might be.

[@jasonk7072]

There's a big issue with these smart motorway limits, trust. Things like this happen often, a 50 or 60 limit is imposed only to be removed a mile or two down the road with no apparent reason. Once I saw a 20mph limit on an empty M1 at 4am. There's a social contract here, we are expected to abide by these variable speed limits but in turn the Highways Agency are expected to use them responsibly and sparingly. We live in a world of conspiracy and suspicion and flicking on a 50 limit for one gantry fuels the theory that they are there to catch people out and make money. You could say this was an error and only one incident, but it happens all the time.

[@douglasreid699]

The other side of that is the highways agency can see traffic flow further ahead on the road and this could be a genuine use of a limit to slow vehicles further back so flow ahead is better when they get there.

[@fp6343]

20 is crazy. I was driving north on the A21 yesterday, around 10 am. The M25 was closed because of a truck fire or something. The traffic on the A21 was light (going north. Going south was standstill). Getting near the M25 exit, suddenly there was a 20 speed limit above the lanes. And there was nothing on the road, only the sliproad to the left was closed with a row of cones and a vehicle behind them. About 500 metres ahead it was national speed limit again. I understand the idea, but 70->20->70 in that short distance does not make any sense. If I just get my foot off the accelerator, I will slow down to maybe 60 by the time the limit is already lifted. I could brake hard, putting myself in danger, but for what, exactly? I think they should have put there warning signs and reduce the speed limit a little. E.g. to 50 or something, to account for the occasional confused driver who wanted to take the M25 and now realises that they can't.

[@NIN2277]

It also undermines confidence in the system as a whole. If they're imposed frequently without any obvious reason then any drivers experiencing that are (gradually but increasingly over time) less likely to abide by variable speed limits fully in future, which of course is dangerous when there *is* a valid reason for lowering the speed limit.

[@T-ki3dp]

Just want to make something clear, there is no tolerance in the law for speeding, 1mph over the limit is breaking the law. However, there is a tolerance the police use most of them time of 10%, which is to remove the possibility of equipment calibration leading to a case being thrown out. For example, if you were reported for 1mph over, you could ask the prosecution to prove that the camera was calibrated to within 1mph accuracy, and quite often they aren't able to show that as they don't get calibrated that often. The 10% tolerance basically makes this defence null and void because a camera is never going to be that far out. It's important to understand this, because there are situations where the tolerance does not apply, such as if there's a second (and possibly more reliable) source for your speed like your own dashcam footage.

[@davem9204]

Even when they do claim to calibrate them, they don't do it properly. Often they just check it reads 0mph when pointing it at a wall.

[@watchanything-c7r]

so doing 75mph with a red sign of 50 ye you got to be dim if you think you wasn't going to get flashed and he should of started to slow down when you see the sign of 50 not keep doing 70+

[@mikemac803]

I have noticed nonsensical speed limits being imposed for no good reason. The cynic in me thinks this is to trapping drivers into getting a fine

[@houndbite2]

Gotta say but i’ve never been issued a ticket from temporary speed limits on motorways, not to say it doesnt happen, but especially on parts that have just changed i’ve never been issued a ticket, and i’ve gone through fast (usually at 77 as i set my cruise control to that), granted i’m fairly aware of speed cameras and i will slow down for them if i see a temporary speed sign flash up, but once passed it i’ll usually go back to 70, same as everyone else!

[@Richard_Barnes]

Often dangerous signs imho. We were recently travelling motorways and the signs were up for 50 mph, then 40 mph. In lane one was us doing 40 mph whilst everyone passed us as motorway speeds. This left us in lane one dangerously slow compared to any traffic behind and my eyes were glued to the mirrors waiting for someone to come flying up. It was as if no one at all had seen those signs. Not good. I sit at 70 mph which is 71 displayed in my car. Dunno if I'll be able to do it when I pick up the new Audi tomorrow though 😆 Somewhat of an upgrade.

[@richardharvey1732]

Hi Ashley, On the topic of what speed to go at on motorways with other traffic I think that the official limit is largely irrelevant, what I try to do is drive at whatever speed the other traffic is going at in whichever lane I want to be in, going significantly slower or faster is a bit silly. What I apply is the same strategy as elsewhere and drive at a speed that suits me and my judgement of the conditions, I have become more accustomed to leaving much more space between me and the vehicle in front but only because it is easier and quicker to overtake if there is some room in which to accelerate before pulling out, space in which there is also a chance to change my mind and slow down a bit. In the situation you show I might have eased off as the driver did but without a space on the left to ease into at matching speed I would never slow down to a speed significantly less than those in the left lane! that way leads to disaster!. As it happens when I am on any dual-carriageway I always treat the other traffic as a dynamic system and do my best to never procede alongside another vehicle at the same or lower speed, the staggered formation technique allows no deviation, so I am always able to cut to tyhe left lane if I want to reduce my speed. In some ways my driving style has changed over the years, the first decade I drove as fast as the vehicle could go almost everywhere!, I was aware of speed limits but only in so far as it meant I had to watch out for traffic cops. I drove at or near the limits of adhesion and grip and wore out more than a few cars while spending a lot on fuel. Many of those vehicles were not capable of speeds much in excess of the seventy MPH limit which was introduced a few years after I was given a driving license, I did get a few speeding tickets, one was three hundred yards from the exit of my place of work!, some from time to time from Gatso cameras. I had to learn the hard way to see them first and remember where they are!.The last few years I have slowed down quite lot, most of the cars have been capable of speeds even I consider insane so driving flat out is hardly ever possible. I do usually make a point with each new car of exiting a dual carriageway at high speed to leave slowing till the last second in order to find out just how that vehicle performs in that situation, it always surprises me just how quickly a modern small car will stop if everything is in good working order!, the old ones back in the day were very different!. I do recall being told by a very good friend that speed limits are meant to be treated as limits not targets and have never driven to that limit, what interests me is the actual conditions, pedestrians, other traffic, road surface lighting and weather, the combination of which dictates appropriate speed. I have also become more relaxed about staying below the limit because that then requires less vigilance, not so much cop-spotting. I also leave at least a car length between me and the vehicle in front even when stopped in traffic, for much the same reason, it is easier. One thing I do now see as never before is just how many other drivers are breaking thew limits in built up areas, so often when going through a village at thirty or less the car behind me that I passed out in the open a mile or so back where it was doing forty-five, comes up behind me still at forty-five!. I don't know of course if this is actually different now to four decades ago because back then it was me coming up behind them in the village doing sixty!. One of the elements of my constant routine variation of observation while driving is still as it always was repeated looks at the speedo, I always want to know just what speed I am doing, just part of that routine sequences of repeated observations so that I can make decisions based on facts not assumed rights or rules. Watching so many of these videos that you and others do for us has made me think that I need to set aside some attention for a while on aspects of the way I do drive, some of the other unconscious habits that nI practise and just how I avoid so many of the dodgy situations other find them selves in, one of particular interest is this matter of near misses on roundabouts with cars trying to pass slower cars on the left and then take the exit right in front of them, something that you refer to as failing to keep a staggered formation. and only change lanes between exits. Cheers, Richard.

[@rustydusty2992]

@richardharvey1732 Best thing I did to evaluate was to pass and join the local IAMRoadsmart driving group, my driving was OK but now both my knowledge and driving are far better. I'm now in 2 groups and just finished 30 years as a response driver, 3 years on ambos ,10 years with SAR (ALSAR) and the last 17 4x4 response with 2 groups

[@DV8Rx]

I usually put my cruise control on at 72, as Google maps and Waze end up saying I’m doing 70

[@ExtantThylacine]

I'd imagine there must be a minimum time the speed limit must be displayed before it can be enforced.

[@BadgerBoy59]

I recently had a debate with someone on one of these dashcam channels about sticking to speed limits (mainly in 30 zones). Essentially, the other person's view point was that everyone should move out of his way because he said that "speedometers are inaccurate and the 'real' speed is actually 4-7mph less than what's shown"...although he used this as his justification for going at 25 in a 20 and 35 in a 30, etc. I did look up about this on Google and there are quite a few articles about this "true" speed limit, but my point to him was "would you go at 35mph (on the speedometer) in a 30mph zone in your driving test?" to which he didn't have an answer. I would love to see a video from you looking at this point because I feel it's in some way related to this video about pushing speed limit tolerances.

[@shaun__3]

I doubt a modern car is 7mph off at 30mph. My 2018 car is only off by a few even at higher speeds. 31 is 30, 51/52 is 50, 72/73 is 70. 20mph seems pretty accurate.

[@splifsend]

89 mph is my limit - if the Police van in front of me is doing 89 then so am I

[@davidmatthews3093]

I don’t push the limit but I do drive to the speed indicated on my gps not the car’s speedometer.

[@wizardorlegend]

I thought I saw on black belt barristers channel the Torrance was only 2 miles an hour regardless of the speed. The whole 10% thing is a myth. But that’s all by the by, my real question would be though, the dash cam speed was saying 75.5mph what was the cars speedo saying.

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

Why assume the 50 sign was a mistake 1:00? The NSL could be wrong or about to change. Driver should have carried on slowing down until they passed the NSL.

[@davidmatthews3093]

It seemed a strange comment as well. There might have been a stopped vehicle on the hard shoulder or some other obstruction between the gantries.

[@JohnGuidetti751]

@@davidmatthews3093Did you see any of that? NO

[@pwners4u]

@@davidmatthews3093 I drive on smart motorways weekly and I have come across them change on speed cameras for no reason. Isn’t it funny how they always change on the speed camera gantry and not the one before or after

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

@@davidmatthews3093 Agreed 👍

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

@@JohnGuidetti751 Just because it wasn't there doesn't mean it shouldn't have been considered. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[@gordon861]

I understand that there will be a time given to allow you to adjust your speed down to the actual limit. Regarding speed limits, I may push them on occasion, but I also run a GPS to keep an eye on my speed so the indicated speed in the car will often read over the actual speed I am doing.

[@johnkeepin7527]

The relevant official standard does not allow negative values, so almost all private car displays are deliberately set up to over read a bit. Mine is almost 5% fast with a brand new pair of tyres on, but I think many other vehicles are often more accurate. If you’ve got a camera fitted with GPS you can measure that with an HGV in front.

[@gordon861]

@@johnkeepin7527 I run an app on my phone called GPS Test (one of the few apps I have bought, even though there is a free version), one of the display options is a large speed readout, so the phone sits in a cradle running the additional speedo.

[@stationcolossus]

I highly doubt the speed camera is triggered at 50mph the instant the gantry sign changes. There will for sure by a short grace period to allow motorists to slow down safely.

[@JakobusVdL]

Not in built up areas, beut eerywhere else, yes.

[@justinhinchliffe2355]

No, You get 60 seconds grace on variable speed limit changes.

[@RussRyan7713]

On motorways i normally run at 75. For the gantry signs i would expect a grace period when they change. I have however at night had signs saying 2 lefts lanes get over. A 40mph limit come up. Then 2 red x in lane 1 and 2. This forcing me into lane 3 at 40mph in the dark on a quiet motorway. Next 2 gantry's the same. Then nothing. No end signs just blank signs. So for abiut 3 miles i was lane 3 at 40mph. For nothing. I spent the whole time watching my rear. Bkoody dangerous and for nothing.

[@ryanalexander4423]

He will be fine as you said jumping on the anchors would be dangerous , and no I do exactly the speed limit in good conditions , 50-60mph in wet the wetter the slower . Busier slower , too many competitors on the road these days trying to save 30seconds

[@stephenhill8790]

I usually leave a 2 or 3 mph gap below the limit, as I find it takes away any worry about speeding, I got caught twice once was 1 mile an hour over 51 going past a 50 mph camera, second time 32 coming into a 30 that was on the same day ☹️ 40 years after I got one for speeding on a bike in the 70s 😂 police officer congratulated me on my riding, but said unfortunately I was speeding in some places, so gave me a ticket, two years later did my advanced riders test with a police rider as my examiner a passed 🤣😂🤣 he told me off for not going fast enough on the dual carriageway, said make good progress when the road is clear 😂

[@fergy1ful]

Camera doesn't change when sign changes (Highways Agency don't want sudden braking on motorways). Cammer should have respected speed limit at 50mph. New cameras also point towards vehicles so effectively still in a 50mph until underneath the NSL. Any tolerances are guidelines and not legal so definitely pushing their luck on this one. Not every gantry has a camera so they probably just got lucky on this occasion.

[@cordite7207]

I stick to the limit but go by my gps speed on motorways and dual carriageways and stick to my cars speedo everywhere else especially in pedestrianised areas to err on the side of caution

[@PedroConejo1939]

I think that is a wise course. I set my limiter/cruise to my GPS on faster roads (eg. 62-63 for 60; 73-74 for 70, but it needs confirming each time for some reason), but I set my limiter to the posted limit in dense urban areas. It seems to me that whatever speed I do, there's always some git behind who wants me to go faster. That doesn't work.

[@johnfh]

Interesting... Of course he should have slowed down to 50 as soon as safely possible, and then sped up to 70 again when the sign says so. Last year I was caught by an automatic camera when I was doing 96 kmh in a 90 zone in Sweden. The fine was well over £100!

[@LoadingRetroGames]

I wouldnt be assuming it was a mistake unless I could clearly see every lane tbh

[@frankhooper7871]

I've got my system with speed limits: I don't exceed them. Hence, I've never had a speeding ticket in my almost 60 years behind the wheel.

[@richardclarke9966]

It's really very simple, isn't it!

[@piggypiggypig1746]

I’ve never had an accident but I’ve sure seen some things in my rear view mirror 😂

[@davem9204]

You're lucky you've never been caught by a badly calibrated, incorrectly used or non-type-approved speed detector. Sticking to the limit doesn't guarantee you won't get accused of speeding.

[@EvoraGT430]

60 years of never having any fun? Wow how incredibly dull.

[@alexdavies1009]

In this case, the speed limit remains at 50mph until AFTER you pass the national speed limit sign. Your viewer is well in excess of the speed limit for the entire stretch.

[@MrTuts4life]

Along with everyone else.

[@douglasreid699]

But if traffic flow around does not lower their speed either in the 50 area, should the cam driver still move lane and slow down? Or keep with the flow and not risk a phantom traffic jam for vehicles behind?

[@thegrowl2210]

Who cares? Slowing down to 50 for an obvious mistake and then speeding up again wastes fuel, braking material, and causes congestion. Use your head.

While that is correct, it is also irrelevant to that car's situation. He was overtaking, and there's no information whether someone was behind him. If there was someone, getting off the gas and sorting behind the car he was previously overtaking will only aggravate those behind him.

[@Unseh]

Gaming the limits is a fool's game in my opinion. It will gain you negligable amounts of travel time, and unless everyone around you is also using GPS speeds rather than the car's speedometer, you're still going to be stuck behind people doing technically-slower-than-the-speed-limit.

[@davidvanderklauw]

A better question: Why do the elite make every speed limit end with a zero? The elite tell us that a 5kph speed difference can double risk. If so, surely speed limits should come in 2kph increments. These electronic boards could even have 1kph increments. Good question eh?

[@clivewilliams3661]

There was a 50mph sign displayed and therefore immediately beyond the sign no-one should exceed 50mph. The national speed limit sign further along indicated the maximum speed as 70mph so the bit in between should be driven at no more than 50mph. As the law stands all the cars should have immediately braked to the 50mph limit, no matter how ludicrously dangerous that would be. If the 50mph sign was flashed up in error then the person who caused that was negligent and should be sanctioned as it was a dangerous practice, notwithstanding that it brings the speed limits into contempt. With all these variable speed limits there must be a count down process to ensure than drivers are brought down to the speed safely. You will note how disrespected the speed limits on motorways are that simply doesn't occur in other parts of Europe, where better driver training and enforcement sets the appropriate standard. I would imagine that in this instance as shown that drivers will be expected to break the law.

[@insanephantom6293]

In the world of AI I wonder if this will be an issue with self driving cars. Will they slam on the brakes to 50 or not?

[@ChrisWrightGuitar]

The GPS speed will be reading below what the car is, so I wouldn't be surprised if their speedo was reading close to 80. Definitely "speeding" imo and probably intentionally. My dashcam and google maps reports around 66mph when I'm on cruise control at 70. As another comment says, over is over. You can even hear what sounds like a TomTom speed warning. They were then doing that in a 50. You have to call it what it is, speeding. Whether you care or not is another matter but not something I'd want to rely on in court!

[@davem9204]

It is very unlikely the GPS speed will be consistently reading low. It's the car's speedo that will likely to overread. The main problem with GPS speed is the lag and the general reliability if the signal is poor and the electronics is a bit cheap, so it might be smoothing out quite a noisy speed reading. I certainly wouldn't 100% trust either the car's speedo or a dashcam GPS reading as a definitive measure of car's speed.

[@RogerHolden]

70 should mean 70. Surely doing 75mph is not just about prosecution for the speed itself. If you did have an accident and were proven to be speeding, you'd either be at fault or it would be considered a contributory factor.

[@richardsanderson9883]

It always baffles me why people view the appropriate speed as a figure over the speed limit mandated.

[@ricequackers]

There's about a one minute delay between the limit being displayed and the camera enforcing the new limit, precisely so you don't have to touch the brake. On a separate note, I see plenty of these "mistakes" on variable speed limit motorways where only one sign is randomly set with a lower limit while the others before and after it are set to the NSL, and they always conveniently happen to be the sign which has a camera attached. One would almost suspect they're causing congestion and risking collisions just to extract a few extra quid to compensate whenever the Treasury finds another "black hole".

[@xTerminatorAndy]

using Occam's razor the most likely cause is a glitch. Remember the saying "don't attribute to malice that which can be attributed to incompetence"

[@ricequackers]

@@xTerminatorAndy I'd also like to think so, but an awful lot of very convenient glitches seem to happen.

[@davidellis8141]

If the majority of people are doing one speed then all you can do is to try to move to inside lane otherwise it would be dangerous to do 50 suddenly when people around you are doing 70 plus.

[@McGubbins42]

I was on the A14 recently and had a 50 limit flash up on the gantry. I had been pushing 70, similarly to the video, but I slowed down to comply. Traffic was flowing freely but it’s possible there was an incident further ahead, out of sight. The next gantry showed a 40 limit, so I slowed down again. Then there’s a junction and traffic joining the dual carriageway are obviously going a lot faster. The next gantry shows the NSL sign. There was no queue, no congestion, no incident. Someone just wanted traffic to do 40 for no reason.

[@Jiayne1335]

Im not a fan of smart motorways . To much fiddling going off to get speeding tickets.

[@veritasaequitas9875]

I'm a 50 max inside lane hogger. This is not something I need to be concerned about generally speaking. Motorway maintenance sections not withstanding.

[@smilerbob]

Travelling at 75mph compared to 70mph is a difference of just over 1 minute for a distance of 20 miles. Is it really that important to risk prosecution and less reaction time for the sake of very little time saved? As for the gantry signs changing, I thought there was a small delay between lowering the speed limit to the cameras activating to prevent sudden andbharse braking incidents?

[@billyskoda6839]

Compare our rather draconian approach to road speeds with that of a pleasant journey across southern Belgium and Germany. The journey is serene, travelling legally in excess of 70mph, as fast as is appropriate for the conditions ( mandatory reduced limits in the wet), lane discipline is exemplary and everyone gets to where they need to go without stress, incident or continually staring at their speedo.. All on a perfect road surface with no congestion. The contrast between UK roads and continental perfection is stark.

[@tomsixsix]

Can you not make this argument for every speed? Why travel at 70 mph when 65 mph would be safer and only a minute slower? Heck, why not drive at 60 mph? It's all relative.

[@billyskoda6839]

@@tomsixsix I completely agree. I firmly believe that the appalling state of driving in the UK is due to inappropriately low speed limits where not necessary forcing people to speed and overtake when not safe to complete even short journeys in a reasonable time. I agree with lowered speed limits where appropriate, but 70mph in a modern car with evolved braking systems and materials is very outdated.

[@shaun__3]

Not necessarily. If I leave for work 5 minutes earlier, I get to work 20 minutes quicker, because traffic is going to build up in those 5 minutes, especially on the M6. Same logic could be applied to having the initial portion of the journey pre-traffic quicker.

[@billyskoda6839]

@shaun__3 my children have to leave for a school journey of 13 miles 90 minutes before school begins... an appropriate speed limit in between would assist, rather than 50mph... and some 20 mph sections. That is not even acceptable in the 3rd world.

[@gordoncrowther7913]

And why is he hogging the overtake lane when NOT overtaking

[@4ChordsNoNet]

Up until the 50 sign, the speed limit was 70mph. 70 means 70, not 70 + 10% + 2. If people are going to drive to just below the speed tolerance then we should either drop the speed limit on motorways to 60 mph or adopt zero tolerance and prosecute at 71 mph. Your viewer was consciously exceeding the speed limit, not momentarily going over by a few mph for a short distance.

[@davem9204]

Or just increase the speed limit as the cammer appeared to be driving perfectly safely at that speed.

[@4ChordsNoNet]

@@davem9204 then they'll add another 10mph to their speed and drive at 86 mph.

[@robinthebobin6537]

Agreed, they were quite obviously above the 80mph threshold on the speedo since the satnav was reading 76 at the end. Given that they were still accelerating at the end of the video, I don't think it would be unreasonable to assume that this driver probably gets near or over 85-90mph on their speedo from time to time (or regularly). Which is wholly unnecessary, and if they get prosecuted - serves them right, they've only got themselves to blame. If there are any members of the "are rodes are outdayted make the spede limitt 90" brigade reading this, no I cannot be bothered to argue with you. I normally have 73mph on the speedo as my limit, as it means my car is probably doing 69-70mph in truth. But I'll never go higher than that.

[@davem9204]

When the cammer noticed the 50 limit appear they seemed to be in two minds about whether to back off or accelerate a little to make sure they clear the car to their left. You don't really want to ease off and be sat in the blind spot at the same speed. Backing off may have caused problems with anyone behind and cause a ripple-back effect, so just a little squirt of acceleration to get past the car, then move to the left may have been the smoother, safer option.

[@kiddywolf1837]

The cammer was observant enough to see national speed limit sign from distance and react (wrongly):so why didn’t he see 50 sign early enough to slow to limit! Can’t have it both ways!

[@ricequackers]

Also to add, we should probably match other European and raise our motorway speed limits as it's perfectly safe to do so with modern cars. 75mph is 120km/h which is the speed limit in Ireland, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Finland, while 130km/h is used in most other countries (Poland goes up to 140km/h on some very new motorways). The 70mph limit was set in the late 1960s where cars had drum brakes, inadequate or no seat belts, and the only crumple zone in the car was the occupants; the only thing that prevents it being lifted is politics.

[@brettjackson2008]

Driving standards would have to seriously improve to make this a reasonable move. I don't see either happening any time soon. Also higher speeds create more noise and pollution. We need to be pushing those down rather than up.

[@ScruffyMisguidedAndBlue]

That argument might fly if it weren't for the fact they have more accidents and fatalities in those countries. Cars may have improved, driving abilities and attitudes haven't.

[@davem9204]

Rogue speed limits on gantries does seem to be quite common. I don't drive on the motorway much these days, but when I have I've often seen just one gantry with a lower limit for no obvious reason. I wonder whether the operators forget to reset them after incidents, or accidentally set them? The trouble is you get one set of drivers who then ignore them as they know the limit is probably a mistake, and the other set who must obey the limits regardless; so you end up with a bigger difference in everyone's speed.

[@rustydusty2992]

@davem9204 The main thing about your comment is the type of sign it is on the gantry's as the amber ones are advisory wheras the red warning round sign ones are the limit with only the possible exceptions if it is the force policy to apply the 10%+2mph rule but that is also at the officers discretion.

[@johnkeepin7527]

On some stretches of road, they sometimes use advisory signage to try to slow down traffic a long way back on account of congestion ahead. If it works out, by the time we get there it all carries on moving, rather than start/stop queues.

[@Hali88]

We need smart drivers not 'smart' motorways

[@khalidacosta7133]

There is a 60 second grace period to acclimatise. However... I am not prepared to waste my time and money endlessly going to court and fighting an idiot magistrate on this. I am slamming on. Good luck to those behind me... 4 pot callipers and premium wide tyres.... you best have insurance!

[@CrispeeCrisps15]

No because that’s an average speed camera

[@xTerminatorAndy]

going over is illegal and you can get fined and prosecuted at 1 over. Don't rely on tolerances. Edit: AND if you ever get into a collision, if it can be proven that you exceeded the limit, it will be counted against you.

[@Fercough]

Exactly this. These 'tolerances ' are a very flexible thing. Stay sub 70 on the motorway and drive nicely.

[@richardclarke9966]

@@Fercough Not to mention reduced stress levels. What exactly is the point of going over for a couple of minutes saved and extra blood pressure!

[@andrewlongman2757]

1. There is no speed limit tolerance, this is false. Legally, 70mph limit means 70mph. Some police forces adopted a tolerance in enforcement to get round challenges to the accuracy of the measurement methods and tools, but not all. 2. You failed to comment all the lane hogs that can clearly be seen in the video. Lane hogging is considered to be careless or even dangerous driving.

[@dereksmith6126]

If police forces didn't have any tolerances, then they wouldn't have enough police to enforce a strict MPH limit.