Speeding on the M1 - everything you need to know
Speeding on the M1 - everything you need to know
Traffic cops have warned motorists that they will be fined for travelling above 70mph on the motorway even when there is no variable speed limit in place.
Motorists WILL be fined for driving above 70mph on 'smart' M1 in Sheffield - 24-hours-a-day
Speed cameras reportedly cover more than 250 miles on British roads 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
Figures showed that more than 18,000 motorists were caught speeding on the smart motorway which sees four lanes of traffic flow between the two junctions.
How policing has changed since M1 became 'smart motorway' through South Yorkshire
There are no hard shoulders and traffic is alerted to incidents by gantries above the carriageway, which show red crosses when there is a lane closure and enforce temporary speed limits to help the flow of traffic.
Sheffield motorists have suggested many different theories for how to avoid being detected by the cameras but we're separating the fact from the fiction.
Police stop speeding driver travelling at 120mph on M1 near Meadowhall and seize car
How do average speed camera work?
Average speed cameras work by tracking the speed of your car between two points.
So slowing down to go through the camera and then speeding up will not work.
Instead, the cameras take your number plate when you pass through the first camera, then your number plate again at the second, and perform a quick calculation based on the current time to work out how long it took you to travel between the two points.
If the time it took you to travel is quicker than could be done at the speed limit, you'll get a fine in the post.
So if the speed limit is 30mph and you drove at 35mph for 30 seconds, you'd need to drive at 25mph for 30 seconds to balance it out.
Do the cameras work at night?
Yes.
They are fitted with infrared night vision to ensure they work night and day, and in any weather. Sorry.
Can the cameras run out of film?
No. Unlike some other speed cameras, average speed cameras are all digital. So they can issue an unlimited number of fines.
Can the cameras catch motorbikes?
Yes, the cameras can detect any type of vehicle.
If a vehicle changes lanes, will it avoid fines?
No. The cameras take pictures of every lane and cross-compare them. So changing lanes won't save you, contrary to popular belief.
If I speed through multiple sets in the same stretch, will I fined more than once?
It's not likely. Not every camera is paired to every other. So if there are four in a row, your speed between cameras 1 and 3 and 2 and 4 may be compared, or just 1 and 4, etc. But you won't know which is connected to which.
But on a separate section of the same road, you could get fined again.
If you are less than 10 per cent above the limit, will you get a ticket?
National Police Chiefs Council advice has suggested 10% as a buffer, but this is only advisory and in reality many forces are far stricter, especially as cameras become more accurate. In fact, according to the law you can legally be fined for being just 1mph over.
The best method to avoid a speeding ticket? Don't speed, of course...