tabetha

I have noticed of late that these signs that flash up your speed in villages etc are not always accurate, owing to my new wheel size I checked the car speedo with the sat nav, by pure chance it was bang on up to 70mph, but was tripping 30mph signs, 40 mph sings when doing less than the limit.
I found the one in Old Buckenham, went off when I was doing 26mph in a 30 indicating I was speeding when I wasn't, that wasn't the only one by any means.
I wonder if this is a new ploy ?, to reduce speed even to less than stated max allowed ?
The devices measure with 100% accuracy but are adjustable, so have been deliberately set at that speed to flash a warning even though no offence has been committed.
tabetha

zetec-Sam

iTrader: (2)

There's one near me that says you're going slower than you are! Strangely enough, there's a speed camera 200yrs down the road. Cheeky cunts!

Edit-Was using satnav/scangauge

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

There's one near me that flashes up 30 even when you are doing an indicated 30 on the speedo. Some also seem to flash up regardless what speed you are doing.

Sat nav speedos are way more accurate than the speedo in your car, so I'd just use that to set the bench mark!

Oranoco

I always ignore them anyway. If I don't set them off I feel cheated. LoL

rsfido_1989

Im the opposite... I go fast as i can to see if it wont go off lol...one local is on a nice straight so i can get through and before any houses appear im back to normal
(87Mph seems about the speed it stops reading)... But they sometimes put a van just after it so its not too cleaver sometimes lol

DanW@FastFord

iTrader: (1)

Doesn't really matter when they go off - they just remind you of the limit. I've no problem whatsoever with them, and seeing as they're proven to slow drivers more than speed cameras they get my vote!

Oranoco

Actually they are only proven to slow drivers in the short term (circa 6 months). I had the report on it on my desk not more than a month ago.

DanW@FastFord

iTrader: (1)

Indeed, which is why it's recommended that the sites are rotated on a regular basis.

Oranoco

Which isn't as straight forward as it sounds. The signs typically cannot be just bolted to a lighting (due to the regulations that dictate weight and windage of any attachement (typical not greater than 0.3m² for an existing unit) and require their own post and electrical supply (although this is often taken as a sub circuit fed from the cutout of an adjacent lighting column) and the sign manufacturer will often insist they do any installation and removal and reinstallation of their sign or the warantee is null and void. This can lead to 3 seperate visits to move a sign. One to disconnect the electrical supply, Second to remove the sign and move to new location then a third to reconnect the electrical supply. Each visit will usually require Traffic Management. All of this costs mone whcih local authorities simply don't have. This makes them uneffective.

Mark_

we used to have one near mine that shows what speed your doing,
everyone used to fly past it to get the highest reading

Oranoco

They have an upper limit programmed in to discorrage people doing the "scoreboard" thing typically about 15mph over the trigger speed

Mark_

this one was on leabridge road in hackney, its been turnt off a long time now,
its still there but doesnt work.

Oranoco

Often the case mate. Probably find it's packed up but there's no budget to repair or replace so they just get left to rot after they pack up and they aren't covered by teh manufacturers warantee. They aren't used for enforcement so they don't spend any budget on maintaining them

tabetha

I was chatting to the chap who does the SAM smile boards around norfolk, couldn't believe they cost £10K, nearly choked when he told me.
I'm totally for any speed reduction, in the right place, and I actually would like to see more 50mph limits on certain roads, esp some country roads around norfolk.
I am of the opinion that hounding a modern car driver with a well maintained car doing 85 in a 70 where conditions allow is wrong, I'd rather see them catching the pricks who race up and down my estate, and high street.
I had a car years ago xr3i crash into my garden, missed the lad by about 30 seconds, had he been there in the car 30 seconds earlier imo there would have been a death or serious injury, car had failed mot day before, old one expired no insurance or license, mates mums car it was.
I called the plod despite protests from other people not just the driver, who waved around £1K under my nose not to, and my then next door neighbours he said same to.
He wanted to "come to some arrangement", I said the police were very good at arranging things so that's why I called them.
Turns out he was wanted on warrants without bail from midlands or london somewhere, had me window broke 2 days later I expected that, and I'd still do the same again.
tabetha