On a 40mph road, whats the maximum speed before getting caught in the speed camera in UK.?

Question

Suppose im driving on a 40mph road and there is a speed camera, what is the maximum speed i can travel before the camera flashes. This is because today in the morning i saw a car infront of me going much faster than 40mph and he didnt get caught in the speed camera.

thanks.

Answer 1

its down to each local police authority to set their margin of error, this allows for the fact not all speedometers are accurate. Most will set it at around 44mph...the general rule of thumb is 10%.

Ones in some counties have a zero tolerance however...and will fire of at 41mph.

Dont forget the ones with a red lens on the front dont flash, it uses a light sensitive film to see in the dark instead.



Also...in some counties... NOT all cameras are loaded, they get loaded on a rota system, so you never know when its active, this saves money but still makes u slow down. Here in Northamptonshire... ALL cameras are live....damnit..lol

Answer 2

I've recently been done for 45 in a 40 limit and 35 in a 30 limit. i.e.60 points.

I today passed a camera van in a 30 limit and I am praying that I was not photographed. On this particular stretch of road, a dual carriageway, the "offences" will be in their thousands.

Some years ago a child was playing "chicken" with friends and got killed. The limit on this dual carriageway was reduced from 40 to 30 for no real reason.

I'd like to be sorry for the child but really I'm not.

I do not consider myself to be a speeder.

I could very easily have 9 points on my licence, on the verge of disqualification!!

Surely the police/courts should have discretion in minor "offences" before they do disqualify someone.

Any ideas anyone?

Answer 3

Don't speed - the limits are there for a reason!



All the above answers about +10% etc etc etc are all ignoring the fact that your speedometer is legally allowed to be +/- 10% accurate, which is why the cameras are set +10%, to compensate for under reading speedometers (cars that are travelling a little faster than the speedo indicates).



The only safe speed to not set off a speed camera is the speed limit itself, because if your speedometer is reading 10% under your actual speed, and you decide to go over the speed limit a little , you will actually be WELL over the speed limit................ and a ticket for you in the post!

Answer 4

think the tolerance is about 10 % because that is the allowance that is made in case your speedometer is faulty or badly calibrated.



I have been caught at 36 mph through lack of concentration, and have been allowed through at 35 mph on the same camera.

Some people are just lucky but the number of speeding tickets has doubled in the last 10 years and 2 million people are on 9 points one flash away from a ban.

I think it would be fairer to only charge us 1 point for a speed up to10 mph above the limit and an increasing penalty for amounts above that

This would still bring in the revenue the government want and allow drivers to keep their license.

Answer 5

firstly I'd advise you to stick to the speed limits,but what works for me is this- 30+10%+3=36mph in a 30mph zone and so on example in a 60mph zone 60+10%+6=72 mph but i only do this in good driving conditions and in areas where the limit appears unwarranted like an empty motorway or areas i know well with very few pedestrians/other road users. so 48mph in a forty should escape a fine although cameras don't always have film in them and some police forces like to make more money than others and set a 40mph camera at 44 whereas others will set them at 50mph

Answer 6

Anything over 40 could get you caught... depends how the camera is setup. I'm not sure there's a standard above the limit before it catches you; as that would defeat the purpose. Everyone would do 50mph in the 40 zones then.



You can also go about 170mph I think it was, Top Gear beat a speed camera. Drive fast enough so it can only snap one picture and you'd get away with it.

Answer 7

If you can get upto 120mph on a motorbike or good car you wont appear in the field of view,give it a go !...Try doing 50 with a mate mooning out the window,but cover your plates first. seriously they are calibrated to take a shot at anything over 44,but your car maybe reading more or less on the dial,watch others breaking at these "money" spinners and see how different they all go through.....I recently saw a police car chasing a motorist through a camera and the motorist actually slowed for the camera :-) the police nearly collided with the back of his car,i dont think they were expecting that !....some new equipment out there is digital and requires no film and data is sent rather than physically collected,some of these do not need to flash

Answer 8

it could have been that there was no camera in the box. in stoke where i live they have 8 camera's (unless they got some more since) which get moved around the yellow boxes, so u might not get caught today cos there is no cam but then tomorro they put one in and you do.



in terms of speed, my dad said that ur dial in ur car is always a couple of mph slower than what it says, so if u r goin 40mph u might actually be goin 39. not sure of exact numbers tho and u should never try and risk goin over 40mph anyway just incase

Answer 9

Hi

simply to aloow for the cars speedo, the cameras are set to ACPO rules of 10% plus 1 mph. asif you r driver a new car with digital speedo, its normally correct to 1 or 2 mph, but an older analogue version has a tolerance of about 10%. So they are normally set to reflect this, also to buy a speed camera kit is about £35k each, where as a houseing is circa £20k, so they only buy 30-40% of cameras to housings, so many wont have cameras in.

In my area (west Mids) our council is so flush with money that on roads with a camera they installed another 1 or 2 everywhere, anywhere they could make a few quid. I agree with hotspots and schools, parks etc. but on a normal road on a bend (cant see it till its too late) you get the drift, over that last 6 months ive seen approx 20 -30 installed, then they close our swimming baths as they dont have any money...aaarrgggh, labour council for you.

Any way hope this helps, as its is considered a way for the government to get cars of the road, if your banned you cant drive. you have to use public transport. As you got yourself banned not them!

Answer 10

The speed limit is ALWAYS the last speed limit sign that you passed. It does not matter what the type of road is - or how many junctions you have negotiated, the speed limit is ALWAYS the last speed limit sign you passed. Speed limit signs are only posted where the limit changes - so every road does NOT need to have a speed limit sign on it. ONLY IF THE LIMIT CHANGES. National speed limit ONLY applies after you pass a National Speed Limit Applies sign (white circle with black diagonal).

Answer 11

The Association of Chief Police Officers sets the guidelines that forces follow. The margin is 10% + 2. So in a 40 limit, you should be OK up to 46. Of course your speedo might not be accurate, and there is often a reason for a limit that will not be obvious, so it is not worth putting it to the test.

Answer 12

the police can actually nick you for doing 41 in a 40. this plus or minus rubbish is a load of b****cks. it all depends on how you're car is set up as well.

i have sat nav and a safety camera device in my car and they both say i'm doing 3mph less than the speedo, we have tried this in 6 other cars, all the same give or take 1mph. so to get nicked you would have to be doingthe equivalent of about 35mph in a 30 xone according to you're speedo



the cameras are usually set 1-2mph above the limit in my experience and unfortunatley in some of my friends. i know people who were nicked by a camera doing 31 in a 30, 41 in a 40 and 52 in a 50. the only way out of it is to ask for the calibration records in court, if they are not up to date you have them, if they are its cost you quite a lot more.



some areas may be a little more leniant but in effect if you break the speed limit by even 1mph you are breaking the law and they can do you.



p.s simon h is also talking b****cks, 120mph will get you banned, do you not watch to gear, you have to be doing over 170mph to get only one picture taken and as they need to to work out your speed over distance you get away with it.

Answer 13

Usual allowance is 10% which makes 44/45 mph. Lots of cameras don't work.. The cops can't affotd to keep them filled up/ Newer Disc type ones dont run out like the old film ones .. Up to you whether you gamble if a camera wotks or not. Lots of them do,

Answer 14

Not all cameras are operational. The other car was just lucky - most cameras flash at about 10% above the limit

Answer 15

Perhaps the camera wasn't active. The limit is 40mph.

Answer 16

First of all, not all the cameras are operational all of the time.



Secondly, they have to take into account the innacuracies inherent in car speedometers, and from my understanding they leave a margin of 10%.



This means you could probably get away with 44mph, but I wouldn't bet on it, because your car's 44mph could actually be 48mph, then you would definitely be 'flashed'.

Answer 17

You are of course, basing your question on the assumption that the camera was a Gatso and not a Truvelo.



Gatsos use a flash, Truvelos don't (they use infra-red). So the other driver may well have been caught, because he made the same mistake.

Answer 18

Depends upon where you are driving for some Police Authorities give no allowance in excess of the 40 mph limit.

I therefore suspect it is always beset to keep within the urban limits of 20,30,40 & 50.

Answer 19

10% to allow for the guage being slightly out and 3 miles to allow for human error. So 47.



But if you knowingly drive at 47 and your guage is out, you could be in trouble because you could actually be driving at 52.

Answer 20

Maybe there wasn't any film in it, However, I think it's about 42 m-p-h before a camera will flash, don't prove wrong though

Answer 21

They usually have theirs set a little higher cause many speedometers are out. For example if you changed the recommended tire size. Stay safe, stick to 40.

Answer 22

40 of course is the limit - but 10% +2mph is the nomal tolerance level - so 46.

However, I wouldn't risk it above 42.

Answer 23

10%

Answer 24

42

Answer 25

er 40mph. its a dodgy one since some cameras are for show and dont actually flag you. you never know tho, it might still of got him. you dont always see a flash.

Answer 26

Normally 10% above but that said 41 could get someone injured and you summoned

Answer 27

To be honest , if you are trying to get somewhere by doing 44mph , you are only there a few minutes sooner . Doesn't worth risking fines or points .

Answer 28

most speedos over read any way, you look at speedo and it says 40 you may only be doing 38.

its done for safety



top gear it was 172 mph or over to beat the scamra

Answer 29

Stick to 40mph cant go wrong.

Answer 30

Depends if there's film in the camera.

Usually about 45mph.

Answer 31

not 43 cause i have just had a ticket

Answer 32

who knows cos i don't think they use MPH in the UK