I rarely use the M25 but this week had to go to Sussex twice which means using the section of motorway between the M4 and A3 which has the variable speed limit gantries. These are situated every few hundred yards in some places which must make it the most densely populated speed camera infestation in the world.
What I couldn't quite understand from my limited 2 day experience of them is their strange behaviour which seemed to be more about raising revenue from speeding fines than any logical speed requirement for the road conditions.
One morning going anticlockwise in steady albeit dense traffic flow, no roadworks or queues, four consecutive gantries in the space of only a mile or so had the following limits. 70 (box with diagonal line through it), 50,
60 and then 70 again. There was no obvious reason to have to slow down but everyone had to nail the brakes on regardless.On the way back last night at 8 pm in very light traffic, a completely clear road and pleasant sunshine one lone gantry had a 50 limit on it with absolutely nothing around to suggest why other than force us all to test either our brakes or our wallets.
All I can say is thank god I work from home and don't have to use the accursed road every day. I just wonder what people who have to use it all the time think about whether these things really are switched on just to raise revenue sometimes.
My legal question would be if one could prove the speed limit sign had been left on in error rather than for a specific safety purpose would the speeding ticket be valid?
Secondly, does anyone know if the usage of these variable speed limit signs has to be logged so that every use has a reason noted against it?