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speed limits


Guest Kate

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After 8 years of motor caravanning I have been flashed by a sped camera and subsequently charged for travelling at 60mph on a normal i.e single carriageway road. Apparently the limit is 50mph for vehicles over 3500kg. Does anyone know more about this as I have travelled at this speed on these roads for the last 8 years in blissful ignorance and have never been flashed or charged.It would seem strange that after travelling 12,000 miles a year that this has never happened. Is this a new law or have I just been very lucky? Comments welcome. Thanks
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Surely if you were flashed for doing over 50 that must be the speed limit for all vehicles on that road, as a speed cmera cannot differentiate between a car lorry or motorhome, unless this is something new!!
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Were you towing anything? Did you not see the 50 sign? Have a look at http://www.police999.com/traffic/speedlim.html If none of these then contest the ticket. Good luck
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Kate,The Cameras only record speed of vehicle,are you SURE that there wasn't a lower (indicated) limit in place ? National Limit on a single carriageway is 60mph (unless Towing a caravan then 50mph) It would be a VERY clever Camera indeed that could read a vehicles 'Plated' weight. CONTEST IT ! RayJ
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Thanks for replies,no there was no 50 limit,standard single carriageway.The ticket referred to Class of vehicle.When I phoned up and pointed out it was a motorhome they said that because of the weight of my Bessacarr E795 it was classed as a private hgv which meant that as such I was restricted to 50 on single carriageways.
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kate - what weight is your van? If it is below 3500kg you should not be liable. If they didn't know that your van is under or over 3500 they are trying it on. Did you inform them that it was over 3500 when you queried it?
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When I phoned to query it they informed me that they had got the class of vehicle information from DVLC. At the moment I cannot get a definitive answer as to the correct speed for my van as it would appear from my research that it is possibly the case all along I should have been speed restricted. However it is not very clear from the highway code but MMM Dec 2004 says that the speed for vans over 3050kg should be 50,60,70 but I can`t find a legal source of this information.
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Kate My van is over 3500kg and I have always understood that my limit is 50mph on single carrige-ways. If this is correct then I cannot see the point in wasting time contesting it. However, I will watch this posting with interest.
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the van should be at the dvlc as PLG - private light goods - they probably have not got the weight on there, as it should only be on for goods vehicles. My Pilote galaxy is 3850kg and is on as PLG.
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Thanks again,on the log book it states revenue weight-3850kg gross,taxation class-private hgv,body type-motor caravan.I am now aware that some people think the speed should be 50 on single carriageways but where is this information printed apart from forums and magazines?
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I remember reading on here or a similar forum that for buses and mcvans the lower speed limit only applies to vehicles with an UNLADEN weight of over 3050kg. The UW is the weight without driver,fuel,oil and anything else removeable. My 3900kg Hymer has an UW of less than 3000kg !
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Well kate it looks like Alan has shown you the documentory evidence on his link and from that if your UNLADEN weight is below 3050 then you can do 60 on single carriageways regardless of your laden weight. Do you know your UW it will be interesting to know the outcome of this.
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I think that the vehicle is incorrectly registered at swansea - should be PLG not private hgv. You should check the details on the new reg document & advise the DVLC that it's wrong. Doesn't help the speeding ticket, though. Ridiculous situation that the unladen weight is taken as the cut off for speed limits. What a mess!
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Guest Will Redfearn, Wirral Motorhome Club
Does it mean that every vehicle which is cliocked at 50 is checked through Swansea-what a waste of taxpayers money."Private HGV" is new one on me. Incidentally were did the alleged speeding offence take place?
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Looks like I`ve opened a good debate! The alleged offence occurred on the notorious A9 as you come off the dual carriageway approaching Birnham,a road we have used many,many times and always obeyed the correct(?) speed limits,Kate
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To double check Iv'e had a look at the source that Clive suggested earlier. It confirms that for Goods Vehicles, and Heavy Goods Vehicles, not exceeding 7.5 tonnes MAXIMUM LADEN WEIGHT, the speed limit in this case is 50mph. Incidentally, my vehicle weighs in at 5000kg MLW and is taxed as Private HGV. What grounds have you for thinking that this may be wrong Mike?
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I think the point may be that mcvans are not Goods vehicles, for speed limits they are in a special category which includes passenger carrying vehicles. It has been said possibly in MMM that PLG means PRIVATE ,(or) LIGHT GOODS. A car is taxed as PLG but is Private, not Goods. Similarly with PHG which in our case is Private but over 3500kg.
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I am very greatful for all the replies. What worries me is that I drive all over the country and abroad and have never been flashed before. I live in Ayr where a new type of speed camera on the A77 clocks your average speed between two points and if the info is correct I should have been travelling at 60 as this is a dual carriageway. I always do 70! I have never been flashed or charged. The night in question I could easily have been flashed 4 times on the A9 as I was inadvertently speeding. This would have meant accumulating 12 points and losing my licence. i plan to phone other police forces to get some idea of what is going on and will keep you all posted as I would hate anyone to lose their licence through ignorance/innocence.
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I still do not understand how you got 'FLASHED' presumably by a speed camera doing 60mph on a road that allows cars to do 60mph, a speed camera does not differentiate speeds of types of vehicles. If the road was a 60mph road for cars then it should not have 'FLASHED' you, only if the camera was set for 50mph would it have gone off, but that would mean the road was 50mph anyway so there would be no argument!! Anyway I have just pulled this off of the following site it may help you to determine your ULW. www.chelstonmotorhomes.co.uk/members/gjbowden/rybegail/website.nsf/cmbessacarre795!OpenForm All Swift Group motorhomes now have European Whole Vehicle Type Approval. This means that payload figures are displayed in a different format to previous years. This does not mean the vehicles have less payload. The Mass in Running Order Figure now INCLUDES the weight of the fresh water tank 90 per cent full and the weight of the recommended gas cylinders 90 per cent full. This has the effect of reducing the published Maximum User Payload as these weights have previously been included in this figure and not the Mass in Running Order. To compare figures with other manufacturers, these facts need to be taken into consideration. For the 795 Maximum Technical Permissable Laden Mass (A) 3850kg (4000kg opt) Mass in Running Order (B) 3443kg (3454kg opt) Maximum User Payload (A-B) 407kg (546kg opt) Essential Habitation Equipment 23kg From the previous statement Mass in Running Order (B) would need to have further weight reductions to achieve ULW.
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Ahh ... the dear A9. Watched a van trying to commit suicide and murder just last week on that very road. Then journeyed with police training drivers from the Scottish College do some very 'interesting' manouvers (?sp please Miss). Glad I was following them and not driving towards them. Anyway back to the case in point. Hubby just made an inspired suggestion - perhaps it wasn't a Gatso that recorded the speed but a mobile recorder with a sharp copper noting the vehicle.
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Many thanks again. I am going to write to Tayside Police as when I phoned and asked them the speed limit for motorhomes on the A9 single lane parts they assured me it was 60mph regardless of van weight. I didn't say who I was! Strathclyde police said the same! It was definitely a camera as the letter even told me where the Gatso was. I remain puzzled but have enjoyed reading the replies which just go to show what friendly and helpful people motorhomers are. Will give you all a wave on the A9! I might add that I was travelling to the wonderful Inver Mill campsite at Dunkeld at the time which is probably worth the extra 60 quid the weekend might cost me if I have to pay the fine! Thanks again.
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I remember reading somewhere that one of the camera safety partnerships set the camera at 50 in a 60 zone to catch speeding HGV's. That may be happening here.
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