Port tunnel speed cameras

jordanfaf

I always though the port tunnel contained speed cameras. But when I was driving to the airport to collect someone yesterday I noticed a few civics fly through. After seeing that I myself thought there must not be no speed cameras so decided to speed up a bit. Now I'm hearing conflicting answers. Some say there is fixed cameras. Some say they are just surveillance an some say there is a camera at each end that works out your average speed. Or none at all. Dos anyone know for sure. I hope there isn't for my sake but there should be as it's very long straight with a low limit

spurious

They flash number plates of speeders up on a screen so I always presumed they were reporting them in some way. I hope they are. Speeding in a tunnel is utter moronism.

tomtucker81

There is no speed camera for the purpose of giving out a ticket. They have cameras that can work out your average speed.you will see on the speed signs at the side, they can flash the speed limit with your reg no on them so obviously they can work out what you are doing.

A lot of cameras in the tunnel are for safety, monitoring distances between vehicles and cctv purposes for any incident that may occur.

Until such time as we get like the UK with average speed cameras, there won't be tickets coming from the tunnel.

jordanfaf

spurious wrote: »

They flash number plates of speeders up on a screen so I always presumed they were reporting them in some way. I hope they are. Speeding in a tunnel is utter moronism.

I agree. But within reason. The 80 speed limit feels far too slow. I was in the tunnel on a Sunday morning. Nothing but me and those civics. It feel like an age doing 80 but when I sped up a bit I still felt I was doing a safe speed while still traveling at a reasonable pace

markpb

jordanfaf wrote: »

I agree. But within reason. The 80 speed limit feels far too slow. I was in the tunnel on a Sunday morning. Nothing but me and those civics. It feel like an age doing 80 but when I sped up a bit I still felt I was doing a safe speed while still traveling at a reasonable pace

I guess it's because an accident in a tunnel is likely to be far more dangerous for you, more dangerous for anyone around you, far harder for paramedics to reach you, far harder for the fire brigade to reach you and will cost a lot more in terms of repairs and disruption than the same accident on a motorway.

tomtucker81

80kph keeps trucks slow. The next limit is 100kph, and at that limit trucks could be at their maximum permitted speed of 90kph.

Now if trucks with hazardous loads are flat out, and some of these trucks have had certain not legal modifications made to restricters etc, you'd have trucks at much greater speeds and then the risk of accident etc dramatically increases.

The single worst thing that can happen is fire in the tunnel. Trucks with full loads have increased strain on brakes, which can overheat. If they are travelling faster the strain on braking is incresed anyway regardless of load weight. (Search for a fire that happened in an alpine tunnel-firefighters couldn't get in due to the heat)

Also if something does happen and everyone is travelling 20 kph faster, well, increased braking/stopping distances come into play.

Its all about safety. Might not seem that way when you're alone in there with good road in front of you and you stuck at 80kph, but it is that way from previous incidents in other tunnels.
*im in no way an expert on trucks/loads/brakes!!

tomtucker81

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mont_Blanc_Tunnel

Read about the 1999 fire.

Victor

markpb wrote: »

I guess it's because an accident in a tunnel is likely to be far more dangerous for you, more dangerous for anyone around you, far harder for paramedics to reach you, far harder for the fire brigade to reach you and will cost a lot more in terms of repairs and disruption than the same accident on a motorway.

Agreed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsHn0qVUmQQ - alcohol may have contributed to many of these.

tobsey

The reason for the 80kph speed limit is the curvature of some of the bends for the most part. Because of the walls you can't see anything around the bend. If someone stopped suddenly there are parts where you'd have very little time to react once it came into vision.

terryhobdell

jordanfaf wrote: »

I agree. But within reason. The 80 speed limit feels far too slow. I was in the tunnel on a Sunday morning. Nothing but me and those civics. It feel like an age doing 80 but when I sped up a bit I still felt I was doing a safe speed while still traveling at a reasonable pace

What is a civic? Why would you feel that a speed limit is a suggestion and based on your skilled engineering assessment and supernatural knowledge of what is round a bend you can then just ignore it? It's only 4 km.long.

Victor

terryhobdell wrote: »

What is a civic?

A Honda Civic.

LXFlyer

OP, you seem to have issues with speeding and not obeying speed limits.

This is the 2nd thread you've started on this subject (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057226721 is the other)

Seriously, get real and start taking a bit of civic responsibility. Familiarise yourself with the speed limits and start abiding by them, irrespective of what other idiots are doing. The limits are there for good reasons, despite what you appear to think.

Otherwise you are not going to be driving anywhere for very much longer, nor, frankly, should you deserve to be.

discus

tomtucker81 wrote: »

80kph keeps trucks slow. The next limit is 100kph, and at that limit trucks could be at their maximum permitted speed of 90kph.

Now if trucks with hazardous loads are flat out, and some of these trucks have had certain not legal modifications made to restricters etc, you'd have trucks at much greater speeds and then the risk of accident etc dramatically increases.

The single worst thing that can happen is fire in the tunnel. Trucks with full loads have increased strain on brakes, which can overheat. If they are travelling faster the strain on braking is incresed anyway regardless of load weight. (Search for a fire that happened in an alpine tunnel-firefighters couldn't get in due to the heat)

Also if something does happen and everyone is travelling 20 kph faster, well, increased braking/stopping distances come into play.

Its all about safety. Might not seem that way when you're alone in there with good road in front of you and you stuck at 80kph, but it is that way from previous incidents in other tunnels.
*im in no way an expert on trucks/loads/brakes!!

Could have fooled me, great post, well explained!

tomtucker81

Yeah theres loads of safety features in there, all having taken account of other tunnels and incidents.

The distance between fire hose reels, how far you have to go in any direction to find an escape door (250 metres for both) , vehicle crossing points so you can turn into the other bore to escape etc.
Then there's the broadcasting system, it can cut in on your cars radio with messages. The chevrons on the road to show the minimum distance that should exist between vehicles.

The main use of the tunnel is to get trucks away from the city, which it does. For cars it is expensive but handy too to avoid traffic. And as said before, yeah it is annoying if you go in there and theres no traffic within a mile of you, and you're on an excellent road surface, two lanes wide and sitting at 80kph....of course there's temptation to push on.