Traffic cameras

[has]

Is this just a rumor that I've heard?
The variable speed cameras which have been installed on the M25 & appears to be installed all the way round, I understand the main purpose of these cameras is supposedly to improve traffic flow & safety concerns.
I have heard that these so called 'safety cameras' are just a clever ploy. These cameras in the very near future, will track every motorist entering or leaving the M25 to charge a toll on how far you have travelled.

Can anyone confirm if this is so?

(Apologies if this has already been asked, but I have been away for a while),

[Brimoan]

A dangerous thing which happened to me once was the outer and inner lane displayed 60 and the middle lane displayed 30. The signes on the gantry before and after were all 60.
A motorist came down to 30 in the middle lane and people honked their horns but really he was right to come down to 30.
I think if somebody had gone into the back of his car the person at the back would have been at fault.

[VictorMildew]

No,not a ploy, it's just that human nature as it is will guarantee that traffic flow's not improved because some people are far too impatient, always tailgaiting and so forth.
You can guarantee that if a speed limit says 40, 90% will be driving at 50 and beyond.

[Hopkirk]

No they are not all the way round, there are large sections that don't have them.

Also look back at the gantries and you will see that most do not have speed cameras on them. However you would have to be a regular with a good memory to know which ones have the cameras.

[abstibus]

I was sitting at traffic lights and the speed thingy told me I was travelling at 38 mph.

[Hymie]

As Hopkirk says most motorway gantry speed signs are not equipped with cameras – but you don’t necessarily need a good memory (or even to have travelled the route before) to determine whether a speed camera is present. All gantry speed cameras lanes have confirmation distance markings (short white lines at right angles to the lane at each side) just after the gantry; unlike A/B roads where the makings are in the middle of the lane.

These markings are quite small and if you are travelling at more that 10mph over the signed limit, it may be too late to brake by the time you see them – especially at night.