Hi all,

I've just gone past a mobile camera van on my local road, and think I might have been doing about 40 in a 30....just a couple of questions:

- The back of the van(where the camera was) was point in the same direction as my travel, but on the opposite side of the road. I.E. it was pointing towards oncoming traffic on the same side of the road, which was the opposite side of the road to that on which I was travelling. Any idea if this means my car was being "monitored" or not?

- Is there anything regarding markings/alerts of a van legally? They had tucked in behind some trees so it was impossible to see until you had gone past.

- Presumably 40 in a 30 would usually be 3 points and £60 fine?

Thanks in advance - panicking somewhat as never ever been done for speeding or any other motoring thing before!!!

Hi all,

 

The back of the van(where the camera was) was point in the same direction as my travel, but on the opposite side of the road. I.E. it was pointing towards oncoming traffic on the same side of the road, which was the opposite side of the road to that on which I was travelling. Any idea if this means my car was being "monitored" or not?

If the van was on the oposite side of the road with the camera facing your oncoming traffic, then that is who it was checking.

The cameras record the speed of the APPROACHING vehicles, otherwise they would be trying to prosecute you for travelling at MINUS 40 miles per hour presumably (as you were travelling away from them when the camera was pointed at you).

ps

Stop travelling at 40 miles an hour on a 30mph road in future please!!

If the van was on the oposite side of the road with the camera facing your oncoming traffic, then that is who it was checking.

 

 

The cameras record the speed of the APPROACHING vehicles, otherwise they would be trying to prosecute you for travelling at MINUS 40 miles per hour presumably (as you were travelling away from them when the camera was pointed at you).

 

ps

Stop travelling at 40 miles an hour on a 30mph road in future please!!

Not true I'm afraid GATSO cameras get you as you go past photographing the rear of the vehicle.

Speed Cameras - Gatso, Truvelo, SPECS cameras, Peek, Speedcurb, Watchman, Traffic Light, DS2, Mobile speed traps

ps

Stop travelling at 40 miles an hour on a 30mph road in future please!!

I know lol

its a case of wait and see, you will hear soon enough

Not true I'm afraid GATSO cameras get you as you go past photographing the rear of the vehicle.

Speed Cameras - Gatso, Truvelo, SPECS cameras, Peek, Speedcurb, Watchman, Traffic Light, DS2, Mobile speed traps

He wasn't asking about GATSO.

The speed camera vans use a fixed camera position and are therefore presumably set up in the best vantage point to clearly observe as many cars passing as possible with the camera being able to record the number plate of offenders.

Setting up on the oposite side of the road and pointing the camera a vehicles travelling away from them on the other lane would at the very least be foolhardy as many of the speeders observed would not be able to be prosecuted because their plate was obscured by a vehicle travelling towards the camera van! Also the angle at which the laser would have to be aimed most likely would result in the camera not receiving a "ping" back because it would bounce off the car at an angle into the ether.

Cheers crem - certainly seems a good point, where the van was located any cars travelling the other way would block the path of any video/signal pointing at my car....

He wasn't asking about GATSO.

 

How would he know what type of camera was in the van??

as ever G&M you always wish to take the discussion away from common sense and digress into theoretical what ifs and maybes when I believe you know full well how the camera vans typically operate, and it isn't by placing vans on the wrong side of the road and chancing to luck that they will be able to observe and record vehicles across carrigeways.

as ever G&M you always wish to take the discussion away from common sense and digress into theoretical what ifs and maybes when I believe you know full well how the camera vans typically operate, and it isn't by placing vans on the wrong side of the road and chancing to luck that they will be able to observe and record vehicles across carrigeways.

I was simply correcting your claim that

"The cameras record the speed of the APPROACHING vehicles, otherwise they would be trying to prosecute you for travelling at MINUS 40 miles per hour presumably (as you were travelling away from them when the camera was pointed at you)."

this is not the case.

Admittedly being on the other side of the road would tend to indicate the camera was filming the other direction but that is different to claiming cameras ONLY film oncoming traffic.

Is there anything regarding markings/alerts of a van legally? They had tucked in behind some trees so it was impossible to see until you had gone past.

I understand that last year, when the rules changed about allowing variable points for speeding, that they also allowed covert surveillance. Thus North Wales Constabulary now have a horse box that has no markings at all - but internally is fully equipped with speed detection devices.

I was simply correcting your claim that ....

 

or more acurately; you were simply been as argumentative and obtuse as ever.

or more acurately; you were simply been as argumentative and obtuse as ever.

Sorry I promise never to correct you when you give out incorrect and misleading advice ever again!!

Please play nicely!

can I have that in writing please Green (although I'm sure I will still have to read through your many "corrections" of everyone else on the forums unfortunately)

However, sticking to the MrShed's original question, it would seem at least there is an agreement that it is very very unlikely that this camera van was set up to observe vehicles travelling in his lane and he would be a most unlucky driver if this was the case. I am sure he will keep posted if something changes in this regard.

can I have that in writing please Green (although I'm sure I will still have to read through your many "corrections" of everyone else on the forums unfortunately)

Isn't freedom of speech a wonderful thing!!

Thanks for the advice all guys Esio crem and G+M.

Guess it looks as if I would be unlucky, but will of course let you know if/when I get my NIP through

ps

Stop travelling at 40 miles an hour on a 30mph road in future please!!

Meh.

I'm always doing 40 on 30mph stretches where the roads are straight and clear, with good visibility.

Meh.

 

I'm always doing 40 on 30mph stretches where the roads are straight and clear, with good visibility.

40 on a 30 would give you an automatic failure on an L test Al27, so lets hope you are never ordered to retake yours or you could be without your licence for a long time.

Meh.

 

I'm always doing 40 on 30mph stretches where the roads are straight and clear, with good visibility.

Just so long as you recognise that it makes you a habitual criminal!

Hi Guys,

very interesting reading, I would like to add my tuppence worth to this debate. If I am understanding this correctly you would not have been able to see the reflective strips on the back of the van. As all mobile camera vans are required to be liveried in a way that makes them identifiable if you did receive speeding ticket it would not be enforceable.

There we go, my contribution to this pedants debate.

And if it makes you feel better, I have recently recieved a speeding ticket for doing 83 mph in a 70 zone. If that makes me a criminal then so be it. The police force certainly make you feel like one, I was in a company van so when they sent out the prosecution notice they insisit that your boss has to fill it in and now I have to lose a days pay attending a "Speed Awareness Scheme" where I am sure they will place special emphasis on what a naughty boy I am.

My feeling is that everyone is guilty of speeding at some time or other and, like most things, it's only wrong if you get caught!!

and now I have to lose a days pay attending a "Speed Awareness Scheme" where I am sure they will place special emphasis on what a naughty boy I am.

One of my pupil's dad was caught on a mobile camera travelling at 32mph in a 30 zone. He too was offered the option of a "speed awareness course" to avoid the points on his license.

How they are going to present the course for him to understand how suicidal and dangerous his reckless speeding was on this occasion, I am not sure.

One of my pupil's dad was caught on a mobile camera travelling at 32mph in a 30 zone. He too was offered the option of a "speed awareness course" to avoid the points on his license.

 

How they are going to present the course for him to understand how suicidal and dangerous his reckless speeding was on this occasion, I am not sure.

I find that surprising since the ACPO guidelines state that in normal circumstances there should be no prosecution in a 30 zone unless at 35 or above. http://www.acpo.police.uk/asp/policies/Data/speed_enforcement_guidelines_web_v7_foi.doc

I find that surprising since the ACPO guidelines state that in normal circumstances there should be no prosecution in a 30 zone unless at 35 or above. http://www.acpo.police.uk/asp/policies/Data/speed_enforcement_guidelines_web_v7_foi.doc

I agree G&M although I have heard of a number of such penalties being issued recently by the over-zealous camera van operative in our area.

C'mon - we all all 35-40 on long 30 stretches that are 30 for no obvious reason!