Caber
Anybody know how the man with a van type speed cameras work? Do they catch you before or after you've gone past them?
I spotted one on my way home from work today (they tried hiding the van behind a bush) and when I glanced down noticed my speed had creaped up. hit
brakes and was under before I passed the camera.
Can I expect an unwelcome present from the postman?
Oh don't know if it's a national thing or not, but as I said this van was partly hidden behind a bush and facing traffic to hide the police
signs on the side....... keep you eyes very carefully peeled peeps.
I got done driving towards a van at a distance of about 200 metres! They have telephoto lenses on their cameras and a cop in the back as witness. Not
at al fair if you ask me!
Caber
these b*****ds can have you from a way off. i know from experience!! you can only hope they were trained on another vehicle at the time. not sure
about the hiding in bushes bit they are supposed to be in full view.
Anyway wait till these come into play money scamming feckers
[Edited on 11/4/06 by skydivepaul]
The thing is with these dickheads, who are just doing there job (barstewards) is that when you look for the rules of engagement (good phrase) they all
seem to state that the area being monitored should have speed camera warning signs in place. Also the camera van should be plainly visible (yeh
that'll be right). Here's a quote from our local website. and a link to it.
quote:
Each partnership is obliged by Government rules to ensure maximum visibility.
Having been in a position where i was convinced my 20+ years clean licence was about to be adorned with points and subsequently was not I've been
giving a few things a lot of thought.
I always thought the general idea of Identity cards was a good one cause if you've nothing to hide then you've nothing to worry about.
BUT the low life tosser thief/grannymugger/mugger/junkie at the moment is not really that traceable(grammer) so if and only if there are witnesses or
the police are in the right place at the right time (unlucking fikely) will they be dealt with by the courts. A small fine or a "be a good boy
for a few years" and that's it.
But we the motorist are traceable through a number plate and if we dare to question the system in court then as we are deemed to possibly be wasting
court time then there is a high probability that the £30 and 3 points will be increased. I reckon that someone with say 9 points and a few
fines/parking tickets will have paid more in fines than a persistant petty thief with arecord as long as your arm (cause he's a scrounger and has
no money to pay fines, and the system is clogged up with rapist,child molesters and murderers, so he gets of scot free (read probation).
Sorry for the rant folks but the system don't work (not for me and probably not for anyone else who works or pays taxes or is generally law
abiding)
It's a SAFETY camera, now own up it's for your own safety. You have the right to remain silent in case anything you might say could
later incriminate you in a court of law 
. Some of the cameras are so good they can tell you what you had for breakfast so if they send you a picture
of yourself driving don't be surprised.
Bollocks it's not a safety camera at all. In fact it's been proven that deaths on the road have risen NOT fallen and that includes areas
where camera sites are fixed. IT'S A MONEY RAISING DEVICE. They scare us into not challenging the system by threats of maximum fines and more
points and trying to pervert the course of justice. IT AIN't JUSTICE IF THE VAN IS HIDING AND NO WARNINGS ARE SHOWING. ARGHHHHHHHH
sorry for shouting I've just woken the wife up
They're a pointless excercise at slowing speeds anyway.
I had to go with my father to drop something off in Roehampton today and going up the A3 (loads of cameras) there's a load of flowers where
someone's killed themselves or been killed. Five minutes later (in a 50) some tosser passes us at a good 80+.
The ONLY reason for speed cameras is tax revenue. They are put up under alledgedly strict conditions (ie 5 injuries and a couple of deaths over a
preceeding period). They should if they do their job, and reduce deaths/injuries be removed as the conditions no longer count.
ATB
Simon
There getting less like vans too, yesterday VW Passat estate 53 reg (silver) sat at bottom of our road, two scameras in back window, 2 bikes waiting
in pub car park, Rother vally, one sits there that looks just like a camper van, spare wheel hung on back door, two scameras sticking out pop up
roof.........
The laws the law, speed outside a school, playground ect you deserve what you get, get caught 4mph over 10 yds into or 10yds before you come out of a
limit then its only for one reason, too make money out of motorists.
Simon,
I know that stretch of the a3 very well, my other half drives it every day. Everyone knows where the camera's are and stands on the brakes 50m
before them, then carries on. Its dual carriageway and a 50 limit which most people ignore, especially late at night, myself included you just have to
be unlucky to come across a copper i guess.
Ned.
quote:
The laws the law, speed outside a school, playground ect you deserve what you get, get caught 4mph over 10 yds into or 10yds before you come out of a limit then its only for one reason, too make money out of motorists.
van might be clearly visable, but maybe from the other sie of the road lol
quote:
Originally posted by Simon
The ONLY reason for speed cameras is tax revenue. They are put up under alledgedly strict conditions (ie 5 injuries and a couple of deaths over a preceeding period). They should if they do their job, and reduce deaths/injuries be removed as the conditions no longer count.
ATB
Simon
quote:
Originally posted by Omega 24 v6
Sorry for the rant folks but the system don't work (not for me and probably not for anyone else who works or pays taxes or is generally law abiding)
Back to the question of distance that the cameras can see to..
My bro-in-law ( works in Met & sundry depts.) tells me that the speed detector part is good to 1km in good conditions, down to 50m in foggy stuff,
and the pictures can be enhanced to give clear evidence at 1km.
Because of costs, only the excesively high speed pics are enhanced, and then only a couple of forces have the gear.
So, if you can see a camera van, it can see you. Hit the brakes and pray!
Cheers,
Syd.
[Edited on 12/4/06 by Syd Bridge]
quote:
So, if you can see a camera van, it can see you. Hit the brakes and pray!
Quote
Yep pray the guy behind you doesn't run up your arse
Quote
Or hope that he does and you will have photographic evidence that he was at fault and a copper as a witness 
They may be fancier and more efficient but they'll be a hell of a lot more expensive to replace when they get blown up, knocked over, set fire to
etc. Not that I condone the activity.
I live in London.
The average speed here is 11mph!
<rant>
I've always wondered what would happen if you were within the speedlimit, but happened to just inadvertantly crash into the van hiding behind the
bushes...
'I'm sorry officer, it wasnt visible, and then i paniced because i didnt know what it was and i thought it was moving....'
I mean, obviously it would be a shame to damage your car, but you would write off one of the vans and cameras, and with any joy keep the operators
behind a nice warm desk , out of the cold and away from those dangerous motorists.
I've seen a few in warwickshire which are a bit dodgy - i especially love the one on top of the a46 at the stoneleigh exit where they block your
view of the traffic as you pull away from the off ramps.
Interestingly there have been at least 3 small but nasty enough looking accidents there. My gut feeling says that since the van is there looking down
about 2/3rds of a mile up the A46, that the newly created accident blackspot will go unnoticed, and accidents will continue to decrease as people
avoid those highly dangerous big roads in favour of those nice safe slow single track roads...
</rant>
Seriously though, living in Holland i've noticed how much more I enjoy driving here, they still have traffic jams, and accidents happen, life is
dangerous.
On the other hand the have less speed cameras, and generally a better standard of driving. Cameras are generally at places you would expect to be
dangerous, like approaching busy intersections, and red light cameras.
The effect of them is the same as everywhere else, but at least the rational behind them is somewhat more sound than the scattering we have in the
uk.
</rant> again.
Cheerio
David
The one that parks up just below us parks in a private entrance too a fishing pond with a locked gate, I would love too sit in front of it indicating too pull into the driveway with the keys in my hand too unlock the gate......
Mark,
What you should have done was what the previous landlord to my workplace did.
Bear in mind that it's a private house with about 3 acres. Used to be used for farming chickens.
He used to get people using his driveway to turn around, which isn't the problem.
What was, was people going over his grass.
He got some long lengths of wood, drove nails through them and buried them under the grass
ATB
Simon