Any police officers on here? (Speeding question)

[Monkey Nuts]

Chaps,

 

Coming home this evening from Wales and concerned I may have been caught by a speed camera van placed on a bridge over a dual carriageway. Let me explain :

 

I was coming off of a roundabout about to head down a slip road onto the A34 (road I am not familiar with) when I spotted a speed camera van on the bridge which I pointed out to my wife. As we left the roundabout and headed down the slip road heading away from the speed camera van as it was positioned sideways on the bridge I brought my speed up to 60-65mph to merge onto the dual carriageway. Making sure there was plenty of space to move into the slow lane I merged at this speed. It was about 200 yards further on I saw a sign that said 50mph!!

Needless to say I stepped on the brakes as this was the first of any signs I had seen! I checked the Tom Tom and that was reading a 70mph limit and as I was merging onto a dual carriageway I assumed the speed limit would be 70mph as in most normal cases.

 

My question is, would the van have caught me? I was heading away from the van and by the time I had merged I was a good 2-300 yards from the van heading towards what I thought was the speed limit! I would assume they were however monitoring the speed of the traffic in the opposite lane heading towards the van?

 

Concerned as it was of course unintentional, there was no sign to show the dual carriageway was a 50mph before I merged.

 

Would appreciate any input.

 

Thanks

[ozzy518]

It's difficult to say mate, who knows what lanes the van was concentrating on. Afraid the only thing I can say is wait for 28 days. If you haven't had anything through the post after this, you aren't gonna get done

How sure are you that it was a speed van? Could have been ANPR operation.

Edited September 4, 2013 by ozzy518

[Monkey Nuts]

Thanks Ozzy, almost positive it was a speed camera van as thought I saw the graphic/logo on the side of the van.

 

My thoughts although I thought it was 14 days?

[Sean Richo]

Why don't they do something more usefull with their time. Motorists easy targets again.

[neillfrbs]

it is 14 days

[Kes]

I would be very surprised to find that the van was checking speeds on the merge - very much more likely to be on the outside lane.

Dont fret it, its much more likely that you were NOT checked. Only time will tell but I would be fairly sure you have a good defence and IF you get a ticket write to the Chief Con as you have set out here. Only a fool would try and check speeders on a merge lane especially as you would not be aware of the speed until you saw the first sign. - My view you should be OK.

[fruity]

I'm sure I overheard a conversation that you can go onto the speed camera database, punch your number plate in and check cant you. ?

[Rupert]

Why don't they do something more usefull with their time. Motorists easy targets again.

If people don't speed then these vans wont be needed,its in our own hands.

[leeds chimp]

If people don't speed then these vans wont be needed,its in our own hands.

and if people stuck to the speed limits and did not do 35 in 60mph....... :whistling:

[scuta]

An NIPS only has to be sent within 14 days of the offence, so add a few extra days onto that to be 100% sure you're clear.

Given the circumstances as described, I think it's highly unlikely you were picked up.

[Monkey Nuts]

Frustrating, I would certainly appeal if given a ticket.

 

I guess I can just wait and see if anything comes through the post.

[bruno22rf]

The speed vans can, depending on how they are set up, catch you in any direction and at a range of up to 1000 yards. If you have heard nothing within 14 days of the day after the "offence" (inc. w/ends) then you are a free man-but its pure chance-I got caught doing 34 just inside a 30mph zone on a clear road that goes from 60 to 30 and then, just a week later, I went passed a van somewhere near 3 times the speed limit and never heard a word. Good luck

[spanj]

If people don't speed then these vans wont be needed,its in our own hands.

[Nial]

If people don't speed then these vans wont be needed,its in our own hands.

 

If the speed limits were realistic then most people wouldn't be speeding, these vans wouldn't be needed.

 

After years of observation, the speed that most traffic moves on British motorways is 80mph, this should be the limit.

 

Talking about speed / safety, when was the last time you saw a speed van outside a school?

 

Nial.

[fruity]

Speed vans and cameras are for a good flow of easy revenue , nothing more in my eyes

[Pole Star]

Can you pray ?

[ack-ack]

 

If the speed limits were realistic then most people wouldn't be speeding, these vans wouldn't be needed.

 

After years of observation, the speed that most traffic moves on British motorways is 80mph, this should be the limit

80 is the limit unoffish. The majority of traffic gavvers wont pull you at 80 on the m-way unless your speed is deemed inappropriate (ie, two lanes crawling and you are giving it charly big nuts down the overtaking lane).

 

If the limit gets raised to 80 a lot of folk will do 90 and whilst modern cars can stop on a sixpence quite a few drivers are not capable of reading a road well enough to drive consistently safely at this speed. As much as like to enjoy my horse power (when safe to do so) i dread the thought of the limit being raised.

[castletyne]

If people don't speed then these vans wont be needed,its in our own hands.

 

They would still be there speeding is only part of it

 

The camera is rolling and when they check the footage they are looking for anything they can use however minor its is

 

I think they just make offences up these days they even have a penalty code for them....MS60

[Muddy Funker]

Why don't they do something more usefull with their time. Motorists easy targets again.

 

Probably because they are traffic cops, it's their job.

[Browning 425 clay hunter]

quote name="Sean Richo" post="2273810" timestamp="1378323732"]Why don't they do something more usefull with their time. Motorists easy targets again.

 

Quite right there sir, motorists are an easy target. But I suppose the police have nothing else to do as they've caught all the burglars,drug dealers, murders and rapists.

 

This isn't a go at 'police bashing' but if they prioritised the seriosness of crimes being committed surely speeding would be near the bottom and

They could use their time in a more productive way of catching criminals instead of a motorist who might do 80/90 on a motorway and using it as a cash cow because all its doing is ******* off the hard working members of public who work hard for the Privilage of owning a car and contribute a lot of tax through their wages and fuel to fund the low life scum who sit in their council funded homes on benifits so they can sleep all day and then go out robbing at night, all because us motorists are an easy target.

 

Also how many times do you see dealers, thief's who have been caught 10, 20 or more times and still get a slap on the wrist. Yet if you get caught speeding there's no warning. One strike and its a ticket. Anyway rant over.

 

ATB 425

[overandunder2012]

If people don't speed then these vans wont be needed,its in our own hands.

the vans must be why i see so many range rovers with mud all over the plates on a motorway

[bazzab]

YEY here we go again.... Bla bla why dont they do something more useful bla bla.....

 

Speeding is a crime and it kills therefore it needs dealing with.

 

Pathetic absolutely pathetic.

Edited September 5, 2013 by bazzab

[countryman]

Hi

I was in a similar position a few weeks back waiting to see if a fine turned up in the post, i was lucky and did not get one, i think from what you are saying you will be ok. It will be a long 2 weeks hawking the post though.

Chris

[Kes]

Its all a matter of proportionality. Fixed cameras were placed where CASUALTIES have occurred. Mobile vans used to check sites where speeding was regular and there were clusters of casualties. Most Safety Camera Partnerships have dissolved these days and they used to be funded on purely ticket revenue and all of the money was spent on casualty reduction measures plus targeting local authority casualty reduction funds in areas where improvements needed to be made but perhaps one local authority could not afford it.

I thought this a sensible means of cutting road deaths.

Now local politics has taken over the setting of speed limits and they are coming down everywhere with no targeting based on casualties, just peoples wish to slow traffic down outside their house/village. Speed limits used to be set on the speed at which 85% of the traffic travelled, to achieve compliance. Now political and 'environmental' considerations set the limits and the approach is wrong IMHO. You need the motorists on your side and to see what you are doing is fair and reasonable and not simply because 'i dont want people to drive fast'.

I suspect casualties will reduce rather more slowly - there is a general trend to lower numbers (technology , car systems, tyres etc) but speeding fines will increase as more people see limits as unreasonable. The key I suspect to greater casualty reduction is more awareness on the part of road users and the means to press this message as well as treating crash sites that have design deficiencies.

The 'trust' between motorists and the police will again be eroded by seemingly random speed tests and the link to fines all of which can be satisfied by much more information from police which I would encourage. Which sites are to be covered next week and why - how many casualties and deaths have there been and what else is being done to reduce deaths/casualties.

In the end, less lives are pointlessly sacrificed on the altar of a few more miles per hour, with all these approaches - but proportionality (and therefore acceptability) in enforcement is lost.

Just MO.

[unapalomablanca]

Sometimes driving is difficult enough, and then you have all this anxiety for 28 days, running the scenario through your head, and this and that bothering you. I think the process should be done within 72 hours so people know the score. Surely there could be some online way of finding out your fate qucker.

 

I bet burglars don't suffer this type of anxiety wondering about a knock on the door.