skoobidude

My better half was travelling down London Road, Derby on a clear afternoon a couple of weeks back and was zapped by a hidden police camera travelling at 38mph!

A few points to note:-

No speed signs down that stretch of Road (near Railway Technical Centre) - Although the lampost spacing thing is evident (30mph??? - do we all notice this in the absence of speed signs???!)

The area is not built-up! ie Technical Centre set well back from the road and carpark/undeveloped flat-land on opposite side.

We can't work out where the **** was hiding as the area is so "open" - except for some fencing alongside the carpark away from the road.

If static speedcameras are now painted in bright colours, thus, clearly visible why did this "pig" feel it was necessary to hide his mobile unit?

I'm sure we can all identify areas which are built up with 40mph speed limits! - Seems to be no set standard rules to me!

She now faces a fine of £60.00 and 3 penalty points!

We are thinking of requesting the photographic evidence plus the reasoning for the need to hide away - accident blackspot maybe!!! On a straight road?

Your comments advice would be most helpful.


Thanks in anticipation


Nick

scoobysnacks

Really annoys me when police set up speed traps in this sort of area. As you say, not obviously a 30 zone and not in a built up area - which is the kind of place they should concentrate on. Seems they are just picking places where it's easy to catch people unawares and not where it's actually more dangerous to speed. They really should get their priorities right.

RichiW

Easy money, theres one the same almost in Bradford, three lanes, no houses, and its a 40 limit!

Rich.

Nigel H

But allowing for speedo error it was more like 40 on the clock though....

I agree there are better places that the outside the RTC to do this sort of thing.

skoobidude

Speedo error can work both ways. The car is only one yr old!
I know a car I used to own over-read actual speed around the 30 mark, and under-read at 80mph!

[Edited by skoobidude - 8/13/2002 10:39:18 PM]

Katana

Hmm, I thought they gave a 10 mph leway? I've never been done for doing 38 in a 30 zone..

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

Nope its normally 10% for inacuracy and 10% on top of the speed your going, ie 36 in a 30 and your done....
It is sneaky but legal.... and as i always say. if in doubt, do 30mph.

Tony

Dracoro

It's normally 10% + 2 as a GUIDELINE, but they can do you for 31 if they really want but it's just more awkward to prove so they follow the guidelines normally.

In any case, allowing for the guideline, 35 (30 + 10% + 2) and over is where they'll take action.

And remember, a lot of people don't. speedo's don't necessarily overread 10% + 2 so in some cars 30 may actually mean 30 and 35 will actually mean 35 but they should never underread.

The original poster said 38. So allowing for the fact of speedo overreading, the car speedo would be anywhere between 38 and 43.8mph (or more of course).

It's a 30 limit. If you have issues with the speed limit, take it up with the council, the police only police rules that are there, they don't make them.

Ultimately as Tony Burns says, if in doubt do 30 then there's nothing they can do.

jon hill

i was done for 38 in a 30 about 7 years back - the blackfriars underpass (dual carriageway, no traffic, etc). i was livid back then - all the usual stuff, why me, why being done for 38 in a 30, no danger to others, etc, etc

i'm pretty philisophical about it all now (speeding in general that is). The rules are very very clear. Feel free to break them, but if you get caught dont complain.

TBMeech

yep I got done too a few years ago for 37 in a 30, which is fair enough, we all know the rules, if you break them you should expect the consequences.

Spanpody.

I got done years back in my old Fiesta for 40 in a 30 on a road that was in the middle of nowhere with no houses, black spots etc.

The policeman stated "you broke the law, everyone does you've just been caught doing it".

Reffro

Knowing whether you're in a 30mph zone is easy. If there are no signs saying otherwise and the road has lamp-posts on the side of it, its a 30mph limit. They ONLY post signs for speed limits of 40mph and above if there are lamp-posts about.

So the advice is simple, if you are on an umfamiliar road that has lamp-posts on it, and cannot see a speed limit sign posted stick to 30mph. I do this all the time, OK you look a bit silly dawdling in a 40/50mph limit until you see the sign, but I don't have any points on my licence either.

Jerome

Speeding is an absolute offence and you can be done for 30.0001 in a 30.

This case is so obviously one of revenue generation rather than safety benefit. When was the last time anyone saw a speed trap outside a school? Or maybe even near the pedestrian crossing where the hit-and-run driver killed a 4 year old...

StudentScooby

I got 3points in exactly the same place doing 39!!! I'm on 9 points now.....gutted

Jon Jonzz

Same thing happened to me a few years back. Nearly got caught again at the same spot the very next day (police were starting to set up) - now that would have been careless!

When the annoyance (mainly with oneself)has subsided, it's time to pay up and move on.

jon hill

LOL @ Jerome

Amazing insight from such a short description maybe you can even tell us the plod's names ?

The other side of your statement is - how many of us have ever checked the history of a piece of road where we've seen a speed trap set up ? (maybe one sad person, but most of us will have no clue whether there's been accidents or complaints regarding that stretch).

Kind of hard to judge whether they're just catching speeders or if there are problems on that stretch of road on the facts stated above

Jon Jonzz

I have just bought the "Road Angel" device which includes the police black spots accident database (as well as speed cameras etc), and you can add your own choices to it.

I have found it useful when driving in new areas.

Laz 666

Laz was radar'd @ 45 in a 30, the road was very straight and houses set well back. Every one went 40ish. PC Porker (aka Ladyco), had for years and years set his speed trap half way along the Rd. T'was like shootin' fish in a barrel. Laz had been done years b4 on his Kwaker 750 (I shoulda run for it), so he was well aware of the porker.

This lazy porky bas***d used to sit in his Escort Cossie, later a ST24, slumped down low in the drivers seat he would hairdryer his unsuspecting victims, even old ladies in Metro's .

After pleading Not Guilty, as I had a hunch he may not have followed 'correct procedure'; I did some research and by chance saw a full page ad in the back of Car Magazine. It was a publishing outfit called Streetwise Publications, they where advertising a booklet called The Drivers Survival Handbook writen by this ex traffic cop MartinThwaite. He told the exact proceedures cops have to follow when operating a radar speed check.

Turns out the speed check must be done with the officer and radar gun outside the car, and if more than one car is in the line of sight, "the speed check must be aborted"

Best £20 I ever spent, the CPS threw it out when I told 'em. My biggest regret being that I didn't publisise (sp?) it in the local papers, then all the wrongfuly convicted drivers could have their licences cleaned and fines repayed… doooh!

Hope this helps someone

Laz

Fuzz

No point blowing smoke out of your ears.
my ban is nearly over for 108 on an empty motorway on a sunny sunday afternoon.
i could rage about it. i knew the posted limit.
Hell ! I even feel the limit is out dated..but.....
£200 quid and 42 days later back to normal.
If your angry about it then don't speed
If you don't know the limit do 30.
no big deal 3 years and all is forgotten.(on licence)
remember the three P's (not the six )
Prior planning and preparation.
If you can't get somewhere without speeding that's not the police's fault.

don't tke it to heart just an observation

Andy

RON

I haven't read all the replies, BUT I'll tell you what I know, I was informed by a copper on mon eve, that the new 'yellow' cameras are set AT the limit, therefore if you're going over the limit you'll get flashed, there is no lee way!!!!!
Also, with a mobile unit, they MUST be highly visible, they must not hide, there are apparently new laws as of july, so that they cannot be sneaky about it any more, so, absorb that info and see how you get on, but, at the end of the day, the car was doing more than the limit, whether the limit seems silly or not.
Ron.

WRX Baker

Even if their are new laws about them not hiding it takes two weeks for the fine to come through, so how can you prove it !!! They dodn't hide behind bushes to catch car thieves and muggers do they! no there just after esay money thats all, it's not all there fault it's probably a lot less paperwork to catch motorist.

Dracoro

I think you'll find they do. Quite central for police catching criminals to hide, observe crime & catch them in the act. e.g. watch known drug dealer dealing in the act and then go get them.
Less commonly done for car theives & muggers of course.

I think it's cause many people slow down for the camera's/police etc then speed up after. It's not actually preventing speeding drivers (which is why many of the cameras should go), just speeding at a given point. Hiding behind bushes catches people that still speed.

I know it sucks (doing people for minor speeding in safe places) and that the revenue generation aspect needs to be removed and more concentration on safety and better driving campaigns.

[Edited by Dracoro - 8/16/2002 4:59:54 AM]