Glenn_R

A nice sunny Sunday so decided to take the Scoob for a little run up to Milton Keynes for a bit of retail therapy. A nice route which takes me along the A4146 to Leighton Buzzard, A505 and then the A5 to MK.

However, over recent months this route has become one of the favourite hunting grounds of the plain white vans hiding in hedges with cameras poking out the back. I counted three in less than a 10 mile stretch!! Now I understand the dangers of speed inappropriate to conditions and know of a couple of accident blackspots on these roads to which I dont mind traffic "calming" measures.

However, these vans (not Police, but unmarked!) are placed nowhere near these blackspots instead preferring to locate in places where they can best conceal themselves and where drivers are more likely to be going exceeding speed limits, ie. the open, straight bits.

I am now getting tired of this blatant revenue building exercise. I have no problem with positive actions specifically aimed at reducing accidents and deaths on our roads but this is not it!

Rant over!!

Rich D

iTrader: (12)

AFAIK these are NOT speed traps, they are for road tax evasion!

Ivor_the_engine_ChooChoo!

A brick, thrown from a moving vehicle can give good results if aimed correctly. The faster the better.
Or, if you like to be more adventurous, a milk bottle, or similar, filled with flammable liquid, rag placed atop, and lit. Again, thrown from a moving vehicle will result in one malfunctioning camera, and van ...

snarly

there are about ten of these vans with the essex force. they are small peugeot or citroen vans, unmarked and may have the camera sticker on the side. they park up in area where they are likely to catch you speeding and often very sneakily hidden. so if you think the part of the road you are approaching would appear a good place for a van too hide then ease off! Buckhurst Hill, essex seems a favourite spot.

dan4

A new law is passed where speed cameras must be painted in high visibility coulours, so they now hide them in vans. Says a lot for the force and our police cnutstables! Jobs for kids who were bullied at school!

Floyd

iTrader: (9)

Glenn

I've noticed the same on the A5 at MK. They are now regularly there on Sundays so the major roads are a No No for a bit of Scooby fun. I think there have been a lot of fast bikes blatting up and down the A5 which may have prompted this outbreak of safety vans. They are there for speeding but there is also one van for tax evasion and other crimes (this has police presence attached to catch offenders on the spot).

You really need to keep your eyes peeled as they do hide the vans, better still just slow down.

F

Mo

Got to agree with the A5 and A38

I understood that all the camera vans in the Buckhurst Hill/Loughton area had the strips on the rear. Yes they do try their best to park out of sight but they should all be marked. Just like the cameras, there's still a lot in this area that you just cannot see unless you were to drive toward them.

swan

Our local cops have some fancy new laser/camera system that allows them to park on overhead bridges and snap you as you drive by underneath. As it's from behind with a clear line of sight from above you don't have too many chances...

V-techland

They are fooking caniving i'll agree with that!

I've had an idea, if you pass a van at speed and think that you have been nabbed, simply back up and once the officer camera and van are in range take a photo. Do this visably and clearly!!! the officer will probably be so concerned as to why you did this that he will erase your last take from the film!!!!!

Well its an idea at least!

Failling that just go and sit in your local constabulary car park with a camera, shooting each and every squad car that enters or leaves the premises! that should get the point across that its frigin annoying.....

Avril

A mate of mine got zapped by a speed camera but he's contesting it because it doesn't count if they zap you when the camera is inside the van. May be worth checking if this is right before wellying it up the A5, though.

Adam M

nonsense.

when they reformed the guidelines (not the law) to state that the cameras had to be painted and on acciendt prone roads, and visible from certain distances and certain speeds, they expressly said that failure to compy with the guidelines would not be a defence against prosecution for speeding.