12LEE

Here's one for you...

Last night, I'm driving home in lane 1 of a 3 lane dual carriageway that's got a 40 limit and *many* gatsos. My speedo's indicating somewhere between 38 and 45 - I can't say exactly as I'm concentrating on the traffic and road conditions. Notice that I'm approaching a fixed Gatso - see both the camera and the road markings.

G-reg Renault 5 is making progress in lane 3. Slows too late for the Gatso and gets 2 flashes as he moves from lane 3 to lane 2.

In the following couple of seconds, here's what happens:

Old Honda Integra also making progress in lane 3 breaks upon seeing the flashes but passes me in lane 3 as I'm entering the marked zone.
Newish A4 gains on me from lane 2 and passes me through the marked zone.
I drive through marked zone.
Gatso flashes twice again.

I'm sure that it's the Honda that's triggered the second set of Gatso flashes - he's doing about the same speed as the Renault that got flashed. I'm also sure that the photo will show the Honda, A4 and me in the marked zone.

Now I can't be sure of my exact speed due to the attention that I'm paying to the road, but I'm the slowest of the three and my speedo is not indicating more than 45.

Who's likely to get done? Honda only? Honda & A4? All 3? If I get an NIP do I have grounds to contest, i.e. the road markings may or may not show me slightly above 40, but who triggered the flash?

Cheers

Lee.

tiggers

As far as I know they always measure the cars in the picture against the road markings as the Gatso itself is not a reliable form of speed detection. I would think that if you are all in the picture you would be extrememly unlucky to get a NIP as an indicated 45 is probably more like 42 or may be even less.

Had this happen myself with the one on the A49 in Warrington, but never got a NIP although I was doing around 45mph indicated when BMW 318i (what else?) triggered it doing around 55mph while passing me.

Regards,

tiggers.

Nathan L

Lee

Tiggers is right in what he says. The Gatso is accurate enough to measure speed on its own but it is for this sort of reason that the markings are on the road surface.

All the council or Police clerk will do is measure the position of the vehicles on the lines and work out the time difference between the pictures, this gives you a conformation of speed.

ACPO policy says Police officers should allow a 10% error of margin + 2 mph. IE you shouldn't get booked until 46 mph.

Nathan..