Can someone please explain this -

Over the last few weeks on the way to work I've drove past a couple of the white vans with back window down and the speed camera symbol on side, both times they were parked in a known speed trap area.

Everyone is flashing coming the other way so all the poeple approaching the van are below the speed limit.

The thing is my usually reliable radar / laser detector does not pickup anything, there are no graduations on the road, no wires but I'm sure I seen a camera through the window of one the vans.

How do these things work, are they using a new system immune to detectors or are they just dummies to scare Joe average.

Cheers Rich

Hi Richard, How u doing?

Have a look in Ukspeedtraps site. Should be able to tell u what band they work on & you can then see if your detector picks it up.

Unfortunately mine never picks the one up on Cardiff road, but i always slow just in case they're there.

But then again, MY detector does help me slow for traffic lights!

Paul
MY99 DBM Sport

Only "real" vans I have seen are in Northampton. I went past one on the A64 near York doing over 140 - nothing happened !!!

north wales police have around 6or 7 of these vans (they do have a web site to tell you when and where they will be )my laser detector nevr gets them either , but the camara is operated by some one and is only 'active' when the want to cheak speed they dont cheak every car hence no detection

These could be things called ANPR's

They are not really speed cameras but automatically read the number plates. So if a nicked car comes past the computer thing flashes and the patrol car staioned near by will hopefully catch it.

They are mainly used in high crime areas or areas of national security. Whatever it is don't speed when you see one.

PP

We have a couple round here in Essex, they are mobile gatso's, same in every respect although the copper sitting in it has to verify the number plate apparantly, they should have some kind of highly visible device like normal cameras do to warn you there there, the ones here have hashed luminous warning stripes on them, you can see them miles away :-]

Hi Rich,

Just to save my license, where have you seen these vans around the area? - I'm from Cwmbran but travel through Newport regularly.

Ta,

Mark.

Some people reckon they are reading tax discs too which can also be done automatically now, but for the one operating near me (exactly as described above) they have now put up permanent road signs warning of police cameras so I think it must be speeding they are looking out for.

Hi Mark / Paul

I just drove past another this morning @ 60 in a 50mph area (A48 betwen Newport & St Mellons)

The window at the back was closed though, again nothing on the detector..

Confused - see if anything happens in the next few weeks ;o)

was going to say drive past it fast and see if you get done. if you do then its real... but you have done it lol

Next time I see one I shall park in the lay by right behind it and get out to stretch my legs. There is no law against this yet as far as I know and I may happen spot what is going on in the back :D

There was two vans on two bridges between Junctions 11 and 9 (going anti-clockwise) yesterday. There were four cameras (presumably one for each lane) but the majority of drivers didn't even notice. The white vans, parked right next to the cameras, had blacked out windows. Fellow M25 users, BEWARE!!