Group Captain Smudger

Cast your mind back to last year's event. Did anyone spot the police mobile camera unit (I think it was) on a bridge over the A470? Coming from Brecon/Merthyr Tydfil direction the road has quite a nasty sweeper on the approach to the Nelson/Aberdare/Cardiff intersection. The posted limit is 50mph for this bend. I remember seeing someone in a fluorescent jacket darting about on this bridge and wondered if it was a rozzer. I guess they were after people coming from or going to the stages. I reckon it was a mobile unit my mate says not. I know I should have asked nearer the event but I'd like to know if anyone was "done" to settle an argument.

Richard Askew

The only one I saw there was near Aberdare and it was a Renault Van with a camera pointing out the back..

Chip

Drive along this ection of road quite a lot. Coppers arevery often up on this bridge carrying out their"road safety duties".

Chip.

DARRAN T

My dad was caught twice in 30 mins on this road,first he was pulled by cop standing by side of the road with laser gun,second he was caught on camera from the bridge in the 50 zone aproaching ABERCYNON rounderbout, a couple of weeks later he recieves fine through the post, sends off fine, next day receives another fine so angrily phones up to tell police that he has already sent off payment but is told to look at the times on the fines-14 mins diferance!!!!!

MARK MORRIS

my m8 got done up there whilst watching the rally, in his 1 litre fiesta, lol
mark

Christian_Driver

That section of the A470 is rich pickings for the camera units (70 into a 50 about 1 mile before the roundabout). My father and best mate got nicked on the same section within a week of each other, both doing 65mph just as they went under the bridge...

IIRC Merthyr was one of the first places in the country (along with Northampton?) where the police were allowed to keep the fines (or should that be revenue ) from the cameras - hence a huge number of unmarked vans perched on top of bridges or lasergun-wielding police men hiding in bushes.

Every time I go home or back to watch the rally I am really careful not to go too fast on the A470 and near Merthyr in general, as so many people have been caught around there...

speedking

DARRAN T

If he didn't slow down between the two incidents then he has effectively been punished twice for the same crime. Thought this wasn't allowed? Or is speeding at any point on the road a separate crime, in which case you could get a 100 tickets if monitored over a 100m stretch of road, surely not correct.

In Rushton Spencer there were 2 cameras within 100m of each other pointing the same direction. Always thought if you kept your foot down you could only get one ticket.

Any legal eagles care to comment?

Edited to say - notice that he was pulled initially by cop at side of road, so presumably stopped. Question still stands though.

[Edited by speedking - 3/13/2002 1:01:47 PM]

ap_smith

Am pretty sure they are separate offenses, as when nicked for speeding, you are nicked at that point in time.

For example, if you zoooom round the M25 at a constant 100 mph, and you get flashed by 4 cameras (presuming they all have film, or are digital) then you will lose your license.

I'm also fairly sure there was such a test case on the M25 several years ago when the cameras were first installed. Needless to say, the law won.

The obvious answer is: get a radar detector and a laser diffuser.
(costs a bit, but what price would you put on your license?)

speedking

There must be some minimum separation though surely?

Lasered at 32mph at 200m = 3pts, 150m = +3pts, 100m = +3pts, 50m = +3pts, plod steps out and presents you with 12 points = ban for 32mph. Is this legal?