Gastro

Doing 80(ish) along dual carriage way (I was overtaking) the other day - and there in the distance was a police car in the central reservation, officer pointing the dreaded 'gun' at me . I'm sure he was alone, and all he did was stare at me as I passed him....Wasnt stopped or anything......
Any ideas whether I can still receive a penalty points etc. or do I have to be served notice at the time of the offence in this type of scenario ??? Advice please.

steve McCulloch

I'm no expert - but I would expect they would have to stop you - at 80 mph you should be fine (as the limit is 70mph on most dual carriageways)

I've been twice on laser - both times I was stopped

Ever thought of purchasing a jammer?

(dont bother barraging me on the illegality of these things as they are not technically illegal - at the moment!)

jason b

You will not get any problem as you must be given a penalty on the spot by a hand held gun as they just take a speed reading and not your reg no. or any other details.
All hand held speed guns take aprrox 3 secs to calibrate so BREAK HARD people and you will not get any problems just hard looks but only if you get down to the speed limit within 3 secs.
regards
jason.

dik dangerous

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Gastro:
<B>Doing 80(ish) along dual carriage way (I was overtaking) the other day - and there in the distance was a police car in the central reservation, officer pointing the dreaded 'gun' at me . I'm sure he was alone, and all he did was stare at me as I passed him....Wasnt stopped or anything......
Any ideas whether I can still receive a penalty points etc. or do I have to be
served notice at the time of the offence in this type of scenario ??? Advice please. [/quote]

Gastro.
According to the 'Driver's Survival Handbook'
(well worth investing in IMHO)Police guidelines state that 10% plus 3 MPH is allowed. But this is discretionary, and varies depending upon which area you live in.
Also worth noting, is the fact that if the hand held gun is a radar no-one should be in the area at the time, or the test should be abandoned. If you are stopped and accused of speeding . Insist on seing evidence that the gun has been calibrated that day before the test. He/she should be able to provide evidence in their notebook.

Fight the B******ds back!!!

Dik.

Ian Cook

Laser Jammers are very very illegal !!!

Laser/Radar detectors are not at the moment !

nevr

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Gastro:
<B>Doing 80(ish) along dual carriage way (I was overtaking) the other day - and there in the distance was a police car in the central reservation, officer pointing the dreaded 'gun' at me . I'm sure he was alone, and all he did was stare at me as I passed him....Wasnt stopped or anything......
Any ideas whether I can still receive a penalty points etc. or do I have to be served notice at the time of the offence in this type of scenario ??? Advice please. [/quote]

If you are not stopped at the time you must be served a Notice of Intended Prosecution within 14 days. The officer can be on his own, makes it harder to record your details unless he is using a tape to record time speed and reg number. Must produce all details to you on request under discloseure prior to any court case if you elect not to pay the offered fixed penalty you will get through the post. Some hand held devices can have cameras attached not many forces using these due to cost

steve McCulloch

Ian Cook

I'm sorry, BUT YOUR WRONG

Cue Stuart?

ed the dead

My understanding is anything which interfers with the radar signal (ie a jammer) is illegal, but anything which only detects it is not, at the moment....

Paul Frank

<B>Gary</B>
was that a radar jammer or laser jammer?

<B>Christian</B>

GaryC

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by steve McCulloch:
<B>Ian Cook

I'm sorry, BUT YOUR WRONG

Cue Stuart?[/quote]


I think you will find Ian is right Steve. One of my wife's patients has just been given a £5000 fine for using one. Detectors are legal at the moment (unless New Labia get their way) but jammers interfere with police transmission and are *very* illegal - £5000 illegal!

ChristianwrkR

where do you get a jammer from?

steve McCulloch

Leeds car audio sell them

The LaserJammer is not illegal to own or use. However you could be construed as interfering with the Polices duty.

The Snooper has an alarm and switch - but you can wire up a set of bright lights to further tell you (not with anyones kit)

On knwoing your being got, you slam all on and then turn the thing off - that way they can get a reading

As far as the £5000 fine goes I'd dispute it in court

A good site on all the above and the legality can be found on

boomer

Unlicenced transmission of radio signal (including jamming) is illegal apart from a few frequencies such as those on mobile phones, PMR radios, alarm remotes etc.

Licences radio amateurs (which i am not) have an awful lot more options, indeed they could probably argue that their two metre broadcast was on a harmonic that would render a radar gun inoperative (legally)! In order to get their licence, they learn the theory that can probably prove this.

However, the Police seem to be using laser these days (almost exclusively apart from in Gatsos). This, i would speculate, is VERY much a grey area, because we are not talking radio waves but light - as in torches, TV remote controls etc.

I can't see then getting a successful prosecution for you emitting light, because there is nothing (in law) to stop you doing so - apart from dazzling other drivers, but they never stop the rear fog-light brigade anyway. They _may_ be able to prosecute you from interfering with a Police officer carrying out his duties (or something like that), but then they would have to PROVE that it was you causing the laser gun to fail.

Maybe there was another driver with a jammer (oops, light emitter) on at the time, and your's just happened to be switched off at the time! Maybe EVERY driver could legally installer a light emitter, so proving that it was you "interfering" will be very difficult indeed.

Note: I am not trying to encourage people to break the law, but i am very worried (as in the proposed ban radar detectors legislation) that members of the public will have no rights left AT ALL, and will have to bow to the authorities every command.

Enforcement of the law should be by involvement, not automation - but sadly that is where things are heading!

mb

GaryC

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by steve McCulloch:
<B>
As far as the £5000 fine goes I'd dispute it in court

[/quote]

He did dispute/appeal, which was why his fine went up to £5000!!!

He was told whilst the use of rader and laser detectors is legal - for the time being, Laser jammers are (quote) "Very illegal" and easily detected.

Jerome

I once avoided points and a fine by braking hard. I had been speeding while overtaking an old biddy but, upon seeing the copper, I braked hard. He stopped me and showed me the reading which said 32mph. He said that I wasn't being prosecuted and that I was lucky because the radar gun couldn't get a lock because my speed was changing so rapidly. Got a severe telling off and was on my way.

So although you can sometimes beat radars by braking hard, you have to be very careful to do it safely. I would rather be done for speeding than have the inevitable BMW tailgaiter slam into the back of me. Having said that, my instinct causes me to brake when I see a radar trap, even when not speeding.

Jerome.