RE: Daytime technology puts drivers at risk
Discussion
Essex police use a portable Gatso on one of the major 70mph A-roads at night. The white van is reversed into the entrance of a field so that it is concealed by hedges, and the gatso black box is sat on the cycle/foot path. Apparently they are allowed to conceal mobile cameras if there is a particular problem on a stretch of road. I have herad that there have been deaths along the stretch in question, and also that someone was clocked at 130mph+, so obviously there are some idiots around. However the camera doesn't stop the offence in progress.
As I am aware of the trap, I look out for it (obviously diverting my attention), and have passed it at 70mph whilst being overtaken by other vehicles doing 75-80mph, and the overtakers have been flashed.
As for parking the vans to hide the rear door markings, this is often done by a trap in the Basildon area, where it parks on a cycle path (despite clear signs stating this is an offence) at the point where a 50mph dual carraigeway changes to a 40mph single carraigeway.
As I am aware of the trap, I look out for it (obviously diverting my attention), and have passed it at 70mph whilst being overtaken by other vehicles doing 75-80mph, and the overtakers have been flashed.
As for parking the vans to hide the rear door markings, this is often done by a trap in the Basildon area, where it parks on a cycle path (despite clear signs stating this is an offence) at the point where a 50mph dual carraigeway changes to a 40mph single carraigeway.
To be honest the only problem I had with safespeed's message was that I could imagine somewhere in a scamps the following thought process being prompted.
"Ah yes good point Smithers, night drivers, extra revenue stream, extra staff needed, bigger empire, bigger offices, more cameras, more technology, more computers, slaver slaver slaver...."
"Ah yes good point Smithers, night drivers, extra revenue stream, extra staff needed, bigger empire, bigger offices, more cameras, more technology, more computers, slaver slaver slaver...."
safespeed said:
I support PS and chipped in when he was fundraising, but saying people might change their journeys to evening or night to avoid mobile cameras is stretching the imagination a bit far IMO.
See:
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=231560&f=10&h=0&p=1ledfoot said:
I always do long journeys at night to avoid the scamerati pratnerships.
It seems to work !!
Not to mention that I have done it myself...
I also do this.
If you believe that travelling at night to avoid the Vans is 'stretching the imagination' then you can be very imaginative, can you?
Andy
stenniso said:
Essex police use a portable Gatso on one of the major 70mph A-roads at night. The white van is reversed into the entrance of a field so that it is concealed by hedges, and the gatso black box is sat on the cycle/foot path. Apparently they are allowed to conceal mobile cameras if there is a particular problem on a stretch of road.
...to ensure they catch someone. That figures. Idiots.
Flat in Fifth said:
To be honest the only problem I had with safespeed's message was that I could imagine somewhere in a scamps the following thought process being prompted.
"Ah yes good point Smithers, night drivers, extra revenue stream, extra staff needed, bigger empire, bigger offices, more cameras, more technology, more computers, slaver slaver slaver...."
Sure but the more they do the worse the press and the sooner the system fails.
DfT is busy trying to prop it up by limiting partnership activity.
We simply can't lose this war. We're always tossing a coin with two heads and we're always calling heads.
Passed a night camera, coming south from Sheffield, about a month ago.
I was pootling along at 30 (residential and clearly signed, but on a road that it is easy to exceed the speed on) anyway, but only noticed it after it flashed the van in front of me. The device was on the ground, about the size of a microwave and was connected, via a wire, to a marked car that was parked completely hidden in a layby.
I was pootling along at 30 (residential and clearly signed, but on a road that it is easy to exceed the speed on) anyway, but only noticed it after it flashed the van in front of me. The device was on the ground, about the size of a microwave and was connected, via a wire, to a marked car that was parked completely hidden in a layby.
safespeed said:
Sure but the more they do the worse the press and the sooner the system fails.
I know what you mean, and it is a difficult call and on balance would say you make the correct shout all the time.
On the other hand they could deploy night vision technology and say we are responding to criticisms that we don't target activities during the most dangerous time of day.
arent they set so that it flashes you at 80? you can hit fixed gatsos at 80 and it dont set them off.
stenniso said:
Essex police use a portable Gatso on one of the major 70mph A-roads at night. The white van is reversed into the entrance of a field so that it is concealed by hedges, and the gatso black box is sat on the cycle/foot path. Apparently they are allowed to conceal mobile cameras if there is a particular problem on a stretch of road. I have herad that there have been deaths along the stretch in question, and also that someone was clocked at 130mph+, so obviously there are some idiots around. However the camera doesn't stop the offence in progress.
As I am aware of the trap, I look out for it (obviously diverting my attention), and have passed it at 70mph whilst being overtaken by other vehicles doing 75-80mph, and the overtakers have been flashed.
As for parking the vans to hide the rear door markings, this is often done by a trap in the Basildon area, where it parks on a cycle path (despite clear signs stating this is an offence) at the point where a 50mph dual carraigeway changes to a 40mph single carraigeway.
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