Mobile Speed trap van in South Bucks now
Discussion
Not seen one down this way before. Lunchtime today, A404 downhill past Marlow (nice fast bit if you know the road). Layby 2/3 of the way down and a white van parked up. Saw the tiny police markings and half the rear window open with the rest of the rear blacked out as I got close. Normally I would have spotted him sooner, but I was behind a white luton type van who was dawdling in the outside lane (maybe I now know why) - my TVR's speedo said 83ish as we went past which means 70 something then ...
Funny thing is, if the van wasn't in the way I'd have 'ahem' nailed it past him as he moved over ... but I would probably also have seen the police van sooner with an open road in front of me.
I know they're only enforcing the law, but everyone must speed a little down this stretch of Dual Carriageway, IMO a more visible deterrent would have been better - most people probably never even saw what this van was. I'm sure they've got a lot of New Year's cards to send to people now ... don't think I'll get one, but I guess it depends how strict they're being. Anyone ever get such a ticket for less than 80mph?
Be careful out there.
T/.
Funny thing is, if the van wasn't in the way I'd have 'ahem' nailed it past him as he moved over ... but I would probably also have seen the police van sooner with an open road in front of me.
I know they're only enforcing the law, but everyone must speed a little down this stretch of Dual Carriageway, IMO a more visible deterrent would have been better - most people probably never even saw what this van was. I'm sure they've got a lot of New Year's cards to send to people now ... don't think I'll get one, but I guess it depends how strict they're being. Anyone ever get such a ticket for less than 80mph?
Be careful out there.
T/.
They also park up on the Braywick Road on the way into Maidenhead (off M4 spur road). A decent stretch of dual carriageway with a separate access road for houses and a grass island 20 yards wide between the lanes - a sensible 50 mph road unreasonably limited to 40 mph for the purpose of revenue generation.
Seems ironic given this van proudly proclaims in bold letters be part of the "Safer Roads Initiative" (or some other politically correct newspeak) that it lurks on dual carriageways, it should go park up near a school or college - but no it sits on dual carriageways where it van make the most "kills"
The British Police eh? Don't do themselves any favours do they? Rich...
Seems ironic given this van proudly proclaims in bold letters be part of the "Safer Roads Initiative" (or some other politically correct newspeak) that it lurks on dual carriageways, it should go park up near a school or college - but no it sits on dual carriageways where it van make the most "kills"
The British Police eh? Don't do themselves any favours do they? Rich...
aren't speed limits guidelines as well?
How can we have "guidelines" for the positioning of an entrapment device, that are not legally enforcible?
So really, the big "paint it yellow" campaign has been fobbed off with some vague promises & in some case, outright lies.
Seems like the motorist is being shown little in the way of respect, and government promises aren't delivered by the Police, who quite obviously wish to rake in as much money as possible.
By all means park a Talivan outside a school at in/out time. No they aren't doing the "image" much good - but do they even need to care? as long as us suckers keep getting caught, they keep getting money. And don't need to do anything too trying for their little brains.
I am truly sad that this sort of thing is occuring in this once great country.
C
How can we have "guidelines" for the positioning of an entrapment device, that are not legally enforcible?
So really, the big "paint it yellow" campaign has been fobbed off with some vague promises & in some case, outright lies.
Seems like the motorist is being shown little in the way of respect, and government promises aren't delivered by the Police, who quite obviously wish to rake in as much money as possible.
By all means park a Talivan outside a school at in/out time. No they aren't doing the "image" much good - but do they even need to care? as long as us suckers keep getting caught, they keep getting money. And don't need to do anything too trying for their little brains.
I am truly sad that this sort of thing is occuring in this once great country.
C
Mon Ami Mate said: Thanks for this Trefor. Sadly this Talivan is becoming a regular fixture - I've seen it in the layby you mention and also on Marlow Hill and on THAT bend on the A404 towards Amersham. Keep your eyes peeled.
Bugger. THAT bend is a nice one, usually take it quite fast to prove a point IYKWIM. (For non-Wycombe locals this is a very good piece of road where 4 (more?) young people have died in the past 2-3 years through stupid driving/racing late at night.)
Time to make sure my radar detector is switched on 100% of the time ...
T/.
The A404 goes all the way from the M4 at Maidenhead into central London, via a very strange and tortuous route (Marlow, High Wycombe, Amersham, Chalfont, Rickmansworth, Harrow, Pinner - not quite sure after that!).
The bit we are talking about is between High Wycombe and Amersham, just before (or after, depending on your angle of attack!) the Penn turning.
The bend in question is an open sweeper on a tree-lined section. As Trefor says, a number of people have been killed and injured there due to crap driving in the last few years and as a result the righteous local rag has embarked on a campaign to save us all from ourselves there.
This despite the fact that at the recent inquest it was found that the last teenager to get killed on the corner died as a result of her mate losing control of an unroadworthy vehicle after daring their boyfriends to a race. The two previous to that were a pair of scrotes in a nicked Escort that had been taken off the road by its owner to be scrapped.
Still, never let the facts get in the way of a good story. These people are all now innocent angels cruelly killed by a deadly road that could leap out and murder our children at a moment's notice.
Just as an aside, I did some research on the bend in question at the beginning of summer and went around it on the bike late one night at a speed that I wouldn't repeat in writing. Suffice to say there is no adverse camber, no problem with the surface and no problem with the line of sight through the bend. It is no more dangerous than my bed, provided you are driving a well-maintained vehicle and not behaving like a complete twat. Around the bend, and not on my bed, that is.
Despite this the council have now responded to the Bucks Free Press by painting raised hatchings down the centre of the road, which will certainly upset the suspension of a rapidly decelarating motorcycle, installing a 50mph limit and, apparently, electronic warning signs.
Not forgetting, of course, the talivan, which I have now seen twice in a muddy entrance about 100m from the corner in question.
The bit we are talking about is between High Wycombe and Amersham, just before (or after, depending on your angle of attack!) the Penn turning.
The bend in question is an open sweeper on a tree-lined section. As Trefor says, a number of people have been killed and injured there due to crap driving in the last few years and as a result the righteous local rag has embarked on a campaign to save us all from ourselves there.
This despite the fact that at the recent inquest it was found that the last teenager to get killed on the corner died as a result of her mate losing control of an unroadworthy vehicle after daring their boyfriends to a race. The two previous to that were a pair of scrotes in a nicked Escort that had been taken off the road by its owner to be scrapped.
Still, never let the facts get in the way of a good story. These people are all now innocent angels cruelly killed by a deadly road that could leap out and murder our children at a moment's notice.
Just as an aside, I did some research on the bend in question at the beginning of summer and went around it on the bike late one night at a speed that I wouldn't repeat in writing. Suffice to say there is no adverse camber, no problem with the surface and no problem with the line of sight through the bend. It is no more dangerous than my bed, provided you are driving a well-maintained vehicle and not behaving like a complete twat. Around the bend, and not on my bed, that is.
Despite this the council have now responded to the Bucks Free Press by painting raised hatchings down the centre of the road, which will certainly upset the suspension of a rapidly decelarating motorcycle, installing a 50mph limit and, apparently, electronic warning signs.
Not forgetting, of course, the talivan, which I have now seen twice in a muddy entrance about 100m from the corner in question.
Mon Ami Mate said:
The bit we are talking about is between High Wycombe and Amersham, just before (or after, depending on your angle of attack!) the Penn turning.
Queens Head (pub in the dip behind it) Bend at the Winchmore Hill turning just prior to the Crematorium!
The bend in question is an open sweeper on a tree-lined section. As Trefor says, a number of people have been killed and injured there due to crap driving in the last few years
Not necessarily killed by their own crap driving either I might add. Very often it is the sensible moderate driver that is killed by the others crap driving.
Just as an aside, I did some research on the bend in question at the beginning of summer and went around it on the bike late one night at a speed that I wouldn't repeat in writing. Suffice to say there is no adverse camber, no problem with the surface and no problem with the line of sight through the bend. It is no more dangerous than my bed, provided you are driving a well-maintained vehicle and not behaving like a complete twat. Around the bend, and not on my bed, that is.
And don't happen to meet the friends of the yooves affore mentioned doing their particular piece of testing in someone elses unroadworthy car
Despite this the council have now responded to the Bucks Free Press by painting raised hatchings down the centre of the road, which will certainly upset the suspension of a rapidly decelarating motorcycle, installing a 50mph limit and, apparently, electronic warning signs.
The power of the locals as stated in previous posts. Not in my back yard mate! (but sod everyone elses when I am driving through theirs)
Not forgetting, of course, the talivan, which I have now seen twice in a muddy entrance about 100m from the corner in question.
Just saving you from yourself. You won't find him parked there after 5 O'clock p.m. during the winter months. It's a pen pushers job you know!
It seems that you are not the only TVR driver to open up down there then. Only a few weeks ago I had to wind one in that was southbound and failed to look in his mirror at the Junction 4 lights
I think I still have his registration plate, let me look, Ahhhhh yes. Dark blue coloured and registration
T...ABK (won't put the numbers in to completely embarass him)
Blue lights illuminated for a good 10 seconds before a reaction was received. Some distance covered at 100mph+ eh?
Still it acheived its purpose and I think whoever you are (didn't do a PNC on you YET), you continued on towards the M4 at a more temporate rate after I turned off at Bisham!
LOOK MORE CAREFULLY IN YOUR MIRROR. IT IS ONLY SELF PRESERVATION.
I think I still have his registration plate, let me look, Ahhhhh yes. Dark blue coloured and registration
T...ABK (won't put the numbers in to completely embarass him)
Blue lights illuminated for a good 10 seconds before a reaction was received. Some distance covered at 100mph+ eh?
Still it acheived its purpose and I think whoever you are (didn't do a PNC on you YET), you continued on towards the M4 at a more temporate rate after I turned off at Bisham!
LOOK MORE CAREFULLY IN YOUR MIRROR. IT IS ONLY SELF PRESERVATION.
madcop said: It seems that you are not the only TVR driver to open up down there then. Only a few weeks ago I had to wind one in that was southbound and failed to look in his mirror at the Junction 4 lights
I think I still have his registration plate, let me look, Ahhhhh yes. Dark blue coloured and registration
T...ABK (won't put the numbers in to completely embarass him)
Blue lights illuminated for a good 10 seconds before a reaction was received. Some distance covered at 100mph+ eh?
Still it acheived its purpose and I think whoever you are (didn't do a PNC on you YET), you continued on towards the M4 at a more temporate rate after I turned off at Bisham!
LOOK MORE CAREFULLY IN YOUR MIRROR. IT IS ONLY SELF PRESERVATION.
Was that in a jam sandwich or a plain car 
, as I and suspect most peeps on here would be extremely suprised if it was a marked car. Either way, if you were to travel at that kind of speed on HMH
and not notice any car following/shadowing could in its self be considered a crime in its own right and worthy of a slap . I have been know to be overtaken by 950 festas at night when the head lights in the mirrors seem to be travelling too swiftly for my liking
. btw not my car we're on about here, it would be funny if the owner was now to own up now, 'on thread' so to speak
. Harry
There for the grace...................
Points taken Madcop, and I am in complete agreement with you on the particular point of the potential for the innocent person being involved in the idiot's accident. Where do we draw the line though? We can't completely eliminate risk from road travel and it seems ridiculous to me to blame roads for statistics when the real problem is the level of skills of roadusers.
Having lived in other countries I know that the standard of driving in the UK is actually among the best in the world, which is why, statistically, our roads are some of the safest. There's no doubt in my mind thought that these standards are visibly declining and that no amount of enforced safety measures will improve casualty statistics unless Government addresses the fundamental issue of ensuring that drivers and their cars are properly equipped to deal with roads before being let loose on them. And that these standards are maintained.
Which is why I support the Police. We need more Police and more rigid policing. And fewer grey boxes.
Edited to say that you have the wrong corner in mind though. The bend where all the accidents have happened is a mile further back towards Hazlemere, just after the (I think) Widmer End turn and before the Penn turn (heading from Wycombe towards Amersham).
>> Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Thursday 2nd January 21:49
Having lived in other countries I know that the standard of driving in the UK is actually among the best in the world, which is why, statistically, our roads are some of the safest. There's no doubt in my mind thought that these standards are visibly declining and that no amount of enforced safety measures will improve casualty statistics unless Government addresses the fundamental issue of ensuring that drivers and their cars are properly equipped to deal with roads before being let loose on them. And that these standards are maintained.
Which is why I support the Police. We need more Police and more rigid policing. And fewer grey boxes.
Edited to say that you have the wrong corner in mind though. The bend where all the accidents have happened is a mile further back towards Hazlemere, just after the (I think) Widmer End turn and before the Penn turn (heading from Wycombe towards Amersham).
>> Edited by Mon Ami Mate on Thursday 2nd January 21:49
Indeed, but the original post referred to the dual-carriageway section heading south from M40/J4 towards Maidenhead M4/J8/9 (Marlow by-pass) this is a high quality dual-carriageway with a good visibility and clear sight lines to the slip-road (the only road leading on to it for 2 or 3 miles) and is a very safe NSL road.
Mon Ami Mate said: Edited to say that you have the wrong corner in mind though.
To park up in the lay-by on the left, halfway down the hill in order to nick motorists has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with revenue generation and getting the quote up.
Rich...
p.s. Oh hang-on I do remember a RTA there last year... A bunch of over-zealous Police chased some youths in a stolen car all the way from London up the M40 and down the A404 until finally they crashed! Seem to remember it was a sort of Keystone Cops type affair as 3 Police cars got crashed in the process
RichB said:
To park up in the lay-by on the left, halfway down the hill in order to nick motorists has nothing to do with safety and everything to do with revenue generation and getting the quote up.
The more I thought about this after passing the Tallivan (love that name) the more it annoyed me, since most people would not have even seen it. I'm all for making us all drive more carefully and responsibly (and slowly in non NSL roads), this 'device' had zero effect on that.
MADCOP - are you often round that area then ?. I use the A404 every morning on the way to work. One morning, about 4 months ago, I had a blue Vauxhall behind me in the queue of traffic. It was annoying me a bit as it was stopping quite close to the back of me. I turned off the A404 near the Bisham roundabout and went flying up the hill towards Maidenhead. After while I hit some traffic and stopped to a more sensible speed. The Vauxhall came steaming up behind me. I didn't think anymore of it as the traffic in Maidenhead is bad and we were reduced to a crawling speed.
I was then quite shocked to to see the Vauxhall that had been behind me switch on some hidden blue lights and go steaming off in to Maidenhead.
Wasn't you was it ??
(Im not a TVR driver)
>> Edited by mdh on Friday 3rd January 11:37
I was then quite shocked to to see the Vauxhall that had been behind me switch on some hidden blue lights and go steaming off in to Maidenhead.
Wasn't you was it ??
(Im not a TVR driver)
>> Edited by mdh on Friday 3rd January 11:37
The night in question, I was driving a fully liveried Police Vehicle when the Chimaera decided to open up in front of me. Had even stopped behind it at the top of Junction 4 when the lights were red (it was about 19.30 and dark but even so! )and the streetlights were on at the junction.
I am not on Traffic anymore and usually drive a marked vehicle. I do have occasion to use unmarked but they are normally estate vehicles and not vauxhalls.
I have been to several serious accidents over the years on both stretches of road mentioned in this thread. The Widmer End bend by the Penn Street turn in particular where people have regularly died in the past. Also the bypass, particularly the Southbound has had its fair share of fatalities and some of which have been in the two laybys near to the top and half way down prior to the Marlow turn.
I do not patrol this area any more but sometimes have cause to commute from one area to another through it.
)and the streetlights were on at the junction. I am not on Traffic anymore and usually drive a marked vehicle. I do have occasion to use unmarked but they are normally estate vehicles and not vauxhalls.
I have been to several serious accidents over the years on both stretches of road mentioned in this thread. The Widmer End bend by the Penn Street turn in particular where people have regularly died in the past. Also the bypass, particularly the Southbound has had its fair share of fatalities and some of which have been in the two laybys near to the top and half way down prior to the Marlow turn.
I do not patrol this area any more but sometimes have cause to commute from one area to another through it.
Indeed, and it's worth mentioning that one of these was caused by the Keystone Cop’s pursuit I referred to. R…
madcop said: Also the bypass, particularly Southbound has had its fair share of fatalities and some of which have been in the two laybys near to the top and half way down prior to the Marlow turn.
I've seen quite a few people loose it on the roundabout going into Marlow.
One that sticks out is a Porsche Boxster that came flying round the corner far to fast. He 180'd and bounced up on to the kerb , bashing into the barrier that stopped him falling on the A404 below.
He must have been pooing himself - I was and I was just watching him !!!
Seen quite a few people caught out by that roundabout.
Its not as 'round' as people think.
I love the A404. Its one of my favourite early morning summer drives. There's usually quite a lot of motorbikes and sports cars messing about on it in the summer.
Camera vans are not the only hazard in the lay-bys if the local papers are to be believed !!
MADCOP - good to see you back on the forum.
One that sticks out is a Porsche Boxster that came flying round the corner far to fast. He 180'd and bounced up on to the kerb , bashing into the barrier that stopped him falling on the A404 below.
He must have been pooing himself - I was and I was just watching him !!!
Seen quite a few people caught out by that roundabout.
Its not as 'round' as people think.
I love the A404. Its one of my favourite early morning summer drives. There's usually quite a lot of motorbikes and sports cars messing about on it in the summer.
Camera vans are not the only hazard in the lay-bys if the local papers are to be believed !!
MADCOP - good to see you back on the forum.
The Marlow Roundabout is certainly a good one for spotting spun cars. A few years ago I saw a red 911 (964) just after it span out exiting the roundabout heading towards Bourne End (when this was 2 lanes, not cross-hatched like it is now). The back end looked well mashed in. I take it carefully there now!
MADCOP - I enjoy reading and appreciate your input on this list. It's just the secret Tallivans etc. I don't think much of. Those people who died on the A404 shouldn't have done so ... but how can we stop people going out at 2AM in an unroadworthy car and simply going faster than they/their car can handle?
T/.
MADCOP - I enjoy reading and appreciate your input on this list. It's just the secret Tallivans etc. I don't think much of. Those people who died on the A404 shouldn't have done so ... but how can we stop people going out at 2AM in an unroadworthy car and simply going faster than they/their car can handle?
T/.
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