Can a scamera van get you in the 'other direction'?
Discussion
Overtaking a line of traffic on an A road having sat patiently in line for miles round a series of bends...all very safe etc at the start of a long straight and absolutely nothing coming, but in a layby on the opposite side of the road (in fairness 'my side' since I was overtaking) was a white van - which I thought was just white-van-man stopped for a cuppa. As went past I noticed the camera logos on the side and in the mirror sure enough the fluorescent stripes, camera logo, and an open window 
No chance to slow down really as I was overtaking and hitting the brakes would have left be 'stranded'.
The guy would obviously be looking for cars coming the other way down the straight, but can they do a quick re-target and get folks heading away from them? I'd argue that in the 'normal' direction there's stripes on the van and the camera logo so pretty obvious - but heading the other way it's just a white van.
Grrrrr.
No chance to slow down really as I was overtaking and hitting the brakes would have left be 'stranded'.The guy would obviously be looking for cars coming the other way down the straight, but can they do a quick re-target and get folks heading away from them? I'd argue that in the 'normal' direction there's stripes on the van and the camera logo so pretty obvious - but heading the other way it's just a white van.
Grrrrr.
The only speeding conviction I've ever had in almost 40 years of driving was being caught 7 years ago by a camera van which was sitting in the central reservation of a section of dual carriageway on the A31.I was caught having gone past and travelling away from the van.I'd guess that it would have been no different from the opposite direction.Running over the limit even to overtake is a liability because of the odds of getting caught under the recent speed regime.
tvrolet said:
I'd argue that in the 'normal' direction there's stripes on the van and the camera logo so pretty obvious - but heading the other way it's just a white van.
Grrrrr.
This won't get you anywhereGrrrrr.
but you are probably fairly safe, even if they can get vehicles moving away from them, it was probably pointed way down the road, so by the time he saw you in his view you were probably tucked back in at a more normal speed
ging84 said:
tvrolet said:
I'd argue that in the 'normal' direction there's stripes on the van and the camera logo so pretty obvious - but heading the other way it's just a white van.
Grrrrr.
This won't get you anywhereGrrrrr.
I think you should be okay as it's likely, as you say, that he was targeting oncoming traffic from the other direction. I have heard about camera vans with seats that can swivel to allow the operator to catch the plates of motorbikes as they pass but I'm not sure that they would be able to target motorists through their front windscreen in terms of monitoring speed.
Nice long straight after a lot of bends means a lot of cars overtaking. but in/out in least possible time is not safety in the eyes of the vultures. Which further goes to prove it 's all about cash ,not road safety. It's more bums on seats on SAC courses( as this keeps the speed empire solvent) than any attempt at making the roads safer. These monkeys are not trained in road safety ,only how to extract cash without surgery.
This is why I tend to hold off on overtakes when there are parked cars or vans at the side of the road. I'm especially cautious around parked cars that look like the kind of thing the police would use as an unmarked car. That said, my car isn't fast enough to overtake most of the time, and my bike is more than fast enough to overtake in all kinds of places, so waiting for a safe place to overtake isn't a massive hardship.
Out of interest, if they only caught OP driving away from him, and say he had "left the keys in the office and allowed anyone with a valid insurance certificate" to drive his car, and "didn't know who in particular had the keys that day", what would become of the FPN and points?
Out of interest, if they only caught OP driving away from him, and say he had "left the keys in the office and allowed anyone with a valid insurance certificate" to drive his car, and "didn't know who in particular had the keys that day", what would become of the FPN and points?
Mastodon2 said:
This is why I tend to hold off on overtakes when there are parked cars or vans at the side of the road. I'm especially cautious around parked cars that look like the kind of thing the police would use as an unmarked car. That said, my car isn't fast enough to overtake most of the time, and my bike is more than fast enough to overtake in all kinds of places, so waiting for a safe place to overtake isn't a massive hardship.
Out of interest, if they only caught OP driving away from him, and say he had "left the keys in the office and allowed anyone with a valid insurance certificate" to drive his car, and "didn't know who in particular had the keys that day", what would become of the FPN and points?
You (or the person that manages your fleet) have to provide due dilligence in the scenario you mention to demonstrate who was or wasn't driving the vehicle at the time of the offence, not knowing is not an excuse. Our multi user fleet vehicles have log sheets to sign them in & out - dates, times, milage etc Out of interest, if they only caught OP driving away from him, and say he had "left the keys in the office and allowed anyone with a valid insurance certificate" to drive his car, and "didn't know who in particular had the keys that day", what would become of the FPN and points?
Ah well, I think I'm probably screwed. Unfortunately it was on the bike, and if I'd been approaching the trap the 'proper' way there wouldn't be a front plate to capture, and I'd have seen the marking on the van anyway. If I'd been quicker thinking (and prepared to cut-up the car I was passing) I guess I could have pulled in quick to the kerb side to hide the plate. But being a nice considerate rider even though I'd seen the van on the way by and gave the car space.
Jeez I'm annoyed....
Jeez I'm annoyed....
tvrolet said:
Ah well, I think I'm probably screwed. Unfortunately it was on the bike, and if I'd been approaching the trap the 'proper' way there wouldn't be a front plate to capture, and I'd have seen the marking on the van anyway. If I'd been quicker thinking (and prepared to cut-up the car I was passing) I guess I could have pulled in quick to the kerb side to hide the plate. But being a nice considerate rider even though I'd seen the van on the way by and gave the car space.
Jeez I'm annoyed....
Some areas' camera vans are equipped with additional cameras to catch your rear number plate if they ping you with the speed camera from the front and you have no front plate. Clever, eh?Jeez I'm annoyed....
I've had a curious email from someone on PH (who shall remain nameless);
"if the bikes not worth that much or you just don't want the points say you sold it a day or two before photocopy the log book, fill in the copy, copy it again and say you sold it the day before, supplying the filled out copy of a copy your kept for your records, ie mr mouse Disneyland, leave the bike somewhere safe but not tied to you then in a few months break it for parts, problem solved"
I imagine the email was not meant for me, however I would be careful when sending out advice to PCoJ, when it would almost certainly result in prison time if detected.
"if the bikes not worth that much or you just don't want the points say you sold it a day or two before photocopy the log book, fill in the copy, copy it again and say you sold it the day before, supplying the filled out copy of a copy your kept for your records, ie mr mouse Disneyland, leave the bike somewhere safe but not tied to you then in a few months break it for parts, problem solved"
I imagine the email was not meant for me, however I would be careful when sending out advice to PCoJ, when it would almost certainly result in prison time if detected.
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