How far can a speed camera read?

[sue20]

What distance from a camera van does the camera read your plate? Don't know if i slowed down in time heading towards a camera today.

[agtlaw]

Depends what kind of speed meter was used. When you've seen it, it's usually too late.

Registered keeper may get something within 14 days. Otherwise, forget about it.

[3Dee]

I think (given that I got pulled 6 months back a way off (69 in a 60), they use long-distance lenses now, but I can't be sure.

[agtlaw]

Pro laser 3 (widely used in England) has a range of over 1km! It's this kind of device used from inside the van. It's not actually a speed camera like a Gatso or Truvelo.

http://www.tssltd.co.uk/pdf/tss_pro_laser_3.pdf

[F40LOUD]

The issue I have is that I thought the law clearly states that only cars thought to be speeding can be targeted by a handheld/van gun, and how can a PC determine if a car is speeding when it's over 1km away. I reckon they just aim in the outside lane or any cayenne or range rover and hope for the best. Having had a couple of airproxes with aircraft over the years they only get big very quickly in the final 300m or so - further away than this and they are difficult to spot and are very difficult to judge.

The camera inside the van is a fixed floor mounted unit(think its on a tripod), so i guess i can have a much longer range?
What about handheld cameras though? Wouldn't there be a limit on the operator being able to hold it steadily enough?

[tivver500]

Wiltshire camera van photoed me on the A303 (just west of the Thruxton turnoff).
I was 746 meters away from the camera (according to the on-line evidence) and, from the photo, you could tell that I needed a shave!!!!
Whatever the lens was - I want one!!!
How the 'operator' could tell I was speeding (82 in a 70) at that distance I don't know but he must have the best 'calibrated eyes' in the UK force!!

[GoneAnon]

When I was done in 2006 the photo with the speed reading is too far away to read the plate.
The second shot has the plate legible but, because the fokkers were shooting out of the sun from a flyover that doesn't connect to the motorway so should present no hazard to traffic, and because I had my sunvisor down, it could be anyone in a white short driving.

3 points and £60 for 80mph on a dry, quiet motorway at 10am - they probably needed the money more than me. For more sandwiches for the operator or something, because they have done nothing to remove any invisible hazard from the location since then!