camera van and bikes

[nightflight]

I've just been done by a camera van on my motorbike for doing 43 in a 30. I was decelerating from a 60 stretch, out in the middle of nowhere, and there he was. My question is though, because there is obviously no number plate on the front of the bike, and the van did not have a bubble with a camera on the side, are they allowed to get your number as you go away from them?

[Mike335i]

Can't see why not. They spotted you speeding and then identified you. Maybe the other camera was facing through the windscreen?

[Dan_M5]

They have a camera in the window

[bilhound]

nightflight said:

I've just been done by a camera van on my motorbike for doing 43 in a 30. I was decelerating from a 60 stretch, out in the middle of nowhere, and there he was. My question is though, because there is obviously no number plate on the front of the bike, and the van did not have a bubble with a camera on the side, are they allowed to get your number as you go away from them?

I was done by a van recently - 55 in a 40. Usually along with the NIP you get a link to a few piccies showing you the evidence against you (it's usually pretty obvious!)

[Durzel]

"I observed the vehicle that I believed to be travelling in excess of the speed limit. This opinion was subsequently corroborated by my LTI20-20 speed detection equipment. When the vehicle passed me I recorded the VRM and fist pumped."

[HantsRat]

Camera usually in front window facing the other direction to get numberplate. Sometimes just the statement of the operator saying he clocked you at X speed, kept vehicle in constant side then noted down your reg number is submitted and is enough for court.

[nightflight]

Thanks all. Hopefully I'll get a course.

[Bristol spark]

Surely the thing to do on a bike when confronted by a van is to stop before the van, then push the bike backwards and out of view of the camera, turn around and find another route.....

[SS2.]

nightflight said:

Thanks all. Hopefully I'll get a course.

At an alleged 43mph, you might be a whisker over the threshold for a course.

[gareth_r]

Bristol spark said:

Surely the thing to do on a bike when confronted by a van is to pull a vertical wheelie so that your number plate can't be photographed.

Fixed that for you.

[creampuff]

Durzel said:

"I observed the vehicle that I believed to be travelling in excess of the speed limit. This opinion was subsequently corroborated by my LTI20-20 speed detection equipment. When the vehicle passed me I recorded the VRM and fist pumped."

The correct procedure for the biker upon seeing a camera van is of course to immediately come to a full stop, dismount, push the bike backwards with VRM remaining away from the van until line of sight to the van is lost, then turning the bike around and riding the opposite direction.

Obv this is more challenging if you are on a motorway at the time, but where there is a will, there is a way.

[JNW1]

HantsRat said:

Camera usually in front window facing the other direction to get numberplate.

Yes, I hadn't realised this until recently but, as well as the camera pointing out of the back of the van, there's a camera on the dash looking through the windscreen which presumably captures a picture of the rear of any vehicle as it passes the van. Without this I can't see how they'd ever catch vehicles which don't have a front number plate (such as motorbikes).

HantsRat said:

Sometimes just the statement of the operator saying he clocked you at X speed, kept vehicle in constant side then noted down your reg number is submitted and is enough for court.

If the operator is looking out of the back of the van to clock the speed of oncoming vehicles how will they be able to switch positions, look out of the front window and note down the number of a potentially speeding vehicle as it passes? Doesn't sound very likely to me!

[HantsRat]

JNW1 said:

If the operator is looking out of the back of the van to clock the speed of oncoming vehicles how will they be able to switch positions, look out of the front window and note down the number of a potentially speeding vehicle as it passes? Doesn't sound very likely to me!

Pretty simple. They sit in a swivel chair. Bike passes, they spin to follow it pass through the side windows, then after it passes they follow it through to the front windows writing down the number plate.

This can be done with their eyes or even the camera as that can spin to face out front window if needs be.

Trust I've been in many camera vans so know how they work.

[scorcher]

creampuff said:

The correct procedure for the biker upon seeing a camera van is of course to immediately come to a full stop, dismount, push the bike backwards with VRM remaining away from the van until line of sight to the van is lost, then turning the bike around and riding the opposite direction.

Obv this is more challenging if you are on a motorway at the time, but where there is a will, there is a way.

If you wear a neck tube, you can just take that off and pull it up over your number plate. Or, quite handy if they park past a junction as then you can just turn off before you get to them.

[Biker 1]

Take off your number plate on a permanent basis. Break off a large chunk & put the remainder down the back of your jacket. If you get pulled by plod, say it just fell off down the road & you're off to buy a new one. It could also double as a low cost back protector.

[HantsRat]

Biker 1 said:

Take off your number plate on a permanent basis. Break off a large chunk & put the remainder down the back of your jacket. If you get pulled by plod, say it just fell off down the road & you're off to buy a new one. It could also double as a low cost back protector.

Don't do this or not only will you get speeding fines, you will also get a £100 non endorsable FPN.

[catso]

HantsRat said:

Don't do this or not only will you get speeding fines, you will also get a £100 non endorsable FPN.

You'd probably not get the speeding fines though? and a £100 non endorsable FPN could be considered a better option than several £100 + 3pt FPNs (or a visit to the magistrates).

Although I'm not sure a broken no. plate would make a good back protector...

[HantsRat]

catso said:

You'd probably not get the speeding fines though? and a £100 non endorsable FPN could be considered a better option than several £100 + 3pt FPNs (or a visit to the magistrates).

Although I'm not sure a broken no. plate would make a good back protector...

If I was lasering and clocked a motorbike who I then stopped and found to have a broken, no plate, ultra tiny plate (Usually done deliberately), they would receive speeding FPN (or course) and FPN for numberplate.

[catso]

I'm sure they would but the average camera van couldn't touch them.

I'm not advocating number plate removal as a way of avoiding speeding fines and I don't know how much of an issue it is? but when automated 'compliance' is the main (or only) type of enforcement, especially when it is often perceived as over zealous and often in recently reduced (for no good reason) limits, then I can see why some do it.

[cmaguire]

catso said:

I'm sure they would but the average camera van couldn't touch them.

I'm not advocating number plate removal as a way of avoiding speeding fines and I don't know how much of an issue it is? but when automated 'compliance' is the main (or only) type of enforcement, especially when it is often perceived as over zealous and often in recently reduced (for no good reason) limits, then I can see why some do it.

And the speed you are doing outside of urban areas just isn't that big a deal in reality, provided that you concentrate on the job in hand, contrary to all the guff they come out with. It all comes back to 'inappropriate speed', but not as defined by a frequently inappropriate limit.