Police hand held speed gun

[38911]

Hi, Looking for factual answers from someone who knows (preferably someone in the job) - not guesses or opinions from ‘keyboard experts’ please :-)

Scenario : Dual Carriageway. 40mph limit. Police person in hi-vis with “Police” on it, standing in the central reservation pointing a speed gun towards traffic coming towards the east.

Question 1: is he likely to only be ‘zapping’ traffic in one direction (coming towards him)? Or is he also able to ‘zap’ traffic passing him from behind/travelling away?

Question 2: Does the gun need setting for one direction at a time, or does it automatically switch between oncoming/departing traffic?

Question 3: I understand latest zapping devices take photos to help ID the driver. Is this mandatory? (I.e would prevent zapping from behind?)


Thanks

[CoolHands]

What road was this?

[38911]

CoolHands said:

What road was this?

A449 between Wolverhampton and Stafford.

[Tomo1971]

If it was hand held and not tripod, probably just a speed gun not a camera.

Think about the bit about cars driving away..... How would he see the registration of the vehicle at several hundred meters with no camera?

So yes, only getting people heading towards him and likely to be in contact with others a few hundred yards down the road to pull them over.

[douglasb]

They can "zap" in both directions. When setting up they calibrate the distance against an object a known distance away. This doesn't differentiate between approaching or receding. The speed measurement will show a minus sign in front of the speed if the vehicle is moving away from the gun.

Some devices take photos and some don't. The purpose of any photo (or video) is to identify the vehicle and not the driver. If a photo is taken of a vehicle approaching the photo may be good enough to identify the driver but that isn't its purpose.

[CoolHands]

Whenever I’ve seen that hand held type it’s normally the ‘zap them pull them over immediately’ type of policing? Maybe with his mate up the road to pull you in. Ie not get a NIP in the post.

[SS2.]

38911 said:

Question 1: is he likely to only be ‘zapping’ traffic in one direction (coming towards him)? Or is he also able to ‘zap’ traffic passing him from behind/travelling away?

Question 2: Does the gun need setting for one direction at a time, or does it automatically switch between oncoming/departing traffic?

Question 3: I understand latest zapping devices take photos to help ID the driver. Is this mandatory? (I.e would prevent zapping from behind?)
Thanks

Q1: As far as the device was concerned, there'd be nothing stopping the officer from targeting doing both carriageways.
Q2: The device can be used on both approaching and receding traffic - no need to change any settings for this.
Q3: No specific requirement for any photographs to be taken - at all.

[38911]

This guy seemed to be writing offenders details down. His unmarked octavia was parked up (empty) and I didn’t see anyone further up or down the road.

Seems it’s a ‘campaign spot’ and according to the papers the NIP comes through the post.

[mickyh7]

Two weeks of sleepless nights!
How fast were you going?

[Far Cough]

Or possibly just a warning letter like the local speed groups do in villages.

[Nibbles_bits]

Just the one copper?
Any more about?

If the answers are - yes & no, it's just speed management.

That Officer is making the most of 'down time' and reminding drivers that speed limits are still in place.

Possibly even in response to local residents raising concerns about speed ......and 'never seeing the Police'

[Durzel]

Far Cough said:

Or possibly just a warning letter like the local speed groups do in villages.

On a dual carriageway? No chance.

[38911]

Nibbles_bits said:

Just the one copper?
Any more about?

If the answers are - yes & no, it's just speed management.

That Officer is making the most of 'down time' and reminding drivers that speed limits are still in place.

Possibly even in response to local residents raising concerns about speed ......and 'never seeing the Police'

The answers are indeed 'yes' and 'no'. But why wouldn't NIPs be sent out?

[tejr]

I've usually only seen them on the oncoming traffic side. . For a lone officer he's more likely to catch up with you in order to stop you when you are coming towards him than if you are already hundreds of metres away driving away at speed.

Also easier to Id the driver, whether he is alone or relaying the info the another officer up the road.

I also imagine for the non video recording devices they have to stop you and get you to admit to the speed reading on their gun? When I got pulled I only thought about this after, in that I had no evidence that the speed on the gun was from my car other than the word of the officer (and the fact that I knew I was speeding!).

[mickyh7]

So after asking for only factual answers and no guessing, only one, from SS2, has been offered.
Looking at his answers, and I'm assuming he is a Policeman, it seems you will be getting a NIP in the post.
Let me ask you again, how fast were you going?

[38911]

mickyh7 said:

Two weeks of sleepless nights!
How fast were you going?

No sleepless nights - "it is what it is". No point worrying about it is there.

When any of us speed, we do so knowing the risks of getting caught, right?

Fast enough for a Band C

[mickyh7]

Fair enough,I'm in that crew.
Still stings when you see the van/man too late.

[eccles]

Standing in the central reservation seems to go against all road safety advice!

[HantsRat]

Answers below:

Question 1: is he likely to only be ‘zapping’ traffic in one direction (coming towards him)? Or is he also able to ‘zap’ traffic passing him from behind/travelling away?

- He can and probably will 'zap' in any direction if he suspects a vehicle to be speeding.

Question 2: Does the gun need setting for one direction at a time, or does it automatically switch between oncoming/departing traffic?

- No setup required. If the vehicle is travelling away it indicates this on the display.

Question 3: I understand latest zapping devices take photos to help ID the driver. Is this mandatory? (I.e would prevent zapping from behind?)

- No not mandatory. Most devices still don't have cameras.


Thanks

[mickyh7]

I've seen actual Vans parked on Central reservations in the past. On right turn area's.
You couldn't make up some of the things they used to get up to.
A690 Co Durham was a regular road.
If anyone knows the Heartside Cafe (now gone) Road between Allendale and Penrith, during the 90's it was a racetrack for Sports bikes and fast cars.
The Police would hide behind bushes on foot in Copses and Woods to try and catch you. Until they were ridiculed when spotted.