police car set off gatso on me

[AntiguaBill]

Hello, I just wanted to get an opinion of whether i should expect an nip for not speeding.

Yesterday, Oct 2nd, at 17.10, i was driving home from work as everyday, when a police car came up from behind with sirens and lights. So i promptly pulled over to allow him to make safe progress. I had pulled over some 20 yards or so before a fixed camera. The Police car passed through at perhaps 40mph in this 30zone. However, both myself and my girlfriend very definately saw the camera flash AFTER the police car had already passed the camera. By this time, we had safely pulled back onto the road and were now maybe 10 yards before the white lines. There were no cars coming the other way, and there was a nissan micra behind that had also pulled over. Neither of us could have been going more than 15mph at the time of the flash.
I'm just a bit baffled as to why the flash occured AFTER the police car had already passed the camera, and whether it is likely for me to get an NIP for not doing anything in the slightest bit wrong.
We were both amazed to see the flash as we weren't expecting it by then.
I didn't get the number of the police car as by the time the flash went off (and we wondered the potential for nip), the police car was too far away.
Does the camera only take pictures of cars that are over the distance markers?

Cheers for any help

Matt "anxious"

[supermono]

In theory you need two pictures at a known time difference so you can calculate your speed. They should do this in each case to make sure they don't issue false invoices.

But remember the operating business is trying to make as much money as possible so may well have a policy of just sending out the bills and making you prove that no levy is due.

You should be ok in the end though because you can calculate from the pictures what your actual speed was and they'll "let you off".

SM

[mmm-five]

If you were before the lines then you won't even be in the photo, so there's no way they'd have your number.

Even if the copper was going quickly then he would still be in the photo - even if he was past the lines.

[AntiguaBill]

but thats what confused me about it, at the moment the flash went off, there was no car on top of the white marker line area - as if the flash went off very late, or it got confused, saw us, and went off for wrong reason, i don't know exactly how they work.
There didn't seem to be anyway the police car would've been on the photo as the flash went off a couple seconds after he had already passed the camera and the marker lines area. camera was facing us, on the other side of the road.
So if the camera can only see the marked line area then yes we should be fine, i shall go off and do some more reading to try confirm this.

For the record, I am 1000% sure we weren't speeding, but I'm also aware from reading this forum daily, that the truth doesn't always previal, and its a complete blood sucking pain to prove.

[mmm-five]

Ah, so it wasn't on your lane, it was on the other side of the road?

I wouldn't worry then.

[Isoproturon1]

Common practice round here is for police to inform command centre that they have triggered a speed camera on the way to a job - covers them, and should cover you.

[Raify]

If you were only going 15mph, why even pay it a second thought?

[BertBert]

AntiguaBill said:

For the record, I am 1000% sure we weren't speeding, but I'm also aware from reading this forum daily, that the truth doesn't always previal, and its a complete blood sucking pain to prove.

Sorry, but f'goodness sake, there is no way on earth that PH is representative of the real world! Do you really, really think that there is any risk at all of getting a ticket?? Anxious? Dont be daft.

Dont tell me you are one of these people that reduce their speed to 5mph below the speed limit every time you see a camera, just in case a nasty scammer "gets you"?

Mind you, you could be right about them being out to get you! :-)

Bert

[stara]

BertBert said:

AntiguaBill said:

For the record, I am 1000% sure we weren't speeding, but I'm also aware from reading this forum daily, that the truth doesn't always previal, and its a complete blood sucking pain to prove.

Sorry, but f'goodness sake, there is no way on earth that PH is representative of the real world! Do you really, really think that there is any risk at all of getting a ticket?? Anxious? Dont be daft.

Dont tell me you are one of these people that reduce their speed to 5mph below the speed limit every time you see a camera, just in case a nasty scammer "gets you"?

Mind you, you could be right about them being out to get you! :-)

Bert

bertbert, some peoples livelyhoods are one cameraflash away from being taken from them, job lost, house lost etc etc, so be patient if you have to go 5mph slower for 5seconds.

[BertBert]

stara said:

BertBert said:

AntiguaBill said:

For the record, I am 1000% sure we weren't speeding, but I'm also aware from reading this forum daily, that the truth doesn't always previal, and its a complete blood sucking pain to prove.

Sorry, but f'goodness sake, there is no way on earth that PH is representative of the real world! Do you really, really think that there is any risk at all of getting a ticket?? Anxious? Dont be daft.

Dont tell me you are one of these people that reduce their speed to 5mph below the speed limit every time you see a camera, just in case a nasty scammer "gets you"?

Mind you, you could be right about them being out to get you! :-)

Bert

bertbert, some peoples livelyhoods are one cameraflash away from being taken from them, job lost, house lost etc etc, so be patient if you have to go 5mph slower for 5seconds.

But why do you have to go 5 mph slower than the speed limit? That's a bit like not going shopping in case you get falsely accused of shop lifting. Get a grip, it's not that bad out there!

Bert

[WeirdNeville]

AntiguaBill said:

but thats what confused me about it, at the moment the flash went off, there was no car on top of the white marker line area - as if the flash went off very late, or it got confused, saw us, and went off for wrong reason, i don't know exactly how they work.

For some reason when you set off gatsos facing towards you they do tend to go off "late". I suppose it could be to prevent blinding the oncoming motorist, why they have to go off at all is beyond me.

Don't fret, Even the Camera partnerships wouldn't be obtuse enough to try and prosecute you for doing -38Mph.

[WildCat]

BertBert said:

stara said:

BertBert said:

AntiguaBill said:

For the record, I am 1000% sure we weren't speeding, but I'm also aware from reading this forum daily, that the truth doesn't always previal, and its a complete blood sucking pain to prove.

Sorry, but f'goodness sake, there is no way on earth that PH is representative of the real world! Do you really, really think that there is any risk at all of getting a ticket?? Anxious? Dont be daft.

Dont tell me you are one of these people that reduce their speed to 5mph below the speed limit every time you see a camera, just in case a nasty scammer "gets you"?

Mind you, you could be right about them being out to get you! :-)

Bert

bertbert, some peoples livelyhoods are one cameraflash away from being taken from them, job lost, house lost etc etc, so be patient if you have to go 5mph slower for 5seconds.

But why do you have to go 5 mph slower than the speed limit? That's a bit like not going shopping in case you get falsely accused of shop lifting. Get a grip, it's not that bad out there!

Bert

But the lolly does not und should not dictate you drive at the speed as indicated. You are supposed to drive at safest speed for conditions which may be below what the lolly says .

Perhaps you are one who drive at certain speed regardless of what coming because the lolly tell you to

Sometimes though - we simply have no other choice but to "acclerate out of danger" on the odd occasion

[WildCat]

WeirdNeville said:

AntiguaBill said:

but thats what confused me about it, at the moment the flash went off, there was no car on top of the white marker line area - as if the flash went off very late, or it got confused, saw us, and went off for wrong reason, i don't know exactly how they work.

For some reason when you set off gatsos facing towards you they do tend to go off "late". I suppose it could be to prevent blinding the oncoming motorist, why they have to go off at all is beyond me.

Don't fret, Even the Camera partnerships wouldn't be obtuse enough to try and prosecute you for doing -38Mph.

It also beyond me to as to why they there in the first place Liebchen.

But in the real world ... they prosecute allegedly at cut off of 10%+ 2 .. but these are just "guidelines" und they short of a shillin' - they will issue NIP at 33/34 mph - especially if they run a basic Speed Course (DVD game one of £60 as the family "news hound sniff out" ) und need a few more bums on the seats.

Lancs will issue NIP at 38mph. 35 mph (or any 10%+2 ping) will get a warning letter whilst 36/37 mph (up to any 10%+4 across scammered speed traps) get you offer of their Speed Course - reports of which indicate this more like day with the IAM teaching you how to COAST properly.

It could be a fault. There was one in Cumbria which kept flashing for no reason. Steviebabes tried to claim "they were testing the camera" but went all huffy when forced to admit he would be prosecuting folk pinged at above 40 mph by this Ings scamera. - especially when this on live local radio that time

[CmdrBond]

Isoproturon1 said:

Common practice round here is for police to inform command centre that they have triggered a speed camera on the way to a job - covers them, and should cover you.

Ditto, for the force I work for. If my officers are on a blue light run and they trigger a camera then it is a note on the log with time and location of the camera activation

[Who me ?]

mmm-five said:

Ah, so it wasn't on your lane, it was on the other side of the road?

I wouldn't worry then.

As the man says - camera on other side of road - set-up for rear facing detection - only -

[BertBert]

WildCat said:

BertBert said:

stara said:

BertBert said:

AntiguaBill said:

For the record, I am 1000% sure we weren't speeding, but I'm also aware from reading this forum daily, that the truth doesn't always previal, and its a complete blood sucking pain to prove.

Sorry, but f'goodness sake, there is no way on earth that PH is representative of the real world! Do you really, really think that there is any risk at all of getting a ticket?? Anxious? Dont be daft.

Dont tell me you are one of these people that reduce their speed to 5mph below the speed limit every time you see a camera, just in case a nasty scammer "gets you"?

Mind you, you could be right about them being out to get you! :-)

Bert

bertbert, some peoples livelyhoods are one cameraflash away from being taken from them, job lost, house lost etc etc, so be patient if you have to go 5mph slower for 5seconds.

But why do you have to go 5 mph slower than the speed limit? That's a bit like not going shopping in case you get falsely accused of shop lifting. Get a grip, it's not that bad out there!

Bert

But the lolly does not und should not dictate you drive at the speed as indicated. You are supposed to drive at safest speed for conditions which may be below what the lolly says .

Perhaps you are one who drive at certain speed regardless of what coming because the lolly tell you to

Sometimes though - we simply have no other choice but to "acclerate out of danger" on the odd occasion

As I'm sure you know meine kleine bratkartoffeln, I am referring to those people driving around who see the scamera and decelerate to a speed well below the lolly-limit!
Bert