Flashy Flashy, what do I expect ?

[dieselnut]

I know there's a lot of threads on this... and relative advice, but I've gotten myself all confused over it all.

I'll set the scene for you, 21 year old male, driving a VW Golf (nothing sporty looking), he currently has 3 points on his license for an SP30 roughly 2 years ago now.

This 21 year old is me :-(

Driving the A177 from Tesco's in Stockton-on-Tees, you head past Whinyard (60 limit with 2 gatso's) and into a 50 limit, which is a decent dry road with a couple of sweeping bends, nothing residential for another 2 miles. As we came round one of the bends Tracey spies a black camera infront of a plain white mini-van and shouts "Speed camera", just as I go past it at 70... FLASH.

There were none of the "you're approaching a speed camera" stylee signs

I'm the only car on that section of the road, so I can only presume the flash was directed at me... The camera was infront of me, at around 45 degrees to my direction of travel as it went off. Only one flash that I noticed.

Basically I want to know what to expect, I have 3 thoughts in my head.

A) It was a false trigger, and at that angle, how can he have got a decent picture ?

B) I'm awaiting the NIP in the post, and it's going to be the standard £60 and 3 pts

C) I'm expecting a right royal rodgering from the BiB...

Any advice.... or should I sit an stare at the doormat for the next 14 days ?

[bobthebench]

70 in a 60 ? What's the issue ? I've more chance of seeing Halley's comet than you. £60 +3pp on a bad day. SFA on most days!

[rude girl]

nope, 70 in a 50 if I read it right.

Didn't think mobile scameras flashed though? And 45 degrees? And an unmarked van? Doesn't sound like anything I've ever seen before, and I live in Northants, where there's a scamera on every corner.

[dnb]

I didn't think these things flashed visibly?

I have to say that a camera flash is a rather dangerous thing to happen in front of a driver But what do I know?

Sorry - can't help, but oyu're not on your own I'm in the second week of a similar wait. I didn't notice a national limit road I'd used for years had become a 50 zone overnight - no warnings of the change in the press either...

[cptsideways]

The mobile Gatso's (big box on a tripod) use a remote flash, looks like an aircraft landing light, it's on an umbillacle cable & usually put by the kerb, the cameras are maounted a few meters in from the road.

[monkeyhanger]

I know that stretch of road very well, and from Tesco until you hit the Dual Carriageway before the Sedgefield roundabout there ARE camera signs.

3 points & £60 i would guess...
HOWEVER

If your Speedo said 70, you were doing considerably less (on a 60mph road)....sounds like Cleveland are ignoring ACPO yet again and cutting the trigger speeds for the scameras.

Funnily enough, i passed the Mobile van in Hartlepool today, he stared at me long and hard as i mouthed "w*nker" at him....Wonder if he mistook my Octavia for one of Clevelands unmarked cars. Should cause some fun back at HQ

[WD*]

monkeyhanger said:

I know that stretch of road very well, and from Tesco until you hit the Dual Carriageway before the Sedgefield roundabout there ARE camera signs. 3 points & £60 i would guess... HOWEVER If your Speedo said 70, you were doing considerably less (on a 60mph road)....sounds like Cleveland are ignoring ACPO yet again and cutting the trigger speeds for the scameras. Funnily enough, i passed the Mobile van in Hartlepool today, he stared at me long and hard as i mouthed "w*nker" at him....Wonder if he mistook my Octavia for one of Clevelands unmarked cars. Should cause some fun back at HQ

i'm dieselnut's other half and was in the car at the time.. I wasa under the impression, perhaps wrongly, that scamera warning signs only applied until the speed limit changes... the camera signs are on the approach to the two cameras (for reference, only one is ever active at a time, one more so than the other but i canb't remember which, lol) which is the 60 stretch, but then it drops to a 50 as it goes back up the hill. He wasa pretty much hidden on the verge as you couldnt see him for bushes until you were right in front of him...

[monkeyhanger]

WD* said:

monkeyhanger said: I know that stretch of road very well, and from Tesco until you hit the Dual Carriageway before the Sedgefield roundabout there ARE camera signs. 3 points & £60 i would guess... HOWEVER If your Speedo said 70, you were doing considerably less (on a 60mph road)....sounds like Cleveland are ignoring ACPO yet again and cutting the trigger speeds for the scameras. Funnily enough, i passed the Mobile van in Hartlepool today, he stared at me long and hard as i mouthed "w*nker" at him....Wonder if he mistook my Octavia for one of Clevelands unmarked cars. Should cause some fun back at HQ i'm dieselnut's other half and was in the car at the time.. I wasa under the impression, perhaps wrongly, that scamera warning signs only applied until the speed limit changes... the camera signs are on the approach to the two cameras (for reference, only one is ever active at a time, one more so than the other but i canb't remember which, lol) which is the 60 stretch, but then it drops to a 50 as it goes back up the hill. He wasa pretty much hidden on the verge as you couldnt see him for bushes until you were right in front of him...

I misread the post, i thought you were in the 60 limit..oops


I suggest you go back & check, from memory i thought the signs went right along the road but i'm happy to be proven wrong, specially if it gives you a possible defence ??

Still doesn't change the fact that those camera vans are operated by failed Traffic Wardens..

I sincerely hope he hasnt been caught, if he has, then he's been very unlucky.

>> Edited by monkeyhanger on Sunday 22 February 23:50

[WD*]

monkeyhanger said:

I sincerely hope he hasnt been caught, if he has, then he's been very unlucky.

Thanks

I am guessing you are in hartlepool: hope to see you at some of the north east meets... keep an eye on the north east forum for details there are a few of us in this area, we are in stockton, wedg1e is in norton, tvrbob is in redcar, and there are a few from newcastle as well.. always nice to see new faces!

[monkeyhanger]

WD* said:

monkeyhanger said: I sincerely hope he hasnt been caught, if he has, then he's been very unlucky. Thanks I am guessing you are in hartlepool: hope to see you at some of the north east meets... keep an eye on the north east forum for details there are a few of us in this area, we are in stockton, wedg1e is in norton, tvrbob is in redcar, and there are a few from newcastle as well.. always nice to see new faces!

Indeed i am in Hartlepool

I'll watch the NE Forum too, would be interesting to meet some other car nuts in addition to the Briskoda.net crowd i know already.

As for the cameras, it would be interesting to see the accident stats for that stretch of road, to see if they still fall within the guidelines...

>> Edited by monkeyhanger on Monday 23 February 00:42

[chrisgr31]

Wonder how much separation there was between van and camera.

Wonder if one could be blinded by the flash so swerve and accidentially hit the camera?

[stackmonkey]

I thought Gatsos are only allowed to flash you from behind because of the danger of blinding a driver temporarily with the flash??

I would have thought a talivan would have to follow the same practice for the same reason?

A brave soul could put forward a legal argument on that basis.

>> Edited by stackmonkey on Monday 23 February 13:27

[dieselnut]

stackmonkey said:

I thought Gatsos are only allowed to flash you from behind because of the danger of blinding a driver temporarily with the flash??

This unfortunatly is my second 'incident' with a gatso.... the last one got me head on at dusk, causing me to pull over for 10 minutes until the large multicoloured blur in the middle of my vision had gone. I wasn't PistonHeads savvy at that point otherwise I would have attempted some kind of complaint. I just took my £60 and 3 points and toddled off to grumble...

One question though, for anyone who's been stung recently by Cleveland Police, how long does it take from Gatso flash to NIP arriving on average ?

The flash was Saturday, and we're now at Wednesday, and after seeing the posty off with a cheery grin there was nothing this morning. (Do they still do 2 deliveries a day ?)

Matthew

[dieselnut]

Well.... unfortunatly they appear to have pulled their finger out and I am now in posession of a NIP for 3 points and £60 the wording is a little strange though

nip said:

A camera sited at A177 THORPE THEWLES, STOCKTON shows that on 21/02/2004 at 11:04 the driver of vehicle registration L21XXX travelling at a speed of 65mph committed an offence of EXCESS SPEED 50mph contrary to section 89 (!) and 84(!) of RTRA 1964

That is typed verbatim from the form... do they not use proper grammar on things such as this ?