Scamera Van Question

[Humper]

Passed one today, in Dunfermline just outside Asda, wondering how short a field of vision these operated at. As i had a bit of skive time i turned round and travelled back towards it, due to the wall at the side of the road obstructing view I'd estimate less than 100 yards view, surely by the time the operative forms an opinion of the speeding car, points the gun, if it was doing any speed at all it would be past? Or is it constantly aiming at all motorists, speeding or not.?

[JumboBeef]

I know that section well. 40 into a 30 but the road looks the same (DC).

You are almost certainly toast I'm afraid. They catch a huge number of drivers there.....

[speedking31]

OP hasn't mentioned speeding. If he thought he was pinged, giving the SCP a second go at getting your registration is not what I would do.

[Humper]

Op actually mentioned spotting it heading in the opposite direction too..... 😀 have not noticed one sitting there before, looked like next to no field of vision due to the high wall and bend in the road, i turned round ( not hard to do with two roundabouts just to see how close you were till you came into view at all
I'm not brain of Britain but speeding towards a talivan i already know is there is even for me somewhat silly

[JumboBeef]

Humper said:

have not noticed one sitting there before

They are there, a LOT! It's like shooting fish in a barrel.

For those who don't know the area, this is the road before you can see it:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.080199,-3.407923...

and the van lives here, on the different coloured bit of pavement on the left, just in front of the person walking.....

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@56.079976,-3.411124...

[Humper]

Should also have said, OP was bloody glad he was heading out of town

[SpikeBmth]

the operator will be sighting every motorist, and just pulls the trigger to take a snap, if the speed reading is high enough, so rather quick.

[Garvin]

Humper said:

. . . . . . . . by the time the operative forms an opinion of the speeding car, points the gun, if it was doing any speed at all it would be past? Or is it constantly aiming at all motorists, speeding or not.?

What do you think? I know what I think having talked to an operator! BTW, the optics on their equipment are very good - given a good long sight line they can see you very clearly way before you can ascertain that white dot at the side of the road is a camera van!

[Garvin]

Humper said:

. . . . . . . . by the time the operative forms an opinion of the speeding car, points the gun, if it was doing any speed at all it would be past? Or is it constantly aiming at all motorists, speeding or not.?

What do you think? I know what I think having talked to an operator! BTW, the optics on their equipment are very good - given a good long sight line they can see you very clearly way before you can ascertain that white dot at the side of the road is a camera van!

[Humper]

Garvin said:

What do you think? I know what I think having talked to an operator! BTW, the optics on their equipment are very good - given a good long sight line they can see you very clearly way before you can ascertain that white dot at the side of the road is a camera van!

Please look at the link Jumbobeef has posted, it shows the point that I stated, there is less than 100 yards of line of sight due to the high wall and the bend. They are as stated, shooting fish, how many non speeders do the ping? Remember reading about someone taking this on due to this. Had I been travelling into the town I'd be looking at 3 points.

[Jasandjules]

Humper said:

Or is it constantly aiming at all motorists, speeding or not.?

For maximum revenue, do you believe they

(a) Form a prior opinion then confirm
(b) Point and shoot at everything

[ruggedscotty]

Had a scare here aswell a few months back - waited for round 4 weeks for that plop on the door matt but it never came..... Ive got it noted though and wont make that mistake twice.

[Sheepshanks]

Garvin said:

Humper said:

. . . . . . . . by the time the operative forms an opinion of the speeding car, points the gun, if it was doing any speed at all it would be past? Or is it constantly aiming at all motorists, speeding or not.?

What do you think? I know what I think having talked to an operator! BTW, the optics on their equipment are very good - given a good long sight line they can see you very clearly way before you can ascertain that white dot at the side of the road is a camera van!

The equipment is approved up to 1km. They'll check your speed at some distance and then get the reg number when closer. By the time you see one on a motorway bridge etc, it's probably too late but it's worth getting your speed down as soon and as quickly as possible.

There's a couple I see regularly, one on the M65 at Blackburn and the other on the A34 at Oxford, and both are on tightish left bends - you come upon them very suddenly and the operators must be literally just popping at everything - the A34 one, particularly, would have a tiny window of opportunity, I can't believe there's time for the Operator to even think about it.

[agtlaw]

Jasandjules said:

For maximum revenue, do you believe they

(a) Form a prior opinion then confirm
(b) Point and shoot at everything

Is "prior opinion" required in Scotland?

[Garvin]

Humper said:

Garvin said:

What do you think? I know what I think having talked to an operator! BTW, the optics on their equipment are very good - given a good long sight line they can see you very clearly way before you can ascertain that white dot at the side of the road is a camera van!

Please look at the link Jumbobeef has posted, it shows the point that I stated, there is less than 100 yards of line of sight due to the high wall and the bend. They are as stated, shooting fish, how many non speeders do the ping? Remember reading about someone taking this on due to this. Had I been travelling into the town I'd be looking at 3 points.

That's why the "BTW" and "given a good long sight line" are included

[StuntmanMike]

Garvin said:

Humper said:

. . . . . . . . by the time the operative forms an opinion of the speeding car, points the gun, if it was doing any speed at all it would be past? Or is it constantly aiming at all motorists, speeding or not.?

What do you think? I know what I think having talked to an operator! BTW, the optics on their equipment are very good - given a good long sight line they can see you very clearly way before you can ascertain that white dot at the side of the road is a camera van!

I don't real believe that, I have hit the brakes a few times at the very last minute ( more than a few ) and haven't been caught yet.

[Garvin]

StuntmanMike said:

Garvin said:

Humper said:

. . . . . . . . by the time the operative forms an opinion of the speeding car, points the gun, if it was doing any speed at all it would be past? Or is it constantly aiming at all motorists, speeding or not.?

What do you think? I know what I think having talked to an operator! BTW, the optics on their equipment are very good - given a good long sight line they can see you very clearly way before you can ascertain that white dot at the side of the road is a camera van!

I don't real believe that, I have hit the brakes a few times at the very last minute ( more than a few ) and haven't been caught yet.

Well, you can believe what you like and continue to ride your luck. I've seen the kit and the nice man let me have a look see so, unlike you, I have a very good idea how far away they can clearly see/ping you!

[agtlaw]

StuntmanMike said:

I don't real believe that, I have hit the brakes a few times at the very last minute ( more than a few ) and haven't been caught yet.

Here's the operator's view from roughly 1000 feet (288 metres).

[StuntmanMike]

agtlaw said:

StuntmanMike said:

I don't real believe that, I have hit the brakes a few times at the very last minute ( more than a few ) and haven't been caught yet.

Here's the operator's view from roughly 1000 feet (288 metres).

That's pretty impressive, from someone who drives alot of miles there are times when I haven't seen them until I'm on top of them, which is why I questioned their range, thanks for the reply, factual and not peevish and sulky , unlike the other one. Jesus Garvin, I wasn't questioning your manhood, fkwits like you are the reason I'm fast going off P.H.

[richarda0109]

OP you are correct there was a case where the speeding offence was thrown out of court becuase the operator was found to ping everything that came their way. Using excepted calculations 100 yards is certainly not enough time to carry out the correct procedures and pull the trigger for vehicles travelling at 30 mph never mind anything going faster than that.

Rgds
Richard