Mobile Speed Awareness van - camera position

[Demon Hill]

I have a few questions regarding the position of a laser camera inside a van. I am aware that they have a long range,but is the distance fixed by the operator, or can they fire laser signals willy nilly over a dual carriageway/motorway to try and catch as many people as possible ?

Is there a danger of the laser beam going into a drivers eyes ?

I was travelling down a dual carriageway today on the inside lane following a car who was probably 200 metres in front, who braked when he saw the van on the bridge, so assuming the camera was pointing at him, does the operator then wait for the next car to arrive at "the set distance" or does he quickly point the laser up the road potentially going over the car he's just zapped ?

[lbc]

Demon Hill said:

I was travelling down a dual carriageway today on the inside lane following a car who was probably 200 metres in front, who braked when he saw the van on the bridge, so assuming the camera was pointing at him, does the operator then wait for the next car to arrive at "the set distance" or does he quickly point the laser up the road potentially going over the car he's just zapped ?

The scamera can see you before you have clocked them, so they could easily grab the speed of you and the car in front in seconds, before you had a chance to react if you were not expecting to be targeted.

If you were not speeding you have nothing to fear, but if you think you were speeding it's the usual 14 day wait if you are the registered keeper of the vehicle.

[HantsRat]

The laser in harmless and invisable. It will not damage the eye. Also, it is aimed at your car body/numberplate, not the windscreen/eyes.

[tapereel]

Demon Hill said:

I have a few questions regarding the position of a laser camera inside a van. I am aware that they have a long range,but is the distance fixed by the operator, or can they fire laser signals willy nilly over a dual carriageway/motorway to try and catch as many people as possible ?

Is there a danger of the laser beam going into a drivers eyes ?

I was travelling down a dual carriageway today on the inside lane following a car who was probably 200 metres in front, who braked when he saw the van on the bridge, so assuming the camera was pointing at him, does the operator then wait for the next car to arrive at "the set distance" or does he quickly point the laser up the road potentially going over the car he's just zapped ?

All of that is true.

The laser going into the eyes of the driver does no harm. Even though it is targeted at the car and long distances the spread of the beam may well cause the light to cover the driver too. It can't harm the driver or passengers nor does it have a significant effect on the speed reading.