Police speed guns

[cotney]

Hypothetically speaking, if someone was riding a motorbike down a road happily above the speed limit - and passed a police car tucked away at the side pointing a speed gun back down the road in the direction he just came from...

Should the person expect anything through the post?

My thinking is that a speed gun pointed at the front of a motorbike gives no evidence of the bike speeding with the registration in view - so even if they took the hypothetical registration of the bike down, they would have no evidence unless they pulled the bike over at the time.

I would also imagine that in this completely made up situation, the police officer wouldn't even move the speed gun - and would just continue to point it down the road after the biker has passed...

Opinions/experiences?

[Mk3Spitfire]

You'll probably be fine. Speed can be caught coming towards or going away, but chances are you would have been pulled at the time if you were caught.

[Durzel]

cotney said:

My thinking is that a speed gun pointed at the front of a motorbike gives no evidence of the bike speeding with the registration in view - so even if they took the hypothetical registration of the bike down, they would have no evidence unless they pulled the bike over at the time.

The officer's statement saying that he pinged you and noted down the registration after you had passed would be evidence.

If it were not, then forward facing mobile speed cameras would never be able to prosecute motorcyclists.

[Martin_M]

Durzel said:

cotney said:

My thinking is that a speed gun pointed at the front of a motorbike gives no evidence of the bike speeding with the registration in view - so even if they took the hypothetical registration of the bike down, they would have no evidence unless they pulled the bike over at the time.

The officer's statement saying that he pinged you and noted down the registration after you had passed would be evidence.

If it were not, then forward facing mobile speed cameras would never be able to prosecute motorcyclists.

I was under the impression that some camera vans have swivel seats that allow the camera operator to turn the camera towards the rear of a bike as it passes.

[tapereel]

cotney said:

Hypothetically speaking, if someone was riding a motorbike down a road happily above the speed limit - and passed a police car tucked away at the side pointing a speed gun back down the road in the direction he just came from...

Should the person expect anything through the post?

My thinking is that a speed gun pointed at the front of a motorbike gives no evidence of the bike speeding with the registration in view - so even if they took the hypothetical registration of the bike down, they would have no evidence unless they pulled the bike over at the time.

I would also imagine that in this completely made up situation, the police officer wouldn't even move the speed gun - and would just continue to point it down the road after the biker has passed...

Opinions/experiences?

it seems that you are so wound up in you hypothetical world you have lost touch with reality and you are making up you own laws within it.

Back to this world. The officer will measure the speed as you approach, take your number as you pass therefore satisfying the requirement to evidence your speed. He or she will then make a decision on what to do; that will include to take immediate action, to delay action or take no action in prosecuting you for excess speed.

It isn't difficult to see through the hypothesis as a front to what you have done. So yes, it is still possible you may be prosecuted. That is not my hypothesis but my firm opinion of the situation you are now in. Good luck.

[battered]

As others have said, if this hypothetical bike rider gets nicked then he deserves it. The officer has measured the speed of a bike, he then identifies it after it's gone past. It's no different from someone obscuring a plate and then blazing around with a police car in hot pursuit. When he eventually pulls the guy over he takes the time to clean and read the plate. The rider then says "but you couldn't identify me at the time of the alleged offence!" Yeah right, that's going to work.

[cotney]

But in noting down the registration, how can the officer disprove the defence that "It wasn't me Guv, he must have written the registration down wrong" - if there is no photographic evidence with the plate on show.

I would have thought that if you are going to prosecute someone for speeding, you would have to either record their speed at the time, and then pull them over so that you can prove you have the correct person. Or if you are relying on photographic evidence, you would need to have ... photographic evidence?

[anonymous-user]

cotney said:

But in noting down the registration, how can the officer disprove the defence that "It wasn't me Guv, he must have written the registration down wrong" - if there is no photographic evidence with the plate on show.

The registered keeper would need to name the rider under this law.

Beside from that, the officer could say, "I could see the registration plate clearly and noted it down immediately".

cotney said:

I would have thought that if you are going to prosecute someone for speeding, you would have to either record their speed at the time, and then pull them over so that you can prove you have the correct person.

The officer would record the speed in their note book as they usually would. The correct person would be found from the law above.

[Durzel]

Photographic evidence isn't strictly required, though it can corroborate an opinion of excess speed. Your "hypothetical" scenario assumes that a) photographic evidence is essential and that b) they're "not allowed" to record your registration after you've gone past.

[tapereel]

Durzel said:

Photographic evidence isn't strictly required, though it can corroborate an opinion of excess speed. Your "hypothetical" scenario assumes that a) photographic evidence is essential and that b) they're "not allowed" to record your registration after you've gone past.

And c,) the police don't have to prove who was driving they simply ask the registered keeper and others who may be subsequently nominated by the keeper who was driving.
If you are the registered keeper of this motorcycle then you are on your way to 6 points and perhaps 9...and that isn't hypothetical.