Anything illegal about handheld speed gun from policecar?

Anything illegal about handheld speed gun from policecar?

Author
Discussion

un1corn

Original Poster:

2,143 posts

138 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
Every time you see cops doing speed enforcement, it's high vis jackets, stood at the roadside, speedgun on a tripod. At least near me it is anyway.

Then you watch US cop shows and they park up and get people out of the window, sometimes even hiding and getting people as they go away from a big sign or something. I assume doing this in the UK isn't illegal or anything? I suppose it's no different to a van really, and assuming all checks on the gun were legit, these offences would still stand right?

Would it be illegal/frowned upon if the cop was doing it from an unmarked car, rather than a marked?

Is there any legislation about how visible they must be, like the camera boxes?

Our speed vans used to be bright yellow, but they're now blue and yellow and have the EXACT same livery (and make/model) as british gas!

Just after your thoughts?

wjb

5,100 posts

132 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
Does any of it matter?

If you don't go too fast you won't get caught. smile

It really is that simple.

ging84

8,919 posts

147 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
If they're not wearing their hat the ticket is unlawful. If you challenge it in court and win anyone they've ever arrested goes free.

Dave.

7,380 posts

254 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
ging84 said:
If they're not wearing their trousers the ticket is unlawful. If you challenge it in court and win anyone they've ever arrested goes free.
FTFY

Riley Blue

20,984 posts

227 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
un1corn said:
Is there any legislation about how visible they must be, like the camera boxes?
Having just driven the length of Britain I've seen camera boxes that are grey, yellow, yellow with red diagonal stripes or green. Whatever the legislation is, is is being applied imaginatively.

Kiwi79

880 posts

235 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
wjb said:
Does any of it matter?

If you don't go too fast you won't get caught. smile

It really is that simple.
Are you on the right forum?

Puddenchucker

4,108 posts

219 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
Riley Blue said:
un1corn said:
Is there any legislation about how visible they must be, like the camera boxes?
Having just driven the length of Britain I've seen camera boxes that are grey, yellow, yellow with red diagonal stripes or green. Whatever the legislation is, is is being applied imaginatively.
That's because there isn't any legislation regarding visiblity, as I far as I know.
There were guidelines for Camera Partnerships when they received income from the fines, but even if the guidelines weren't adhered to, it still did not preclude prosecution.

DaveE36

1,144 posts

136 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
A good friend represented himself and got speeding thrown out due to the police officer hiding behind their unmarked car. He was able to obtain CCTV footage which had shown them clearly and played this to the judge in court. This was about 4 years ago so I don't know if anything has changed since then.

agtlaw

6,712 posts

207 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
DaveE36 said:
A good friend represented himself and got speeding thrown out due to the police officer hiding behind their unmarked car. He was able to obtain CCTV footage which had shown them clearly and played this to the judge in court. This was about 4 years ago so I don't know if anything has changed since then.
Cool story.

kestral

1,740 posts

208 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
DaveE36 said:
A good friend represented himself and got speeding thrown out due to the police officer hiding behind their unmarked car. He was able to obtain CCTV footage which had shown them clearly and played this to the judge in court. This was about 4 years ago so I don't know if anything has changed since then.
It just shows what you can do when you represent yourself. clap

Toltec

7,161 posts

224 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
wjb said:
Does any of it matter?

If you don't go too fast you won't get caught. smile

It really is that simple.
Just like unwanted pregnancies, don't have sex, simple.
Just like being overweight, don't eat so much, simple.

AdeTuono

7,259 posts

228 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
Kiwi79 said:
wjb said:
Does any of it matter?

If you don't go too fast you won't get caught. smile

It really is that simple.
Are you on the right forum?
You can just about bet your house that some sanctimonious, law-abiding paragon of virtue will trot out that reply every time there's a speeding topic posted.

anonymous-user

55 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
DaveE36 said:
A good friend represented himself and got speeding thrown out due to the police officer hiding behind their unmarked car. He was able to obtain CCTV footage which had shown them clearly and played this to the judge in court. This was about 4 years ago so I don't know if anything has changed since then.
A judge threw it out because the police officer was 'hiding'.

Sounds legit.

Pothole

34,367 posts

283 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
un1corn said:
Our speed vans used to be bright yellow, but they're now blue and yellow and have the EXACT same livery (and make/model) as british gas!
Wow, so I need to watch out in case every British Gas van I see is actually a camera van?

Terminator X

15,108 posts

205 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
Camera in a horse box:



TX.

agtlaw

6,712 posts

207 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
La Liga said:
judge threw it out because the police officer was 'hiding'.

Sounds legit.
Definitely happened. CPS caved when they saw the defendant was unrepresented and had a link to an internet page.

LosingGrip

7,822 posts

160 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
I got accused of hiding...

I was stood in a hi vis jacket. I'm six foot four, not slim...under a street light...outside a police station :rollseyes:

I've also stayed in the unmarked car and used the laser out the window. Did it today. Nothing wrong with it.

wjb

5,100 posts

132 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
AdeTuono said:
Kiwi79 said:
wjb said:
Does any of it matter?

If you don't go too fast you won't get caught. smile

It really is that simple.
Are you on the right forum?
You can just about bet your house that some sanctimonious, law-abiding paragon of virtue will trot out that reply every time there's a speeding topic posted.
"A sanctimonious, law-abiding paragon of virtue" Don't think I've ever been described like that before, so thanks hehe

I got a ticket a couple years ago, took a speed awareness course and guess what? I didn't bh about it because, believe it or not, I was actually going too fast.

Mandalore

4,220 posts

114 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
AdeTuono said:
Kiwi79 said:
wjb said:
Does any of it matter?

If you don't go too fast you won't get caught. smile

It really is that simple.
Are you on the right forum?
You can just about bet your house that some sanctimonious, law-abiding paragon of virtue will trot out that reply every time there's a speeding topic posted.
And... you can guarantee totally ironic comment from one of the better known pendants.

Aretnap

1,664 posts

152 months

Thursday 23rd May 2019
quotequote all
LosingGrip said:
I got accused of hiding...

I was stood in a hi vis jacket. I'm six foot four, not slim...under a street light...outside a police station :rollseyes:
Hiding in plain sight is the sneakiest way of hiding! wink