Mobile Speed Cameras
Discussion
I am new to this forum so forgive me if this has come up before (No doubt it has). There has been a high number of mobile speed cameras popping up in the North East and I was wondering if they are sticking to the rules. I actually stopped and spoke to the policeman about it and he reckons they are not doing anything wrong. They have an unmarked ford escort van - I say unmarked - there is chevrons on the back of it but they would not make you think it was the police. The front has no markings on at all. The police man sits in his van all day with no high visibility clothing and the camera he puts in front of the van is black and hard to see. He parks off road away from the kerb and although he claims to stick by the rules the other night he was sat on the brow of a hill and it was dark and very difficult to see. Luckily I was coming from behind and saw the chevrons but the guy coming the other way would not have a chance of seeing any of the equipment as it was dark. It also took a photo (With a flash of an oncoming vehicle - Surely this is not allowed - What happens if it causes the motorist to swerve and crash? Or sets off a fit or something - On the brow of a hill with a slight bend at the top - You could end up on the wrong side of the road.
I can not believe that this is legal - It is down right dangerous. What do I do to build up a case against this officer - There are no camera signs around this particular area in either direction. If I were to get a digital camara and start taking some photos would this help. It is really winding me up as it is pure revenue grabbing - The road is not an accident black spot or anything. I do not want any lectures from police saying it is saving lives or anything as all the reports I have seen lately it is quite obvious the camaras are there for revenue.
Also when I stopped and asked the guy some questions he said they only get to keep up to a certain amount of the monwy from the camara's and the rest goes to that useless guy some people think of as the prime minister - I will not tell you what I think of him.
It is about time this country took some action and actually started some kind of revolt against the speed cameras - It is apalling the state it is getting to.
Oh and finally I have (At this moment anyway - Because you just never know) never been caught speeding and have no points on my license after nearly 7 years of driving so I am not bitter about being caught (At the moment).
I can not believe that this is legal - It is down right dangerous. What do I do to build up a case against this officer - There are no camera signs around this particular area in either direction. If I were to get a digital camara and start taking some photos would this help. It is really winding me up as it is pure revenue grabbing - The road is not an accident black spot or anything. I do not want any lectures from police saying it is saving lives or anything as all the reports I have seen lately it is quite obvious the camaras are there for revenue.
Also when I stopped and asked the guy some questions he said they only get to keep up to a certain amount of the monwy from the camara's and the rest goes to that useless guy some people think of as the prime minister - I will not tell you what I think of him.
It is about time this country took some action and actually started some kind of revolt against the speed cameras - It is apalling the state it is getting to.
Oh and finally I have (At this moment anyway - Because you just never know) never been caught speeding and have no points on my license after nearly 7 years of driving so I am not bitter about being caught (At the moment).
I am still waiting for car theives to start having fun with Scamera vans, I personally am tempted to steal a large lorry and drive straight over a talivan ..(at 29mph of course)
If I ever get flashed from the front i will consider piling into the back of said talivan...it will hurt him more than me, and i would think a court of law would find it hard to say my vision had been unnafected by a bright flash in my face on a dark road... It will heppen, an officer in a Talivan will get hurt/killed and they will off course, blame speed and not the fact that they are blinding us as we drive...
If I ever get flashed from the front i will consider piling into the back of said talivan...it will hurt him more than me, and i would think a court of law would find it hard to say my vision had been unnafected by a bright flash in my face on a dark road... It will heppen, an officer in a Talivan will get hurt/killed and they will off course, blame speed and not the fact that they are blinding us as we drive...
Hi Stuart - welcome to PH 
We have got fed up - and did start something. Check out the Anti-Scamera petition forum on here, and also the site that Graham Bell and Dontlift (Patrick) set up at www.saferroads.co.uk.
Please pass the link on to all you know!
As discussed already, the police get special permissions to park where they like. Reading council allow them to park in bus stops and best of all, on a central reservation of a dual carriageway, on double yellows, on hatching behind a solid white line, obscuring chevron signs for a bend
Strictly speaking, in order to keep money from the fines the Scameraships must keep to certain visibility rules etc. They do flout these rules, as you've seen. Each scameraship projected a budget for the year, and is allowed to keep fines up to that amount. The rest is indeed passed to the Treasury.
The scameraships are also not revealing how much money they are making - which completely contradicts their 'transparency agreements' (part of the deal to keep the money).
Check out www.safespeed.org.uk/hypothecation.html for more info on hypothecation
>> Edited by puggit on Tuesday 18th November 08:48
We have got fed up - and did start something. Check out the Anti-Scamera petition forum on here, and also the site that Graham Bell and Dontlift (Patrick) set up at www.saferroads.co.uk.
Please pass the link on to all you know!
As discussed already, the police get special permissions to park where they like. Reading council allow them to park in bus stops and best of all, on a central reservation of a dual carriageway, on double yellows, on hatching behind a solid white line, obscuring chevron signs for a bend
Strictly speaking, in order to keep money from the fines the Scameraships must keep to certain visibility rules etc. They do flout these rules, as you've seen. Each scameraship projected a budget for the year, and is allowed to keep fines up to that amount. The rest is indeed passed to the Treasury.
The scameraships are also not revealing how much money they are making - which completely contradicts their 'transparency agreements' (part of the deal to keep the money).
Check out www.safespeed.org.uk/hypothecation.html for more info on hypothecation
>> Edited by puggit on Tuesday 18th November 08:48
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