Does SPECS work in the dark?

[towman]

I know, dumb question. However I need to know the answer as I am planning an overnight dash from Brighton to Aberdeen! Also where are the SPECS cameras on the M6?

As I dont have a great deal of time to go trawling every old thread, could anyone also advise as to where I should "exercise caution" on the above route? Regular sites for mobile cameras would be a great help. Thanks

Steve

[gemini]

The answer to your question is
As an optician she's in her dark room most of the day

[Dibble]

The ones I know of:

Specs over Thelwall Viaduct, J20-J21, M6 - both directions, 40mph limit.

Mobile enforcement - any overbridge in Lnacashire, quite a few in Cumbria, particularly around Shap (WildCat would know better about Cumbria).

Lots of static cameras on the A9 from Perth/Dundee to Edinburgh, plus a few mobile sites (Stirling/Dunblane, and just outside Aberdeen) which are quite often on parallel roads to the main road...

[cptsideways]

Yes they do,

They use infrared illuminators that light up anything within a 25m range using a retroreflective numberplate (the key to the dilema) . Dark or does not matter as the cameras use IR all the time.

The cameras scanm for a plate image about 20 times a second, so they have plenty of opportunity to see you. The camera is a standard issue pips unit & is the same as the blue & green ones you see everywhere.

[Heebee]

Does that mean they can't read the old black and white plates?

[cptsideways]

Heebee said:

Does that mean they can't read the old black and white plates?

That is probably the case

[droopsnoot]

Most people with cars old enough to use b/w plates probably run them as classics and already have them, though. To qualify the vehicle must be constructed before 1st January 1973.

[Cooperman]

Advice? Consider breaking your front plate in half so that the complete number is not readable. If you get caught it's £30 and no points. After all, you did hit that fox a few miles back, didn't you? Buy a spae new front plate for local driving. it only takes a couple of minutes to change it over.
Then no problems with SPECS, Talivans or Truvelos, only Gatsos.

[towman]

Very many thanks to all for your assistance. Half expected a "No, go flat out all the way" - just to get another truckie off the road!!!!!!



Steve

[towman]

Oh and one more - do the mobile boys have a night shift ? Suspect yas as they are blood sucking vampires

[plug]

I drove up to hatton (just past aberdeen)last weekend to visit my brother.Dont know what route you are taking but there are some nice roads on the way the A68 is not bad a few gatsos but most can be seen from a distance. I took my brother out in my cerb along some county/mountian roads up there, he loved it and is looking to buy a TVR.

[towman]

gemini said:

The answer to your question is As an optician she's in her dark room most of the day

four days later and I finally got the joke!

[safespeed]

towman said:

Oh and one more - do the mobile boys have a night shift ? Suspect yas as they are blood sucking vampires

It's extremely rare for Talivans to operate at night. There doesn't seem to be a routine solution to the problem of getting good video of the numberplate without the assistance of daylight.

[8Pack]

Just to add to what as been said already Towman, don't speed through the Thelwall viaduct over the River Mersey, they are long standing SPECS(as is the Bloody works!)40 mph, usually OK then (albeit some more understanding Trafpol Patrols) to near Shap (mobile bridge traps)Cumbria! (you know who).

After that watch it on the M6 now A74 section. overbridge laser vans, keep your eyes peeled here.

Good Driving Towman! Safe journey!