I've been a plum....

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Discussion

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,309 posts

151 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
..... and I suspect got myself snapped by a camera van doing somewhere just under 90 in a 50 zone. I spotted him pretty early and stood on the anchors but I'm not that hopeful that he didn't get me before I saw him although he was a long way off still.

Stupid, stupid me. They recently put in a laybys for camera vans and I drive this bit of road all the time. Just a momentary "ooh it's sunny, the roads are empty,the car just passed the MOT, lets hoof it off this roundabout" moment.

A quick google suggests I'm looking at 6 points and a large fine as a minimum, strong chance of a short ban.

I've had a clean licence for 20+ years and I do occasionally like a spirited drive so I guess this was going to happen eventually. I'm very cross with myself for being an idiot. The next few weeks of waiting for the post will not be fun.

Not looking for any advice at this point, certainly not looking for any sympathy.

Be careful out there peeps!

Pothole

34,367 posts

283 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
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There's a nationwide (I think) speeding crackdown this week, so if you were snapped you'll get both barrels.

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,309 posts

151 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
Ha! Just my luck.

The Rookie

286 posts

198 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
Upto 75 you’ll be offered a fixed penalty, over 80 and the sentencing guidelines start by suggesting a disqualification, just hope your speedo is wildly optimistic! The laser in the vans has a range of 999m (most common device).

Sheepshanks

32,819 posts

120 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
At lest you were doing something decent - my last one was bowling along a deserted motorway standard A road on a lovey summer evening at 85 only to be snapped by a cop on a bridge who was invisible against the evening sun.

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,309 posts

151 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
It's a bit optimistic, but not that optimistic sadly.

As will all of these things it's hard to know when he will have zapped me and what speed I was doing. Realistically I don't think I was going over 87 as that's the redline in 3rd and I don't remember shifting to 4th.

Do the vans read both lanes of a DC at once?

Ah well, just have to wait and see.

FurtiveFreddy

8,577 posts

238 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
HorneyMX5 said:
It's a bit optimistic, but not that optimistic sadly.

As will all of these things it's hard to know when he will have zapped me and what speed I was doing. Realistically I don't think I was going over 87 as that's the redline in 3rd and I don't remember shifting to 4th.

Do the vans read both lanes of a DC at once?

They can target either lane but not both simultaneously. The operator could be looking up and down the road and target whatever the fastest vehicle appears to be at the time in either direction.

Which road and where on it was this?

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,309 posts

151 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
FurtiveFreddy said:
They can target either lane but not both at once. Which road and where on it was this?

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,309 posts

151 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
The car isn't subtle, it makes quite a lot of noise so I suspect he'd have heard me coming and been on point to focus on the outside lane.

davamer23

1,127 posts

155 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
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Do you feel a plum and an idiot for doing 90 in a 50 or for possibly being caught?

daddy cool

4,002 posts

230 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
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HorneyMX5 said:
Oh nick, you silly boy! Best of luck though!

chris4652009

1,572 posts

85 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
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Fingers crossed it never got you

Planet Claire

3,323 posts

210 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
You naughty boy, Nicholas!
Fingers crossed the cop was taking a sip of his tea when you went zooming past.

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,309 posts

151 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
davamer23 said:
Do you feel a plum and an idiot for doing 90 in a 50 or for possibly being caught?
For doing 90 in 50. There was no need other than to enjoy the accelerative forces of the car which is no reason at all.

davamer23

1,127 posts

155 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
HorneyMX5 said:
For doing 90 in 50. There was no need other than to enjoy the accelerative forces of the car which is no reason at all.
It’ll have to be put down to experience, perhaps you may have some luck that the speed you were measured at was someway south of 90.

lyonspride

2,978 posts

156 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
FurtiveFreddy said:
HorneyMX5 said:
It's a bit optimistic, but not that optimistic sadly.

As will all of these things it's hard to know when he will have zapped me and what speed I was doing. Realistically I don't think I was going over 87 as that's the redline in 3rd and I don't remember shifting to 4th.

Do the vans read both lanes of a DC at once?

They can target either lane but not both simultaneously. The operator could be looking up and down the road and target whatever the fastest vehicle appears to be at the time in either direction.

Which road and where on it was this?
If you believe what they tell us, they can cover all lanes in all directions at the same time and they often do have a front mounted camera to catch motorbikes, but this is simply a CCTV type camera.

In truth the operator has to have you scoped, and whilst technically speaking they should take two readings for an average, sometimes they've been known to just take a disliking to you and make up a speed according to how fast/loud your car seemed.

Cepen Park

13 posts

161 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
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Happens. Unfortunately, yours is a fairly big happen! Part of the reason I got rid of my Gixer 600 and went to a 125cc scooter was that I found the surge of acceleration irresistible on the bigger bike. I worked out where that was going to end up. I then got my kicks blowing cars away from traffic lights because everyone thinks 'its just a scooter'

And it was cheaper...

HorneyMX5

Original Poster:

5,309 posts

151 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
Normally I'm in the boring 115bhp diesel mini so I can't even get to that kind of speed quickly.

I should have dropped the Cooper S home after passing the MOT and picked up the Derv but I fancied a spirited drive to work to celebrate it passing after spending a lot of time and money fixing the last owners bodges and lack of maintenance.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Sheepshanks

32,819 posts

120 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
quotequote all
lyonspride said:
If you believe what they tell us, they can cover all lanes in all directions at the same time and they often do have a front mounted camera to catch motorbikes, but this is simply a CCTV type camera.

In truth the operator has to have you scoped, and whilst technically speaking they should take two readings for an average, sometimes they've been known to just take a disliking to you and make up a speed according to how fast/loud your car seemed.
I saw one being used on one of those police TV programmes and they were speed checking people at long distance and then grabbing their reg number much closer up. IIRC it was a continuous video recording and all that "grabbing" did was mark the video.

I looked into it when I got done and they can do you at 1km, although apparently they usually check much closer than that. I didn't even bother to slow down once I saw him (due to the sun behind him) as by then I was pretty close but a cop told me it might have been worth it.

paintman

7,694 posts

191 months

Wednesday 18th April 2018
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HorneyMX5 said:
The next few weeks of waiting for the post will not be fun.
Assuming the car is registered to you & all address details are up to date that'll be 14 days for the required NIP to arrive.