Gatso flashed. Hammered the brakes. No NIP after 4 weeks....
Discussion
Someone was driving a van late at night - about 3am, coming into a known 30 zone from a 60 zone. He knew there was a camera coming up so he was covering the brake, coasting down from about 50mph. Unfortunately he hadn’t been to that area for a while and being the dead of night with no cars around he misjudged the distance from the 30 signs to where the camera was and cruised past it at about 45mph. The camera apparently flashed once, and instantly the driver hit the brakes hard, wiping a load of speed off before the second flash. It’s hard to say how fast he was going when the second flash happened but he guesstimated about an indicated 35mph.
He fully expected a NIP but apparently it’s almost a month ago and nothing has appeared. What has happened? Was the camera “not working?”, is there still time or has the braking thing worked for him?
He fully expected a NIP but apparently it’s almost a month ago and nothing has appeared. What has happened? Was the camera “not working?”, is there still time or has the braking thing worked for him?
Thanks guys - his firm owns the van and he’s been watching the post religiously.
Apparently there was 100% definitely time to recognise the flash and hit the brakes. He reports that it seemed like ages before the second flash (it wasn’t obviously but it seemed that way)
Please tell us more about dummy flash unit? I didn’t realise that cameras could have that?
Apparently there was 100% definitely time to recognise the flash and hit the brakes. He reports that it seemed like ages before the second flash (it wasn’t obviously but it seemed that way)
Please tell us more about dummy flash unit? I didn’t realise that cameras could have that?
Julian Thompson said:
Thanks guys - his firm owns the van and he’s been watching the post religiously.
Apparently there was 100% definitely time to recognise the flash and hit the brakes. He reports that it seemed like ages before the second flash (it wasn’t obviously but it seemed that way)
Please tell us more about dummy flash unit? I didn’t realise that cameras could have that?
If his firm owns the van then it's likely he will still get an NIP. The 14 days to send a letter only applies to the registered keeper, they have to reply naming the driver who will subsequently get the NIP which can take substantially longer. If I recall correctly the keeper has 28 days to respond and then an NIP goes out to the driver so in theory could take up to 6 weeks for him to receive anything. He could ask at work if they have had an S172 request.Apparently there was 100% definitely time to recognise the flash and hit the brakes. He reports that it seemed like ages before the second flash (it wasn’t obviously but it seemed that way)
Please tell us more about dummy flash unit? I didn’t realise that cameras could have that?
Julian Thompson said:
Someone was driving a van late at night - about 3am, coming into a known 30 zone from a 60 zone. He knew there was a camera coming up so he was covering the brake, coasting down from about 50mph. Unfortunately he hadn’t been to that area for a while and being the dead of night with no cars around he misjudged the distance from the 30 signs to where the camera was and cruised past it at about 45mph. The camera apparently flashed once, and instantly the driver hit the brakes hard, wiping a load of speed off before the second flash. It’s hard to say how fast he was going when the second flash happened but he guesstimated about an indicated 35mph.
He fully expected a NIP but apparently it’s almost a month ago and nothing has appeared. What has happened? Was the camera “not working?”, is there still time or has the braking thing worked for him?
The camera would be triggered by the measured speed of 45 mph. The two photos are used for visual corroboration. If he slowed to 35 then his average is 40 mph (ish) and that is what the visual inspection will show. Either way above the 10%+1 threshold.He fully expected a NIP but apparently it’s almost a month ago and nothing has appeared. What has happened? Was the camera “not working?”, is there still time or has the braking thing worked for him?
There is no such thing as a dummy flash. There is a flash triggered by speed (unless faulty, not in this case). Whether there was film in the (old) camera, too many speeders to be processed, unable to identify numberplate etc. that might have resulted in a let off, he will never know.
speedking31 said:
Julian Thompson said:
Someone was driving a van late at night - about 3am, coming into a known 30 zone from a 60 zone. He knew there was a camera coming up so he was covering the brake, coasting down from about 50mph. Unfortunately he hadn’t been to that area for a while and being the dead of night with no cars around he misjudged the distance from the 30 signs to where the camera was and cruised past it at about 45mph. The camera apparently flashed once, and instantly the driver hit the brakes hard, wiping a load of speed off before the second flash. It’s hard to say how fast he was going when the second flash happened but he guesstimated about an indicated 35mph.
He fully expected a NIP but apparently it’s almost a month ago and nothing has appeared. What has happened? Was the camera “not working?”, is there still time or has the braking thing worked for him?
The camera would be triggered by the measured speed of 45 mph. The two photos are used for visual corroboration. If he slowed to 35 then his average is 40 mph (ish) and that is what the visual inspection will show. Either way above the 10%+1 threshold.He fully expected a NIP but apparently it’s almost a month ago and nothing has appeared. What has happened? Was the camera “not working?”, is there still time or has the braking thing worked for him?
There is no such thing as a dummy flash. There is a flash triggered by speed (unless faulty, not in this case). Whether there was film in the (old) camera, too many speeders to be processed, unable to identify numberplate etc. that might have resulted in a let off, he will never know.
Thanks that’s really helpful. So if the slowing reduced the average speed to 34mph there is a chance that’s the reason. It’s hard for him to remember back now but that seems unlikely - he would have had to manage to get from 45 indicated (so maybe 42) to what, about 22 (indicated 24 maybe) to have pulled that off. I wonder if it’s possible with to get 20mph off in half a second? (Remember his foot was already actually over the brake ready to slow down).
It seems more likely one of the other scenarios.
It seems more likely one of the other scenarios.
Julian Thompson said:
Thanks that’s really helpful. So if the slowing reduced the average speed to 34mph there is a chance that’s the reason. It’s hard for him to remember back now but that seems unlikely - he would have had to manage to get from 45 indicated (so maybe 42) to what, about 22 (indicated 24 maybe) to have pulled that off. I wonder if it’s possible with to get 20mph off in half a second? (Remember his foot was already actually over the brake ready to slow down).
It seems more likely one of the other scenarios.
It's 100% because the ticket has gone to his work and the process is slowed down. If he's got flashed he was speeding, and (unless there's an issue with the camera) he will get a ticket.It seems more likely one of the other scenarios.
Reaction time is a good few hundered milliseconds https://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime/ I averagred 330... And this assumed he was waiting for the flash to begin to brake, like I did in that test, which he won't have been so actual reaction to pressing the brake would have been longer
He wouldn't have slowed down more than a few mph before the second flash
Considering the average person has a reaction time of 0.25 seconds to a visual stimulus and the second flash will have happened 0.5 after I think it unlikely you he got enough speed off in time for it to make much of a difference! As others have said you they are far from in the clear.
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