Caught at 120

[Bangtorights]

Hello everyone, new member here

Just been looking around for some advice and came across this great site - so something good has come out of my stupidity!

Basically I was caught at more 120 on the motorway. Fair cop - I was doing the speed and deserve what's coming but I'm just wondering whether he actually got my speed.

I spotted him on the hard shoulder (parallel to the traffic, as if he'd just had someone else and was setting back off) about 1/4mile in front of me and obviously started braking, passing him at about 80/85. He pulled me over and I got into the car with him. I could see moving traffic on his LCD screen on the dashboard and at the top left of the sreen was 121.43 in white. He pointed at the figures and said he'd timed me between two markers as I'd come up behind him, the camera was actually facing forwards though.

Now the strange thing is that when I asked him what would happen next he said it was up to the CPS whether they let me off, gave me a caution or asked me to go to court to which I replied that I guessed I'd be going to court with that speed and that I would expect a ban. After chatting about the likelyhood of a ban I said that I'd best get a good solicitor to which he replied "wait and see if you get called to court before paying anything for a solicitor"!

This seems a strange thing to say considering the speed I was doing and I'm just wondering if he just saw that I was going too fast but was unable to get my speed but decided to give me a scare.

Any thoughts or am I clutching at straws?

[deltaf]

Post your question on Pepipoo.com and ask it to Mika.
Theyve got themselves a lawyer now and seem to have most angles covered.

[hertsbiker]

if you passed him at 85, and had started braking from that far away, then there is NO WAY the maths would add up to 121. Demand evidence if anything comes through, I doubt they can prove anything, and ask how he can use a *rear view mirror* to observe anything with any degree of accurancy.

Bloody pathetic copper ought to have just told you to stop driving so fast & then let you off.

C

[tsh]

I think the process relies on them having two measured points (measured as they pass) which could be accurate to maybe 1m, (~1%) and then timing you passing those points with a stopwatch. Reasonably accurate if they're following you at a sort of constant distance, otherwise pretty much a guess. Especially if they're keen and subconciously adjust the timing. Over 1/4 mile, they're claiming 15 sec. How accurately can you time something approaching in a straight line when they're passing something 500 metres away? 3 or 4 sec? Not quite so convincing any more, is it!

Sean

[outlaw]

1 its not realy up to the cps he could have let you off if he wanted too

but hes reporting you for it.

what he means is the cps may bin it if there bussy at the local court and not bother

[Bangtorights]

Thanks for your help guys.

Does anyone know if the court is likely to be stricter with the penalty if you question the evidence and what I'm likely to get if found guilty (previously of good character - no convictions in 14 years of driving)?

[madcop]

Its quite possible to have two points for a vascar check which are a long way behind the police vehicle. Even up to a mile away if the topography allows the points to be seen. Bridges are good ones as you know exactly when th car is underneath the bridge because the windscreen flashes black as the roof of the bridge reflects on the windscreen glass. down hill stretch with a slight bend and two bridges 1/4 mile apart with the traffic car 1/2 mile further on from that and you are still capable of being checked. All you have to do is keep your eye on the colour car and its position until it gets close enough to read the number. By that time the errant driver normally has seen the traffic car and has backed off but much too late. Sometimes they don't see you until they are on top of you (had an XJS Jag do a full 180 degree spin on the M40 after he had gone through our check at 132mph some years ago. He landed, facing the wrong way on the hard shoulder). Some traffic cars carry binoculars

The fact it was showing on the auto vision is that VASCAR is linked into auto vision so its readings appear on the screen. This equipment is capable of being used inependantly of the auto vision equipment and the display will still show the speed recorded even though there is no target vehicle being filmed.