Are detectors incriminating?
Discussion
Decided it's time to get a GPS detector but wonder whether, if I got pulled by the B&GiBs, all that "safety gadgetry" on the dash might reduce the chance of me appearing to be the victim of a momentary lapse of concentration - and getting off with a warning - rather than an habitual speeder who wasn't looking in his mirrors and who deserves three points and all that come with it.
Any experience? Any of the B&GiBs care to comment?
Any experience? Any of the B&GiBs care to comment?
On this subject (sort of) I was talking to the head of the Hampsire Scamera Partnership and his PR guy. The PR guy was a F&^kwit of the first order - totally blinkered "Cameras save lives, cameras are good etc". The GIC on the other hand (I forget the name) was quite reasonable and came across as just a guy doing his job. He gave Mike (from Pepipoo) some advice on section 4 defenses.
Anyway - I asked him about GPS devices, radar detectors and laser jammers (in particular the laser jammers). His responce was basically "go for it if you want to". He had no problem with any of the devices and felt that if they made you more aware then they were fine. He did comment however that if you compared the cost of the devices vs the potential fines then he didn't think they were worth it personally.
Anyway - I asked him about GPS devices, radar detectors and laser jammers (in particular the laser jammers). His responce was basically "go for it if you want to". He had no problem with any of the devices and felt that if they made you more aware then they were fine. He did comment however that if you compared the cost of the devices vs the potential fines then he didn't think they were worth it personally.
I was using a Pro Laser at work yesterday (A406 N3) and picked off a speeding motorist at 1223 feet travelling at 73 in a 50 limit.
He had a Laser detector on his dashboard, but told me it didn`t warn him, I pointed out that the laser takes 0.3 seconds to aquire a target which I would imagine would give the motorist no time to react.
I personally would consider spending the money on improving driving skills rather than detectors and jammers, but if people want to buy this equipment it`s up to them.
It certainly doesn`t alter my opinion or effect the decision to report or not......in fact people who buy one of these detectors must spend a lot of their time thinking about speed limits and their own speed so thats a good thing...!!
He had a Laser detector on his dashboard, but told me it didn`t warn him, I pointed out that the laser takes 0.3 seconds to aquire a target which I would imagine would give the motorist no time to react.
I personally would consider spending the money on improving driving skills rather than detectors and jammers, but if people want to buy this equipment it`s up to them.
It certainly doesn`t alter my opinion or effect the decision to report or not......in fact people who buy one of these detectors must spend a lot of their time thinking about speed limits and their own speed so thats a good thing...!!
will crash said:
I was using a Pro Laser at work yesterday (A406 N3) and picked off a speeding motorist at 1223 feet travelling at 73 in a 50 limit.
So we can assume from the fact he wsn't done for dangerous or careless driving that he was driving perfectly safely and was no danger to himself or anyone else?
will crash said:
The motorist caught was over the speed limit and given a FPNE. I can`t see what the problem is.
To be fair you don't have to explain you actions to me and I honestly wouldn't expect you to.
However I saw a blue escort going the wrong way down a slip road this morning. If a bus hadn't had the good sense to block the road off the guy would have been going into motorway traffic at pace.
With stuff like that going down is finding a safe bit of road where people can safely speed and handing out handfuls of FPN really benificial to society?
If the road was safe I wouldn`t spend time there...I spend time on this section of road because of the large number of FATALS that occur on it (Tony Rec will back me up)
I thought most people on this site would be happy to see Traff Pols using their knowledge and experience targeting roads that need speed limits enforcing...I don`t just report speeding motorists.
This week I spent several days in an unmarked video car and reported numerous drivers for WDC offences, this however takes time, BUT I am happy to do this.
I know its never popular but I have to enforce speed limits and I will continue to do so on roads that I know from experience have a high RTA rate.
I thought most people on this site would be happy to see Traff Pols using their knowledge and experience targeting roads that need speed limits enforcing...I don`t just report speeding motorists.
This week I spent several days in an unmarked video car and reported numerous drivers for WDC offences, this however takes time, BUT I am happy to do this.
I know its never popular but I have to enforce speed limits and I will continue to do so on roads that I know from experience have a high RTA rate.
will crash said:
If the road was safe I wouldn`t spend time there...I spend time on this section of road because of the large number of FATALS that occur on it (Tony Rec will back me up)
I thought most people on this site would be happy to see Traff Pols using their knowledge and experience targeting roads that need speed limits enforcing...I don`t just report speeding motorists.
Frankly I am and this was the answer I was hoping for. Sorry if th eoriginal question came across as a bit of an accusation.
WillCrash said:
This week I spent several days in an unmarked video car and reported numerous drivers for WDC offences, this however takes time, BUT I am happy to do this.
I know its never popular but I have to enforce speed limits and I will continue to do so on roads that I know from experience have a high RTA rate.
Fairest of play to you!
>> Edited by toad_oftoadhall on Saturday 1st November 14:32
will crash said:
If the road was safe I wouldn`t spend time there...I spend time on this section of road because of the large number of FATALS that occur on it (Tony Rec will back me up)
I thought most people on this site would be happy to see Traff Pols using their knowledge and experience targeting roads that need speed limits enforcing...I don`t just report speeding motorists.
This week I spent several days in an unmarked video car and reported numerous drivers for WDC offences, this however takes time, BUT I am happy to do this.
I know its never popular but I have to enforce speed limits and I will continue to do so on roads that I know from experience have a high RTA rate.
Good on you Will - WDCs are the ones who end up WDCing a pedestrian or cyclist. I bet when you do stop people for WDC type offences they are often indignant that they were driving carefully or 'go catch some burglars' types. Bit like people with fog lights on, they know they're on and they don't give a cluck.
alans said:
He did comment however that if you compared the cost of the devices vs the potential fines then he didn't think they were worth it personally.
It's not the fine it's the points.
...it's not so much the points as what they'll do to my insurance. It was reported last week that, over the five years they are counted, three points will cost the average motorist £1500 in increased premiums. This seems OTT but if it's half true it makes a GPS detector look like a bargain and makes me think that, for the average motorist with an average wallet, insurance is more of a threat / control than the law. (Whether those with the most money should be imune to that threat is a whole other thread).
On 5th Gear, a BiB said that the GPS devices were perfectly legal as they just provide information, whereas if you get pulled over using a laser jammer you need to provide a good reason why you need one (the ones on the show were sold as something to do with automatic garage door openers). He didn't say what a legal reason to have one was though.
will crash said:
If the road was safe I wouldn`t spend time there...I spend time on this section of road because of the large number of FATALS that occur on it (Tony Rec will back me up)
I thought most people on this site would be happy to see Traff Pols using their knowledge and experience targeting roads that need speed limits enforcing...I don`t just report speeding motorists.
This week I spent several days in an unmarked video car and reported numerous drivers for WDC offences, this however takes time, BUT I am happy to do this.
I know its never popular but I have to enforce speed limits and I will continue to do so on roads that I know from experience have a high RTA rate.
Are all the fatals on this road due to speeding then Will? Personally I imagine from what I see on the roads day to day that most accidents are down to pure bad driving. Or am i wrong..?
FunkyNige said:That policeman was winding up the public - a cleverly crafted white lie of the scummiest order.
On 5th Gear, a BiB said that the GPS devices were perfectly legal as they just provide information, whereas if you get pulled over using a laser jammer you need to provide a good reason why you need one (the ones on the show were sold as something to do with automatic garage door openers). He didn't say what a legal reason to have one was though.
The four deaths on this road that I have attended have been down to excessive speed, coupled with poor driving, but the overall cause of the RTA was speed.
The road in question in my opinion is without doubt one of the most dangerous in North West London.
It gets hammered weekly by the Mobile Camera van, patrolled regularly by marked & unmarked Police Traffic video cars and laser enforced til the cows come home and still people wipe themselves up.....
I have spoken to the area traffic management at my traffic garage with a view to changing the road layout...at the moment it is a three lane carriageway with numerous on/off slips with housing/garages etc, but due to no Council money in the near future I don`t hold out much hope......
I think a few more static speed cameras will probably be put up...watch this space.
The road in question in my opinion is without doubt one of the most dangerous in North West London.
It gets hammered weekly by the Mobile Camera van, patrolled regularly by marked & unmarked Police Traffic video cars and laser enforced til the cows come home and still people wipe themselves up.....
I have spoken to the area traffic management at my traffic garage with a view to changing the road layout...at the moment it is a three lane carriageway with numerous on/off slips with housing/garages etc, but due to no Council money in the near future I don`t hold out much hope......
I think a few more static speed cameras will probably be put up...watch this space.
Will - on the section of N Circ I know very well (A40 - New Southgate) the static cameras are in my opinion very dangerous.
The limit is mostly 50 and by and large I understand and respect this (I don't often, but it is SO busy). However lots of people don't and they drive at around 70 braking very hard and then accelerating very hard at the cameras. This causes panic amongst numptys and at a minimum causes a domino effect.
The only solution is more trafpol on this bit of road.
The limit is mostly 50 and by and large I understand and respect this (I don't often, but it is SO busy). However lots of people don't and they drive at around 70 braking very hard and then accelerating very hard at the cameras. This causes panic amongst numptys and at a minimum causes a domino effect.
The only solution is more trafpol on this bit of road.
Let me be frank, everyone I have caught for speeding on this road has been above 75mph, with a top speed recorded of 121MPH by two Traff Pols from my garage. All of these people have been caught between speed cameras.
The poor driving I have witnessed has been the usual high speed lane changing....lane 3 to lane 1 passing numerous unaware motorists and then back out to lane 3...the record speed for this manourve was 98mph caught on Police video.
It seems to be that all the poor driving I am catching is being done prior to speed cameras and then straight after.
The cameras have been there so long, they are it would appear taken into even the worst drivers driving plan and hence don`t cause tooo much of a problem to following traffic, but thats just my opinion!!
Anyway if you see a marked traffic car by the eastbound BP garage it could be me with a Laser...!!
The poor driving I have witnessed has been the usual high speed lane changing....lane 3 to lane 1 passing numerous unaware motorists and then back out to lane 3...the record speed for this manourve was 98mph caught on Police video.
It seems to be that all the poor driving I am catching is being done prior to speed cameras and then straight after.
The cameras have been there so long, they are it would appear taken into even the worst drivers driving plan and hence don`t cause tooo much of a problem to following traffic, but thats just my opinion!!
Anyway if you see a marked traffic car by the eastbound BP garage it could be me with a Laser...!!
206xsi said:
However lots of people don't and they drive at around 70 braking very hard and then accelerating very hard at the cameras. This causes panic amongst numptys and at a minimum causes a domino effect.
I'd say that the ones that need to brake hard are the numptys, anytime I see a camera ahead it's usually in good time to (if it were required) reduce speed gently.
It's a kind of a pet irritation that people bomb up to the cameras and jam on their brakes; or even worse, the people that drive along at 50 in good conditions in a 50 limit and slow down to 40 when they go over the marker lines!
Why? If you build up enough minus 10s are you then allowed to bomb it around everywhere for the rest of the day???
rant off - bad day - sorry! CH
>> Edited by Dr Bob on Monday 3rd November 16:15
Dr Bob said:
...or even worse, the people that drive along at 50 in good conditions in a 50 limit and slow down to 40 when they go over the marker lines!
Yes, this is why cameras are so annoying even when you're driving at the speed limit. I guess people are so concerned not to go over the limit that they end up under it. Understandable but frustrating to others, and causes unnecessary braking, domino effects and reduced road capacity (A14 past Cambridge, anyone?). But then, that's probably the government's intention.
edit: I do wish I wasn't so cynical. Have to lay off PH for a while...
>> Edited by Peter Ward on Monday 3rd November 18:12
Travelled the A14 last week for the first time in donkeys years and was astonished at the number of cameras and yes, it was 'rush hour' and the brake light domino effect in the dark was a sight to behold.
I was staying with a good mate who lives locally - used to drive a TVR, currently owns a Porsche Boxter, motorbike, RX8 on order and a definate PHer. He absolutely supports the cameras on the A14 and put up a robust defence for their use. Not what I expected from him. Is the A14 really that bad?
I was staying with a good mate who lives locally - used to drive a TVR, currently owns a Porsche Boxter, motorbike, RX8 on order and a definate PHer. He absolutely supports the cameras on the A14 and put up a robust defence for their use. Not what I expected from him. Is the A14 really that bad?
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