Disclosure - Laser Evidence
Discussion
Why don't they just get the address from the DVLA and post the NIP? 
Because if they did, they'd spend more time at the side of the road and less time chasing people in their nice shiny car!
Years ago I used to sit on Motorway bridges and operate VASCAR between two fixed points prior to the bridge.
The victims were passed via radio to a team of motorcyclists futher on down the road with vehicle type and colour, registration numbers and speeds applicable.
They were then stopped, verbally NIPped and never saw the reading as it was two or three miles back in the patrol car and had been erased immediately so the next contender could be bought to justice
The victims were passed via radio to a team of motorcyclists futher on down the road with vehicle type and colour, registration numbers and speeds applicable.
They were then stopped, verbally NIPped and never saw the reading as it was two or three miles back in the patrol car and had been erased immediately so the next contender could be bought to justice
quote:
operate VASCAR between two fixed points prior to the bridge
I've often wondered how VASCAR can be as accurate as is claimed if it relies upon an operator pushing a button when a vehicle passes at least one distant object.
In my experience, it's actually quite difficult to judge this kind of thing. For example, if you saw two cars ending a race from a viewpoint on the finishing straight but, say, 1/4 mile past the chequered flag - could you tell who'd won?
quote:
With a laser they have to issue the NIP, posting not allowed... I was shown the speed, but as no number plate etc are recorded you could argue the point (not recommended) as it is really your word against theirs... (but smaller penalty if your obliging and just plead guilty...)
Why accept it??? If they can't show you the speed and your number plate, then tell em bollocks! Proof man, proof!!
quote:
I was stopped by the police after my speed was measured using a laser gun. When followed by the police before I was pulled over, I was not exceeding the speed limit at any point. What evidence of my speed can I expect to obtain?
Thanks in advance.
Two things,
1 Was the police vehicle in full livery?, If so I think a little more observation on your part might have been the order of the day.
2 MADCOP, the laser refered to here, Is this LIDAR? and how accurate is this seeing that the vehicles are both moving?
I genuinely didn't see the police with the laser gun, for which I'm annoyed as I always usually spot them. I saw the car as it entered the motorway a good distance back - he caught up with me (doing a steady 70 mph), followed for a while and pulled me over, showing me the reading on the laser gun. Was a silver V70, not a fully marked car.
Edited to say they took my speed from a bridge, not a moving vehicle.
>> Edited by Annoyed on Friday 28th June 11:09
Edited to say they took my speed from a bridge, not a moving vehicle.
>> Edited by Annoyed on Friday 28th June 11:09
It works like this:
You sit at a static point and wait for a vehicle that is obviously going faster than the limit. You then point your laser gun, wait for it to lock on and take a reading.
You then wait for the vehicle to pass so you can pull it. Because its impossible to read the number plate at any distance you have to keep the vehicle constantly in view. If you loose this continuity (and don't have the registration) it becomes much more difficult to prove the vehicle you measured was the one stopped.
When stopped you show the driver the speed reading and issue a ticket if applicable. Yes, there is a reliance on the officer being honest, but one ticket is not really worth your job.
Regards
Rob
You sit at a static point and wait for a vehicle that is obviously going faster than the limit. You then point your laser gun, wait for it to lock on and take a reading.
You then wait for the vehicle to pass so you can pull it. Because its impossible to read the number plate at any distance you have to keep the vehicle constantly in view. If you loose this continuity (and don't have the registration) it becomes much more difficult to prove the vehicle you measured was the one stopped.
When stopped you show the driver the speed reading and issue a ticket if applicable. Yes, there is a reliance on the officer being honest, but one ticket is not really worth your job.
Regards
Rob
So whats to stop you clocking just one car, then using that reading for as many others as you need to make the revenue quota for the month?? No correlation from car to speed..... nah, I'd say stuff em, where's the evidence. SHOW ME THE PICS! and even then I want all the calibration certs, training certs etc... (yes, I AM having a bad day!)
As far as I'm aware, the evidence of a police officer's word is good enough in these cases. Unless you contest the speed reading at the time of being stopped I suspect that you are more or less scr*wed. There are also a few urban myths going around about calibration certificates and the like. Again, unless anyone *really* knows better my understanding is that the self check is good enough when combined with the manufacturer's calibration which is carried out periodically.
Under most circumstances, I expect it's going to be very, very difficult to make the magistrates believe that the laser gun was wrong or that it wasn't you that was timed.
Under most circumstances, I expect it's going to be very, very difficult to make the magistrates believe that the laser gun was wrong or that it wasn't you that was timed.
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