Caught by a mobile laser gun???

Caught by a mobile laser gun???

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Discussion

paul-wh

Original Poster:

378 posts

272 months

Wednesday 17th April 2002
quotequote all

3 weeks ago on a dual carraigeway I was doing 50-55 in a 40 zone. The only excuse was I had pulled out to overtake a slower white van on the inside lane.

As I overtook the van I saw plod with a gun and a little red dot so I naturally assumed I had been caught.

I havent had anything through the post yet and a friend has told me that if you are caught by a mobile laser gun the only way you can be fined is if they stop you further up the road because they have no proof as the gun does not record the number plate.

Anybody know if this is true or can they fine you after the event?

Cheers

Paul

john robson

370 posts

284 months

Wednesday 17th April 2002
quotequote all
Depends Laser can be used on its own or attached to a video. On its own you are stopped and reported, with Laser video it comes through the post. In the latter case I would have thought you would have heard by now. Its unusual to see the red dot as this is an optical sight and the dot is in the view finder, it is not like the laser sights which actually project a dot onto the target.

Paceracing

729 posts

273 months

Wednesday 17th April 2002
quotequote all
quote:

Its unusual to see the red dot as this is an optical sight and the dot is in the view finder, it is not like the laser sights which actually project a dot onto the target.


Who've you upset Paul?
Sounds like a hitman to me!

Jas.

steelnads

171 posts

280 months

Thursday 18th April 2002
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I think you may be lucky. I read on www.ukspeedtraps .co.uk that the fuzz have 14 days to notify you of an intended prosecution, if not, your off the hook.
Please read it to make sure Ive read it correctly.

Steelnads

relaxitscool

368 posts

273 months

Thursday 18th April 2002
quotequote all
If you haven't heard anything by now I wouldn't worry. 14 days for serving an NIP on you are up, unless that is you were in a company car. In which case the NIP could have been sent to your fleet manager who hasn't told you about yet.
If you are a company car driver, check with your fleet manager to see if he has heard anything.

Rob

gemini

11,352 posts

271 months

Thursday 18th April 2002
quotequote all
youre right
14 days from the point where they now who is the reg keeper. so a quick police computer check and your keeper will show- - so hence if you have the vehicle registered corrctly? they had 14 days
do check with your company if it s their car.
The hitman explanation sounds more realistic though!!

paul-wh

Original Poster:

378 posts

272 months

Friday 19th April 2002
quotequote all
Cheers guys,

I had heard about the 14 day rule too so hoped that I was off the hook and the car is registered to me so I can count my lucky stars.

One thing this did teach me was to stick to the limit, that is until I fit my snooper.
Paul

nmlowe

1,666 posts

274 months

Saturday 27th April 2002
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I heard that if you ask for the callibration certificate for mobile speed traps, they must by law show them to you, and if they are not calibrated every day, then the reading they got is void because they have no proof that the gun was working correctly.
Apparently, the callibration certificates are very rarely up to date.

john robson

370 posts

284 months

Sunday 28th April 2002
quotequote all
Sorry to disapoint you the hand held/video laser only needs to be calibrated every 6 months, ours are are always done without fail. The bit you are referng to was the 'run through' which used to be done by a traffic car with calibrated speedo. That has now been done away with and is no longer a requirement. The device has a self check test which it always goes through each time it is turned on this has now been accepted as proof it is working. It used to be a bit of a joke checking £10,000 worth of equipment with a traffic car and then going and checking the accuracy of the speedo with a 30 year old stopwatch (all be it a calibrated and certified stopwatch and yess we even have the calibration cert for that as well)

outlaw

1,893 posts

273 months

Monday 29th April 2002
quotequote all
quote:

Sorry to disapoint you the hand held/video laser only needs to be calibrated every 6 months, ours are are always done without fail. The bit you are referng to was the 'run through' which used to be done by a traffic car with calibrated speedo. That has now been done away with and is no longer a requirement. The device has a self check test which it always goes through each time it is turned on this has now been accepted as proof it is working. It used to be a bit of a joke checking £10,000 worth of equipment with a traffic car and then going and checking the accuracy of the speedo with a 30 year old stopwatch (all be it a calibrated and certified stopwatch and yess we even have the calibration cert for that as well)



How come you did not confirm the 14 day nip rule for the guy?

as he has not recived one in 3 week.

Therefor the laser gun wont even come into it.

>> Edited by outlaw on Monday 29th April 12:10

mel

10,168 posts

282 months

Monday 29th April 2002
quotequote all
John,
The "self check test" you refer to would that be the same advanced method of calibration that used to be used on handheld radar guns many moons ago when I used to use them, i.e a tuning fork, you bang it point the gun at it and if it reads 66mph or whatever it was it's ok and away you go !

john robson

370 posts

284 months

Monday 29th April 2002
quotequote all
No the self check is an electronic test. When you turn the device on it runs through the test before the display comes up, if there is a problem then it shows an error mesage and will not function. The only other test we do on laser is to check the sight accuracy. This is done by switching it to a test mode and aiming it at a lampost for example the tone it emits will change when the beam hit the post. OK I will also confirm that if you have not heard anything by now that you are unlikely to hear anything, that is providing you are the registered keeper of course.

>> Edited by john robson on Monday 29th April 17:16

Deadly Dog

281 posts

274 months

Monday 29th April 2002
quotequote all
quote:

No the self check is an electronic test. When you turn the device on it runs through the test before the display comes up, if there is a problem then it shows an error mesage and will not function. The only other test we do on laser is to check the sight accuracy. This is done by switching it to a test mode and aiming it at a lampost for example the tone it emits will change when the beam hit the post.



So just to clarify, the only requirement to verify the accuracy of the speed measurement function of a laser gun is now a six monthly calibration. Are those manufacturer's recommendations or ACPO's?

Just out of interest, if during the laser gun's half yearly calibration check it was determined to be giving erroneous speed readings, would any defendant caught in the previous six months by that device have their charges dropped or case reviewed?

john robson

370 posts

284 months

Wednesday 1st May 2002
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It came from a higher level than that, the Home Office. Can't answer the other one as we have never had one back which was giving duff readings, we have only ever had them refuse to switch on and then you just can't use it so the question has never come up

domster

8,431 posts

277 months

Thursday 2nd May 2002
quotequote all
Just a quick welcome to john robson - some v informative posts on the speedtrap sites in the past (which can now be a bit of a juvenile bunfight at times), so good to have him here.

His word is gospel...

Thanks for joining in John.

Rgds
Domster

Don

28,377 posts

291 months

Thursday 2nd May 2002
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Nice to see you back, john. Haven't seen any posts from you in a while?