Speed detection advice
Discussion
I am new to this web site and have read many of the posts with interest and ammusement to say the least. I am reasonably well qualified to comment on some of the aspects of law and driver behaviour( some of the anti cop stuff is very good too). I, like many of you have enjoyed the thrill of high speed and well planned exciting driving, but only in the appropriate places. If you are foolish enough to take a chance where there are 30, 40, and 50 limits, you are likely to come unstuck. Even if you have expensive detection equipment attatched to your machines. I occasionally take people out to give them a few pointers in their flying machines. Without doubt every one of them has entered a limit at well in excess of it. Only complying with the limit some 200 to 300 yards from crossing the sign. Similarly I also find that they are exceeding the limit before the restriction ends. Must be in anticipation of great things to come, visions of open roads with fantastic views and plenty of targets to blast past. Those of you that do this will eventually fall foul. Think of the small villages that you disrupt on a peacefull Sunday afternoon with your 100 decibell exhaust systems and V8 lumps. Locals go to the Parish council and complain. They in turn get on the area Police Supts back who puts pressure on the area beat officer. Many of these rural areas enjoy freedom from the scourge of burglary and car crime on the scale that more urban areas have to put up with. At the monthly Parish Council meeting the Chair will ask the area beat officer about the non existant or minimal crime figures for the month and the next question will be." How many speeders have you caught". Area beat officers are now trained in various speed detection devices including a system called VASCAR which no device save your eyes will detect. To make the figures more effective, they site these devices at the beginning or exit of a restricted area. Unfortunately it is a human trait to want to protect your own immediate environment from intruders and general nuisance but to disregard your own behaviour when in someone elses back yard. The thrust of this post is enjoy your cars and use them properly but for your own sakes do it in areas where you are not going to come into conflict with potential danger to others or yourselves. Not many Cops I know will persecute you for having fun if its in a safe place and you are not going over the top. What is the point spending thousands on an expensive toy if you cant use it? Be sensible and safe and if you are unsure get some extra training. Remember when you are doing just that 10 mph over the limit and the 5 year old kid runs underneath you, six months later the man in the red gown and silly wig may have a sense of humour failure. STICK TO THE LIMITS IN BUILT UP AREAS RIGIDLY AND YOU ARE UNLIKELY TO RECEIVE RETRIBUTION. I do not condone breaking any of the limits but `Hey` this is the real world guys. Safe driving!!
Rant mode on)
Wholly agree with this. I have lost count of the amount of times I've caught up with a numpty doing 45 down the NSL 'lanes', however when it's not safe to overtake so you sit behind them. Before you know it you come to a built up area (village) and hit a 40 then a 30 limit, so you then diligently abide by the limit and the numpty carries on doing 45 regardless
. When you eventually exit the built up area and hit the NSL roads again it sometimes can take almost a mile to catch the bloody mobile roadblock again. So you then sit behind waiting for a decent stretch of road to blat past, most of these motors will reach an obscene speed in that short distance, however the adage the least time on the wrong side of the road as possible applies I think 
. That’s motoring today and I have no complaints about it, you have to accept it.
What I do take issue with though is the setting up of fixed and mobile units on NSL roads, particularly on the only stretches you can get past these morons. It is pretty obvious to me that the majority of these numpties will never be caught by speed traps on NSL roads. They'll carry on doing 45 in built up areas; btw I haven't seen many mobile traps in built up areas in Hants. So why not, when patrolling the 'lanes' sit behind one of these, you'd get better than even odds of catching the moron exceeding the limit through the next village, even if your in a jam sandwich cause they don't use their mirrors either, keeping not only me, the majority of the PH fraternity, the local parish and the accountants happy as well
(Rant mode off)
Harry
Wholly agree with this. I have lost count of the amount of times I've caught up with a numpty doing 45 down the NSL 'lanes', however when it's not safe to overtake so you sit behind them. Before you know it you come to a built up area (village) and hit a 40 then a 30 limit, so you then diligently abide by the limit and the numpty carries on doing 45 regardless
. When you eventually exit the built up area and hit the NSL roads again it sometimes can take almost a mile to catch the bloody mobile roadblock again. So you then sit behind waiting for a decent stretch of road to blat past, most of these motors will reach an obscene speed in that short distance, however the adage the least time on the wrong side of the road as possible applies I think . That’s motoring today and I have no complaints about it, you have to accept it. What I do take issue with though is the setting up of fixed and mobile units on NSL roads, particularly on the only stretches you can get past these morons. It is pretty obvious to me that the majority of these numpties will never be caught by speed traps on NSL roads. They'll carry on doing 45 in built up areas; btw I haven't seen many mobile traps in built up areas in Hants. So why not, when patrolling the 'lanes' sit behind one of these, you'd get better than even odds of catching the moron exceeding the limit through the next village, even if your in a jam sandwich cause they don't use their mirrors either, keeping not only me, the majority of the PH fraternity, the local parish and the accountants happy as well
(Rant mode off)
Harry
if you think that attending a parish council meeting can actually get the police to do anything about people speeding through rural villages then you are 100% wrong.
i live in a village which has frequent speeders and we never see any police, their response "we havent got the manpower to staff a speedtrap so sorry" !!!
They seem to prefer sitting on motorways to catch speeders than in villages where the greater danger to kids etc is (how many kids have you seen playing by the side of a motorway?)
i live in a village which has frequent speeders and we never see any police, their response "we havent got the manpower to staff a speedtrap so sorry" !!!
They seem to prefer sitting on motorways to catch speeders than in villages where the greater danger to kids etc is (how many kids have you seen playing by the side of a motorway?)
Well said Madcop. So far I've kept a clean license despite 'making good progress' on NSL roads on occasion, and I like to think that with common sense and due respect to speed limits my good luck will continue. My greatest fear is that arbitrary and widespread reductions in speed limits, enforced by pyramid camera schemes, will eventually mean that anyone exceeding the speed limit anywhere will be penalised - regardless of how safe or dangerous they may have been. I would like to think the aim is to keep roads safe but I think there's a deliberate plan to make them *slow* instead. As a law abiding citizen living in a supposedly democratic country, this annoys me immensely.
I agree entierly with Madcop and can sympathise greatly with PH, although I've been 'shot' with the LIDAR on a few occasions, once I ended up in court, but that's another story.
With more cameras around and stiffer penalties there will be more people riding on false plates with no insurance etc (I *know* people driving with duff plates right now) to avoid capture on GATSO. It's a hell of a risk to take, but just goes to show the extent that some people will go to because they're so hacked off by it all.
Still they changed the name of GATSO's to Safety Cameras, so my RADAR detector now becomes a safety device, because it's obviously warning me of an imminent Accident Blackspot and not a Government Revenue Collecting Area. To be fair, of all the number of times I've been stopped, and there's a few there I can tell you, I've never been quizzed over the beeping box on the dash. The police obviously know what it is but fair play not giving me grief over it.
With more cameras around and stiffer penalties there will be more people riding on false plates with no insurance etc (I *know* people driving with duff plates right now) to avoid capture on GATSO. It's a hell of a risk to take, but just goes to show the extent that some people will go to because they're so hacked off by it all.
Still they changed the name of GATSO's to Safety Cameras, so my RADAR detector now becomes a safety device, because it's obviously warning me of an imminent Accident Blackspot and not a Government Revenue Collecting Area. To be fair, of all the number of times I've been stopped, and there's a few there I can tell you, I've never been quizzed over the beeping box on the dash. The police obviously know what it is but fair play not giving me grief over it.
quote:
Still they changed the name of GATSO's to Safety Cameras, so my RADAR detector now becomes a safety device, because it's obviously warning me of an imminent Accident Blackspot and not a Government Revenue Collecting Area.
Thats excellent - they can't nick you for having safety devices. Love it!
In some respects db10 is right about the lack of police resources for rural speed problems but believe me it does happen, certainly in my area and especially in the village areas. For your information db10, Some Police Forces no longer routinely Police Motorways either. They have no staff to do it. They have a dedicated Motorway car for each of the major motorways. They respond to incidents now on a firebrigade basis as the Home office withdrew the grant to cover the M/Ways some time ago. Would you believe that Traffic Officers are not assessed on the amount of traffic offence process they generate, but on the number of Crime arrests and detections they have. They are also no longer `The Traffic Dept` but `Roads Policing Dept`. This is in line with the Govts attempt to reduce the spiralling out of control street crime of Robbery (using violence before or in order to steal). A somewhat major task when there is little chance of getting caught in the first place and even less of a chance of getting potted for it, as when occasionally they are, it is for derisory periods. However These are totally my own views and not that of the organisation I work for. Have to state that as someone may forward on to the Nationals and then Im in the brown stuff again.
>> Edited by Madcop on Wednesday 8th May 12:08
>> Edited by Madcop on Wednesday 8th May 12:08
quote:
However These are totally my own views and not that of the organisation I work for. Have to state that as someone may forward on to the Nationals and then Im in the brown stuff again.
God if only you'd put this bit in when you said that you and your gay lover regulary smoked dope before indulging in a bit of the old ferret smugling and that anarchy was a good thing you'd have saved yourself a load of grief and the people of Brixton could continue to walk around in public spliffs a burning.
quote:
Would you believe that Traffic Officers are not assessed on the amount of traffic offence process they generate, but on the number of Crime arrests and detections they have
Sadly I find it easy to believe. I would not be surprised if the Police soon get Bonus related pay either, perhaps as a % of speeding fines.
The Govt has some seriously misplaced priorities (in that the priority is to look good on the world stage and not to actually fix problems at home) and some really f
up ideas about how everything needs to have a target (fortunately if you don't hit the target, just change the target so you do) to achieve as opposed to waking up and noticing that The People will tell them how well they are doing. quote:
Would you believe that Traffic Officers are not assessed on the amount of traffic offence process they generate, but on the number of Crime arrests and detections they have
Why aren't they assessed on the accident rate on their beat, since that's what they're (presumably) trying to control? It seems pointless to assess them on arrests and detections unless the aim is to maximise convictions and fines ... oh.
Here's an interesting take on the manpower and priority issue. Its just been revealed that Edinburgh council now employ over 60 traffic wardens to police the (recently extended) parking restrictions in the town centre and hand out the fines. This is twice as many beat bobbies who are out there trying to crack down on street violence, burglaries etc. and most of them are actually stuck in stations dealing with the paperwork and red tape. I guess we know where the council's priorities lie.
The council also sells hundreds more resident permits every year than there are actual parking spaces available - another revenue generating device with no benefit whatsoever to the motorist. And the green bus lanes, speed bumps and other restrictions continue to proliferate. The man responsible for setting all this in motion - Councillor David Beggs. He moved upstairs last year to become Steven Byers key advisor on national transport policy. You have been warned.
The council also sells hundreds more resident permits every year than there are actual parking spaces available - another revenue generating device with no benefit whatsoever to the motorist. And the green bus lanes, speed bumps and other restrictions continue to proliferate. The man responsible for setting all this in motion - Councillor David Beggs. He moved upstairs last year to become Steven Byers key advisor on national transport policy. You have been warned.
quote:
quote:
Would you believe that Traffic Officers are not assessed on the amount of traffic offence process they generate, but on the number of Crime arrests and detections they have
Why aren't they assessed on the accident rate on their beat, since that's what they're (presumably) trying to control? It seems pointless to assess them on arrests and detections unless the aim is to maximise convictions and fines ... oh.
This goes back to the original problem of speeding. The majority of accidents are caused by excess speed in the wrong environment. This is fact. To cut down on the accident rate in each area which in my organisation is a big priority, means reducing the risks by eliminating the cause. ie flood the place with speed cameras, cut speed, reduce accidents. Simple equation except that the Traffic Dept or Roads Policing dept are no longer responsible for this. This comes under the FPT department (strange that this is to do with revenue not safety). If you also rake off a percentage of revenue generated, this has to be spent on `Youve Guessed it` more speed detection and nothing else. I wholly agree with most of the comments on this topic and have to share the frustrations of those that have to distribute the policies and instructions to those that receive them. Traffic Police are considered to be the shop window of the service as they are the most visible. They have sadly over the last 10 years been de- specialised from their original purpose of Road safety and enforcement patrols to just plain Cops in fast cars who are used as political instruments to address whatever happens to be the govt hot potato of the moment. The recent Met policy of taking many officers off their traffic role to work against street robbery is not as it seems. They have not been taken off the department to do this, merely seconded in their fast cars to that initiative until the heat dies down when they will no doubt be attached to another problem. AND SO IT GOES ON!!!
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Thats excellent - they can't nick you for having safety devices. Love it!
Beware driving on the continent. Radar detectors are illegal in several European countries and best left at home if you're taking your car abroad. The French and the Swiss use VG-2 detection, although a number of detectors are fitted with VG-2 countermeasures.
French cops are reputed to throw the library, not just the book at you if they catch you with one and they'll destroy the offending article on the spot.
Read this, a letter to the Daily Mail from a Copper.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/brian.charlton/
just follow the Handcuffs link....
>> Edited by marlboro on Friday 10th May 20:04
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/brian.charlton/
just follow the Handcuffs link....
>> Edited by marlboro on Friday 10th May 20:04
Hi folks,
I'm a long term lurker/first time poster, drive a Nissan 200sx and the other half's Almera Gti when she's been on the gin or it needs fixing.
Back to the subject in hand, and this is in no way a personal bitch against any babylon
who post here, obviously I agree with 90% of all that's been said on here but how often do you see 'our' side of the story represented in the press? Never, because it's just not news-worthy, that's why organisations like the ABD are so important.
I'm at work at the moment, just spaketh to 'er indoors, she told me that she'd just witnessed yet another goon in a beemer giving the rest of the automotive community a bad name. She was driving towards our house (on a 30mph main road) when some gimp in an X5 (Can't be on the school run, it's Saturday) comes hairing up astern and sit's a few feet on her bumper, bird promptly slows to exactly 30 (for the new speed, sorry....safety camera that's just been erected) and goon get's even closer even though he/she's just been saved from a ticket.
Fifty yards down the road, bird indicated left slows in good time to a slow roll to turn off into driveway and the gimp beeps her and adds a few hand signals for good measure.
Getting to the point of the post (finally I hear you all shout).
I'm not going to get pulled by our pal Mr Madcop or his buddies for speeding in anything under the NSL 'cos I don't do it, I don't want to kill someone's kid/relative/beloved family pet so I drive slowly.
When I see the NSL sign, and if it's safe to do so I press on and will justify my actions if stopped.
Why then is it that the reckless lunatics driving 10mph over the limit on dual carraigeways get all the press and police attention but someone can tailgate my dearly beloved in a 5 ton German tank with relative impunity?
Target bad driving, it's still against the law even if it doesn't buy you a new speed (oops just caught myself again) Safety Camera.
Dave
I'm a long term lurker/first time poster, drive a Nissan 200sx and the other half's Almera Gti when she's been on the gin or it needs fixing.
Back to the subject in hand, and this is in no way a personal bitch against any babylon
who post here, obviously I agree with 90% of all that's been said on here but how often do you see 'our' side of the story represented in the press? Never, because it's just not news-worthy, that's why organisations like the ABD are so important. I'm at work at the moment, just spaketh to 'er indoors, she told me that she'd just witnessed yet another goon in a beemer giving the rest of the automotive community a bad name. She was driving towards our house (on a 30mph main road) when some gimp in an X5 (Can't be on the school run, it's Saturday) comes hairing up astern and sit's a few feet on her bumper, bird promptly slows to exactly 30 (for the new speed, sorry....safety camera that's just been erected) and goon get's even closer even though he/she's just been saved from a ticket.
Fifty yards down the road, bird indicated left slows in good time to a slow roll to turn off into driveway and the gimp beeps her and adds a few hand signals for good measure.
Getting to the point of the post (finally I hear you all shout).
I'm not going to get pulled by our pal Mr Madcop or his buddies for speeding in anything under the NSL 'cos I don't do it, I don't want to kill someone's kid/relative/beloved family pet so I drive slowly.
When I see the NSL sign, and if it's safe to do so I press on and will justify my actions if stopped.
Why then is it that the reckless lunatics driving 10mph over the limit on dual carraigeways get all the press and police attention but someone can tailgate my dearly beloved in a 5 ton German tank with relative impunity?
Target bad driving, it's still against the law even if it doesn't buy you a new speed (oops just caught myself again) Safety Camera.
Dave
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