Cops @ Blackdog

[puckrup]

Just got pulled for doing 86mph going towards Ellon on dual carriageway. Never saw car, they used some kind of in-car average speed system over a marked 0.1 of a mile.

Well chuffed - not. Clear day, dry roads, light traffic. Still fixed penalty better than had I been caught a couple of miles back, suppose I should be thankful for small mercies

N

[KB_S1]

Out of interest in nice cars.
What were they driving (model, colour etc)?

[puckrup]

Well it wasn't an unmarked car, full jam sandwich traffic car, well tucked out of sight, obviously

N

[SirSimon]

where was this mate? There is a few unmarked in Edinburgh. There is a silver bmw salon one kicking about on the bypass, god that thing can move!!

[agent006]

puckrup said:

in-car average speed system over a marked 0.1 of a mile.

Look out for white squares on the road. These are what they measure against.

[puckrup]

Yup, looks like the white squares that got me.... Will have a look on http://www.pepipoo.com/ to see if there is any way to contest charge but doubt it.......

[hemibum]

NESCAP always post locations of "safety camera" locations for the coming week in the local press.

They've just blitzed about 115 speeders on the A90 last week.

Sorry mate, but read the local papers and you might think twice about excercising the right foot in certain areas.

[puckrup]

Wasn't a "safety" camera location - just sneaky hidden car tactics. Unfortunately as a member of the IAM I cannot defend speeding - just a pain when you get caught.......

N

[agent006]

hemibum said:

NESCAP always post locations of "safety camera" locations for the coming week in the local press.

They've just blitzed about 115 speeders on the A90 last week.

Sorry mate, but read the local papers and you might think twice about excercising the right foot in certain areas.

Police are free to catch people wherever they like. It's only the civilian manned cameras that they have to publish a list for.

[Broomsticklady]

Know it doesn't help and slightly off topic but - spotted a plain clothes blue Volvo SV53??? having just pulled someone on that same stretch a bit further up at Belhelvie at the weekend too - mental note to one's self - foot off a bit down there ...

Edited by Broomsticklady on Sunday 2nd March 22:17

[KB_S1]

It was a hidden but fully marked patrol car that caught me too. No fun at all that nonsense.
Funnily enough 86 on a 60 too. Had it been 1 mile earlier......

Just spotted an unmarked car tonight with the full disco lights on as we were coming home, into Shotts.
A dark coloured Vectra Estate. They were shifting along at a fair lick.

[D_T_W]

Broomsticklady said:

Know it doesn't help and slightly off topic but - spotted a plain clothes blue Volvo SV53??? having just pulled someone on that same stretch a bit further up at Belhelvie at the weekend too - mental note to one's self - foot off a bit down there ...

Edited by Broomsticklady on Sunday 2nd March 22:17

That's been about for a while, gets used a lot on Friday/Saturday nights for stopping suspected drink drivers (typically found either Bridge of Don or Wellington Road area).
I only know this as they stopped me one night last year. Quite a hottie driving it as well (2 females officers in the car)

[Broomsticklady]

D_T_W said:

Broomsticklady said:

Know it doesn't help and slightly off topic but - spotted a plain clothes blue Volvo SV53??? having just pulled someone on that same stretch a bit further up at Belhelvie at the weekend too - mental note to one's self - foot off a bit down there ...

Edited by Broomsticklady on Sunday 2nd March 22:17

That's been about for a while, gets used a lot on Friday/Saturday nights for stopping suspected drink drivers (typically found either Bridge of Don or Wellington Road area).
I only know this as they stopped me one night last year. Quite a hottie driving it as well (2 females officers in the car)

I'm not the only sad one then - it was a young quite good looking guy in it, and I did comment to my OH I might just drive a bit faster everywhere in order to get to meet the driver ...

[D-Speed]

I've seen silver & dark blue or black unmarked 5 or 7 series BMW's on the Ellon road see keep your eyes peeled.

[jaf01uk]

Sorry for the late addition, was just havin a scunge through and spotted this, I thought the cops had stopped using vascar nowadays because of the unacceptable amount of variables in it? 0.1 of a mile doesn't seem much of a distance to get an average speed on a car and it is started and stopped manually, like a stopwatch, so 1/2 a secod late starting and bit early stopping is bound to knock the numbers up a bit surely?
Regards,
Gary

[puckrup]

Gary, I had thought the same. Too much room for error. Considering challenging the evidence but you are talking £2K for legal representation. DIY and you run the risk of increased fine/points. £60/3 points might be the easy way out

N

[jshell]

puckrup said:

Well it wasn't an unmarked car, full jam sandwich traffic car, well tucked out of sight, obviously

N

I don't understand this. The average speed calculators are used by timing you driving over a distance which means they must be following you at speed and not hidden by the side of the road.

[D_T_W]

jshell said:

puckrup said:

Well it wasn't an unmarked car, full jam sandwich traffic car, well tucked out of sight, obviously

N

I don't understand this. The average speed calculators are used by timing you driving over a distance which means they must be following you at speed and not hidden by the side of the road.

They can use the white squares painted on the road surface, which (IIRC) are a known distance apart. Or they can use 2 roadside objects (bridges etc) which they have already calculated the distance between by driving that part of the road. It is down to how well it is operated will dictate whether it is accurate of not though.

[paulqv]

Vascar is simply an on board calculator and can be used to follow or time people between two points which are either fixed or ones picked during the journey. They use a series of buttons to time the other vehicle and then if necessary their vehicle.
It can be used down to 1/10th of a mile which appears to be the minimum it should operate over as otherwise the chances of error are too great. This is in the operating manual
In simple terms if you do the calcuation of speed= distance divided by time then the shorter the distance or the faster the speed the greater the percentage of error EITHER WAY. The problem is challenging this in court as the courts are reluctant to understand error calculations and unless there is good evidence of error then is unlikely the courts will disbelieve the cops.
The Cops will always say they are trained to do this at 100mph and other menaingless statments.
Is simply down to pushing buttons at the right time. the shorter the distance the greater the margin for error.
The courts wont even begin to entertain arguments over perspective distortion in ordiary visioon never mind using car mirrors! Put simply . if you play golf can you be sure you know exactly wehre your ball passes at 200m? Amazingly the police can tell the split second it passes a fixed point at 200- 500m! Absolute crap, but courts accept it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[stewie732]

paulqv said:

Vascar is simply an on board calculator and can be used to follow or time people between two points which are either fixed or ones picked during the journey. They use a series of buttons to time the other vehicle and then if necessary their vehicle.
It can be used down to 1/10th of a mile which appears to be the minimum it should operate over as otherwise the chances of error are too great. This is in the operating manual
In simple terms if you do the calcuation of speed= distance divided by time then the shorter the distance or the faster the speed the greater the percentage of error EITHER WAY. The problem is challenging this in court as the courts are reluctant to understand error calculations and unless there is good evidence of error then is unlikely the courts will disbelieve the cops.
The Cops will always say they are trained to do this at 100mph and other menaingless statments.
Is simply down to pushing buttons at the right time. the shorter the distance the greater the margin for error.
The courts wont even begin to entertain arguments over perspective distortion in ordiary visioon never mind using car mirrors! Put simply . if you play golf can you be sure you know exactly wehre your ball passes at 200m? Amazingly the police can tell the split second it passes a fixed point at 200- 500m! Absolute crap, but courts accept it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cracking point paul. have you ever tried this point??!