police inforcement VANS!

[s300tna]

I feel so pee'd of its day light rubbery! if I get pulled by a police car or bike then thats ok!

but these Bloody vans they hide away on top of bridges like codards taking pictures of you then the bastards send you a fine for doing 4 miles per hour over the limit!

I think the goverment should inforce a 60bhp limit on all cars COZ thats the only way they will stop cars going over 70mph come on this is 2006 not 1806....

SORRY.... rant over

[BlackS3]

It's not the fine that bothers me so much. If you're going to speed then fair enough there's a price to pay, it's the points on your license that sucks.

12 points then your license is gone......

How is that fair?? It's actually surprising the government restricts how much revenue they can make off speeders. If they took the 12 point rule away surely they could make a lot more from it??

And as you say people aint caught seriously speeding it's usually 2-3mph over the limit accidently.

[maxxximus]

It's not the fine that bothers me so much. If you're going to speed then fair enough there's a price to pay, it's the points on your license that sucks.

12 points then your license is gone......

How is that fair?? It's actually surprising the government restricts how much revenue they can make off speeders. If they took the 12 point rule away surely they could make a lot more from it??

And as you say people aint caught seriously speeding it's usually 2-3mph over the limit accidently.

Coppers on bridges are very sly - its like shooting sitting ducks.

That aside the points rule is wholly necessary -just a fine would be no deterrent to the wealthy. Youd basically end with two tiers of motorists - those that could afford to disregard speed limits and those that couldnt. That is even more unjust.

[shineydave]

Coppers on bridges are very sly - its like shooting sitting ducks

A few years back there was a speed trap set up on Dudley Hill roundabout in Bradford. The police were aiming under the roundabout on to the A650, they had a fleet of Motorbikes that would then chase down the slip road to apprehend the offenders. Well that was the theory, which worked right up to the point were a pedestrian got run over by one of the bikes. the wife actually ran over one of his trainers in my quattro.

[SteveH]

the wife actually ran over one of his trainers in my quattro.

Was his foot still in it!?

[peterb]

Coppers on bridges are very sly - its like shooting sitting ducks.

I didn't realise we were supposed to shoot them!

[shineydave]

Was his foot still in it!?

maybe that's why i had to replace a front spring, i shall take it up with her forthwith

[TarmacTerrorist]

Right, I should probably be keeping this quite but It may help you out....

Late last year 'a friend of mine' got caught doing 81 mph by a speed camera in a van on the side of the motorway. The van was visible miles away and he thought he was doing an appropriate speed for the conditions of the road, ie. 3 lanes of empty motorway with only one other vechile on it at the time.

Absolutely livid at the fact that they did him for this speed on an all but empty motorway he ignored the NIP. He then recieved a further letter saying if he did not give them the details they wanted within 7 days they would take him to court. He also ignored this letter.

This was all over 6 months ago and since then he has heard nothing back!!!

Conclusion-

I reckon they must automatically send out out the first NIP from data keyed into a computer that has been collected from the day of the incident (no evidence as such at this time).

After recieving no info back the computer then sends out the 2nd letter saying they willl take you to court, blah, blah. (still no evidence as such at this time).

Upon recieving no correspondence back from the 2nd letter threating court, they then set a guy on the job to go about collecting together the physical evidence for the court hearing.

It's at this final stage were I think my friend got let off. I.e they just didnt have enough eveidnce to present so just simply never followed it up any further.

I personally think they try it on alot with these mobile camera vans, and the poor unsuspecting just hand over there money and licence with the first letter issued. If I were just marginally over the limit i would look to go this route all depending on the circumstances of course. Forget it if you outside a school or the like!!

Just so everyone is clear, had he been caught doing 90+ then there would be no argument and he would have sent his licence in straight away for the 3 points and £60 fine. Likewise, had the letter arrived with a court date proceeding, then he would have made the phone call apologising that had not received the initial correspondence, accept the blame and took the 3 points and 60 note fine. (you cant win in court unles your a footballer. period)

[maxxximus]

I wouldnt tell your mate to pop the champagne corks yet - im sure that a NIP wouldnt have been processed if they didnt think they had enough evidence from the outset. Just failing to respond is not gonna deter HM Customs& Excise (sorry Officer -Local constabulary ).

Id like to think hes gonna be lucky this time given the circumstances but 6 months aint that long.

[peterb]

I'm thinking that it's simply too much hassle to go chasing motorists who don't respond. They must collect more than enough contributions from those who do pay up.

I gather that there is a 6 month time limit on serving a summons, but I'm not sure when the six months starts.

[simple1]

Six months starts from the the date NIP is sent out, used to be three months but was increased....... with my car being registered in Northern Ireland, they ran out of time to serve the summons so had to drop the case, just as well, was doing well into three figures at the top of the M6...........

[derdle]

you cant win in court unles your a footballer. period)

Or you engage the solicitor who gets the footballers off .... Nick Freeman. he gets lots of people off on technicalities such as cameras without proper certification etc etc.

[ChrisG]

Was the van in the Wiltshire area ?
I've heard that there is a zero tolerance -- 70mph= OK , 71mph = busted !

As I thought construction & use permitted a speed tolerence of up to 10% on the accuracy of the speedo you could easily do 72 or even 75 whilst speedo was reading 70 mph ........ but I wouldn't want to have to argue it !

[derdle]

ACPO guideline is supposed to be +10% +2mph which means 79 is tolerable on a 70 limit. But it is only a "guideline".

[peterb]

I thought the speedometer has a tolerance of +10%, -0%.
In other words, it can over-read by up to 10%, but is not allowed to under-read.