Safe Speed Forums

mmm think ive been caught speeding dont know if you lot know the road but its coming out dorking, along the big stretch of road called the a24 or dorking road after the gatso camera going towards the roundabout there was a mobile speed van and there the speed limit is 50 and i think i was doing 60-65 but as soon as i saw it i put the barkes on but by then i think its too late as they can cover 1000 metres so?

Always remember, a mobile speed camera has to be used to corroborate the Officer's prior opinion as to the speed of your vehicle. So even though the laser technnology allows a reading to be taken at a kilometre, which is about three quarters of a mile, it is impossible for anyone to assess the speed of a vehicle at that rannge. If someone says he can, then he is fantasizing!! Ask yourself the question, if you stood at the roadside, at what range would you be able to make a reasonable assessment of a vehicle's speed? About 300 or 400 yards would probably be the answer, and a policeman isn't endowed with bionic eyesight or superior opinions just because he is a traffic copper. So if you get a ticket demand the photo. The photo must state the range at which it was taken (it will be in metres.) Around the top or bottom edge if you look carefully it will give this distance in metres. This means the Officer should have formed an opinion when the vehicle was even further away than this!! If it says anything above 300 metres or so then the validity of the Officer's opinion should be challenged. If the photo has no distance showing on it then it is questionable if the allegation is valid at all!

Always remember: mobile cameras MUST corroborate the Officer's PRIOR OPINION!!!!! So always question whether he could really have made an accurate judgement of your speed if the range was anyhing over 300 metres or so. Hope this helps?

how many posts have you made about thinking you have been caught, ease off the petrol a little then you will not be panicking.

ohh and listen to zulus advice will get you into heaps of bother





mmmmmmmmmm, is it



ask yourself another question how quick can a camera operator form an assessment of speed, after all they watch vehicle movement 6/7 hours a day, naked eye assesment 400yds, the sighting scope on the laser has x2 mag, the camera is equiped with a 300 - 500 mm zoom lens, the operator would have a larger screen in the van







prior opinion is stated in the old ACPO guidelines nowhere else, ask them on pepipoo, its the opinion of the officer,



yes loads

_________________
now retired

camera operator is wrong. Current ACPO Code does state Prior Opinion. And he DOES have to watch down the road and form an opinion before deciding whether to target the vehicle. Watching the monitor screen only is not enough. He has to be in a position where he can see the vehicle itself!!! And corroboration is required in Law!

u got me there, PO is required for on average 6.75 seconds before the operator targets and pulls the trigger

robina if you follow zulus advice in court and win i will pay all your costs

_________________
now retired

Robina, just try this experiment:find a stretch of road where you can see well into the distance, say half a mile. Then stand there for a few minutes and observe the approaching traffic in the distance, and see if you can form an opinion about the speed of a car half a mile away. It wiil have to approach to within 400 yds before you can make a judgment about its speed. Now if you can't form an opinion about its speed at half a mile range, then neither can a camera operator. A traffic cop does not have bionic eyesight, anymore than you do!!!

The Code of Practise states that prior opinion is required and that the operator must have direct sight of the vehicle throughout the observation and check. Observing the vehicle on a monitor screen with zoom lens is not the correct way to perform the observation, and cam operator's posts on this seem to confirm the lack of adherence to procedures that too many of them are guilty of! He himself incorrectly stated that prior opinion was in the old Code of Practise, Just shows how much he knows!!!!! And he has not refuted my statement that prior opinion is stated in the Current Code. To give it the full name, it's called "The ACPO Code of Practise For Operational Use of Road Policing Enforcement Technology." I have a copy, but it may be available to view online. The prior opinion requirements are on Page 31.

sit outside an airport then think can i land a plane yes or no, is 400 yds a specific distance ?, what about 405 yards, there is no data recorder on a traf cop hand held

easy to form an opinion



so thats 0.3 sec out of the way



how an operator forms an opinion is up to them, there are numerous ways and means



is it law, pepioo thinks otherwise

it is not available to review i understand it is being re written, by expert individuals who know what they are talking about

however
http://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=52144



the van is the deterrant not the laser, does it no RSS in court then

mmm new guy in the job, i wonder how many were in the 29 30 31 32 envelope

_________________
now retired

Well, camera operator, I still don't agree with your general reasoning on this, so there's nothing more to be gained by arguing. However, I looked at your link about the Colin Montgomerie story and several things have surprised me. First, I wasn't aware that a prosecution could be brought as the result of an ordinary member of the public using a speed gun!!! Surely these "volunteers" do not have the full training of a traffic cop who has to obtain training and procedure certificates in the use of equipment? I am also astonoshed by the utter incompetence of Montgomerie's solicitor. I could have done a better job. His only line of defence was something about side beam interference, did he not question this operator's training and competence? The man should have been torn to shreds in the witness box!! And what about producing calibration certificates and site health and safety reports etc. So much to work on in such a case. He apparently didn't even ask questions about "prior opinion". If he had, the case could have been thrown out at the first attempt.

who is an ordinary member of the public, police staff i read not a " volunteer", believe me most CO's have more training than your traff pol with regard to checks. recording and usage of speed enforcement equipment



most high profile cases have numerous lines of attack, basically a long tick sheet,

_________________
now retired