Safe Speed Forums

I was on the A55 today (70 limit) when I passed a parked police car with a hand held camera in the front.
2 questions.
1/ Is there any allowance before they nick you?
2/ Will they know who was driving?

How fast were you going?

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I won't slave for beggar's pay,
likewise gold and jewels,
but I would slave to learn the way
to sink your ship of fools

Are you sure it was a police car as opposed to a mobile camera van? This would impact on the answers to your questions.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

If it was a speed camera van, then they will nick you at 79... which would probably read 82+ on your speedometer as they overead.

However, please tell me where on the A55, the van was located... I would seriously like to know this information.

I know that there is usually an ANPR van, (numberplate recognition) sitting towards chester, but I've yet to have heard a scamera loacted on the a55.

Please answer the question, that would be great. Thanks

The camera was located in a car not a van and was pointed out of the front window.
It was prked on a small sliproad on the left hand side couple of mles before the Rhyl turnoff heading towards LLandudno and I was doing about 75 MPH.

If you were doing a registered 75 on your speedo, it is most unlikely you will get prosecuted.

_________________
I won't slave for beggar's pay,
likewise gold and jewels,
but I would slave to learn the way
to sink your ship of fools

At a speedometer indicated reading of 75mph my true speed according to GPS is 70 mph.

I agree with the opinion you are unlikely to be prosecuted.

At an indicated 85 my true speed is still under 79 mph, which is the prosecution threshold (10% plus 2 mph) in this instance.

I find that amazing, since (AFAIK) it runs through North Wales and is effectively a motorway in parts. Easy pickings you would think.

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Paul Smith: a legend.

"The freedom provided by the motor vehicle is not universally applauded, however: there are those who resent the loss of state control over individual choice that the car represents. Such people rarely admit their prejudices openly; instead, they make false or exaggerated claims about the adverse effects of road transport in order to justify calls for higher taxation or restrictions on mobility." (Conservative Way Forward: Stop The War Against Drivers)

It seems like a police patrol, in which case the 10%+2 doesn't matter that much (not that it did much anyway).

I agree with the above responses: an indicated 75 on a speedo is likely to be OK (but that's not guaranteed).

The Chief Constable in that area is well known for his fund raising activities with his mobile speed checks.
Is the law different for speed trafic cops in patrol cars?

Strictly speaking - no, but.....
The SCPs used to abide by guidelines (now 'recommendations' as of April 07) to allow them to recover their operating costs.
Police can get you for any speed over the limit (they don’t need to recover costs); however, they usually apply a level of discretion.

Bollocks, I go that way to college.

Perfectly safe place, just more money-grabbing from Brunstrom.


BTW OP, you will NOT be prosecuted at 75, no way whatsoever. - relax.

A word of caution!
Was it duel carriageway? if not the limit was only 60
Were you driving a car/car based van or a van?
Vans have different limits.

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

Ifyou were travelling faster than the speed limit you were speeding (simple isn't it?)

Not quite as simple as you might think. One has to look at why the speed limit is set as it is. For example - on an A road near where I live the County Council unilaterally (without consulting Mr Plod) reduced the limit on a certain stretch from 60 mph to 30 mph. So on the day before the change, tootling along at 55 mph would make me a fine, law-abiding pillar of the community. One day later, doing the same speed on the same stretch of road, I would be (in some eyes) a stupid, selfish, child-killing maniac.

Why? In the intervening 24 hours the road had not changed one bit; my driving skills had not got any better or worse; all that had changed was the number on the lollipop.

Would I have been driving more dangerously per se simply because that number had changed?

(Incidentally, the limit was later raised to 50 mph!).

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Save a cow - eat a vegetarian

I remember once, there was a road I drove down to work - it was a national speed limit country lane. One day, part of it was made 30mph - there was a big sign for everybody to see. I managed to keep to no more than 30mph - why can't other people?

So it went from NSL right down to 30? and you are wondering why people chose not to abide by it? (especially if they are the ones who are familiar with the road).

Simple, how so? Given how inaccurate car speedos are no one can be absolutely sure of their speed (It's why Trafpol cars have seperate calibrated speedos). So you might easily be showing a speed in excess of the limit and actually be somewhat under it.

Barkstar

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The difference between intelligence and stupidity is that intelligence has limits.

Hi all, joining the A55 from Queensferry towards Rhyl, there can often be a BiB with a speed gun standing on one of the overhead bridges merrily scamming away. It seems they love to do this on a Sunday to catch the unwary day trippers using that fine road into North Wales.


Reminds me why I will never go to Wales again.


Regards

Why don't you just, er, not speed?