Safe Speed Forums

Hi, i was in north london at about 1am driving at about 41-44mph on a 40mph limit just approaching the first white dash(i was about 5meters away from the first dash) when suddenly the camera flashed, it flashed about 2 times. Has this happened to anyone else? There was noone else around me, im hoping i dont get anything in the post. Is this possible?
Thanks

probably just a very fast squirrel

i hope so!!!!!!

Was there a lorry or other large vehicle somewhere nearby? Or some temporary signage?
If so (and it's a gatso) you now know how accurate radar is.

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Andrew.

pp84,

Good luck.

C.

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More rules and regulations please! (Not)

thanks for the replys, and nope there were no other vehicles or squirells anywhere around me, it was the camera with the big box with the yellow back. it was a three lane dual carriageway kind of thing. does that help?

as i understand it...
if you werent on the markings when it flashed then they havent got two succesive photos to corroborate the camera's speed measurement.

so if you do get pinged, request photos & calibration details and take it from there.

They have 14 days from the flash to get something sent to you, assuming you're the registered owner of the car. If anything comes post here before you do anything, and people will guide you through what ed_m said.

An friend of mine who knows someone in the force told me that the actual flash which matters is the second one towards the end of the white lines.

(Makes sense to me)

So even if you are very much over the limit, if you can scrub off enough speed to take yourself well below the limit before the end of the lines you stand not to be done. This is my understand of it, as once told to me.

So I wouldn't worry about it if I were you but you could always ask the guys on PePiPoo if you need further help or are stil concerned.

http://www.pepipoo.com/

Try the FAQs or forums bud.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

The secondary check would be based on average speed. So if you're driving at say 50mph in a 40mph, get flashed and slow to 38mph by the second flash, you might just get away with it. Now that is some braking, and unfortunately the decrease in speed probably isn't going to be uniform, eg getting from 50mph - 35mph probably takes as long as 35mph yo a stop despite being far less speed.

Very true nicycle. I was aware of this which is why I mentioned getting well below the limit but you're right to mention it.

I must say, I have driven some cars which feel like you can pin them to the ground, to a complete stop, well within the distance of the lines.

I haven't tried it, never had cause to, but I'm sure a moden car would do it with ease. My friend's Merc, for example, stops better in the wet than my old Escort could in the dry. Or maybe it just felt like it could I had to push my eyes back in their sockets afterwards.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

41-45mph on your speedo is more like 38-42mph in real life. The prosecution threshold isn't until 46mph in a 40 limit according to ACPO guidelines (I have no idea if the Met follow the ACPO guidelines on this one)

This combined with the fact that it will be impossible to do the secondary check of your speed means that you are very unlikely to hear anything of this.

If the car is registered in your name, then they have 14 days from the date of "offence" to put the NIP in the post to you. Give it a couple of days for delivery to be on the safe side, then stop worrying about it.

To the best of my knowledge Gatsos are fitted with Xenon flash units that have to be discharged every few minutes or the charging circuit can over-charge and blow the lamp unit. The Broon Lollipop near me lets off one, two or three flashes every ten minutes or so.
Both flashes have to capture you so that the distance you have covered can be collated with the doppler radar data from the camera.

Good luck mate and To SS...

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Aquila



Licat volare si super tergum aquila volat...

Well I've not heard that one before. It's not true of course. I've had professional flash heads on for hours and they coped. Also the Gatso manual doesn't mention it.

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Andrew.

So, have you had a NIP in the post yet?

I'd agree with Ziltro. I designed Xenon Discharge flash cicuits over 30 years ago. It is possible the flash trigger is extremely crude and vulnerable to electrical noise but there is never a need to periodially discharge the flash

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Richard Ceen
We live in a time where emotions and feelings count far more than the truth, and there is a vast ignorance of science (James Lovelock 2005)

Well you ca'nt really be excused if you were speeding now can you ? lol . However be aware that the myth put out by many that camera's dont make mistakes is false`. You may get away with it if you can show the camera was up the creek.