speed and traffic light cameras.

[danny]

hi there

does anyone know the score with speed and traffic light cameras

i have been flashed twice in a week and with me being a new driver i am very worried that my license is going to get taken from me.

i have been told that some cameras are inactive sometimes and that you cant be done doing less than 33mph in a 30mph zone. is this true?

so does the same apply to traffic light cameras?
i mean can they be in active ?

and when i got flashed going through the light it was probably safer to go through than try and stop is this any argument or should i just take what i get.
plus i think its sort of unfair the way the lights work, you see as i was approaching the signal was amber then changed to red but it still had the filter on then just as i was about to pass the filter blinked off therefor i went through the red.

any info would be great.

 

[Anonymous]

If you get caught by a police officer with a radar gun then he does not HAVE to pull you over unless you are doing 5% + 2mph over the speed limit. (im not sure thats completely accurate but its not far off). i also think there is a threshold of safety with the other types of cameras but not sure.


If you want my advice though, don't speed and then you have know reason for getting worried about getting caught. I hate people who say speed cameras are a money making scheme. IF YOU DON'T BREAK THE LAW BY SPEEDING THEN YOU WON'T GET FINED it makes purfect sence.

 

[Roberto]

If you read the Highway Code, you'll see that amber means stop. If you just passed your test, aren't you on a mandatory 6 points for the first year ? Therefore if you've got flashed twice and you did get caught, you could be up to your limit already

Rob

 

[SyB-Bolton]

Speed cameras are covered by myths, so are radar guns.
For any speeding offence anything above the speedlimit is punishable, Thus you can be done theoreticaly for doing 31 in a 30 zone. The reason why this isn't practicable to do is because you can not proof that the machine is recording the exact speed, The majority of old cameras give a leeway of 10% But, the new digital camera that can get you goig both ways is more or less spot on! So are the specs cameras, as these do not record you speed but record the amount of time to pass between 2 points then calculate your avg. speed.

As for the traffic signal cameras, light goes red, camera switches on. No defence what so ever!

 

[Tom]

My fave excuse I've ever seen was on the lax flower forum, some chap wanted to know if he could argue that he couldn't stop in time for the red light as it was raining and the road was slippery.

What a ****!!

 

[Jayfish]

If you got flashed by a GATSO in a 30 zone, chances are you were doing over 40 as that seems to be the trigger level for most of them, tut, tut, naughty.

 

[cynic-al]

the traffic light cameras and traffic lights are generally timed depending on the speed limit, the idea is that if you are doing the speed limit and the light goes orange you should be able to stop before the line. If you are too close to the line and cannot stop then the light should still be orange when you pass. Therefore the only excuse for going through a red is an error of judgement on your part. Either that or the 20 tonne lorry that was up you arse is now pushing you through the lights. lol

Also i don't think they have to make traffic light cameras extra visible as they do speed cameras so watch out!

As regards speed cameras, and any of the older cameras, there is always the issue of if they have film in, i think i read only 1 in 3 do, you could be lucky. I was once driving back from Norwich late at night, got flashed 3 times and didn't get a ticket, that was lucky!

We have a mobile camera near us, it often parks in the village and on the motorway, people i know have been fined for 32 in a 30 and 74 on the motorway, i think this 10% + 2 is a bit of a rule of thumb for the forces depending on the region you are in.

A friend of mine got pulled for 92 on the motorway, when the office pulled him over he told him that he had been following him for some time, he was doing around 85 and his driving was very good, looking as he passes cars etc, but as he passed the last car he got upto 92, the officers limit is 90. The guy who got the ticket was just glad he was in his honda and not his rover coupe as he had no idea he was being followed.

I think it just shows how much it is down to luck!

 

[rsmallwo]

luck.....you said it

luck.....you said it

thats the problem with the enforcement of the law on the roads

its down to luck

so when you get done like myself you think....

shouldn't be down to luck should it.

imagine catching murders down to luck....

wouldn't be very good would it.

Mind you, a car is a lethal weapon so maybe it is!

 

[Tom]

Re: luck.....you said it

There is no luck about it, drive over the speed limit and you open yourself to getting points. It isn't that hard to stick to 20/30/40/50 limits.

As for hiding red light cameras.. surely the big red light is an obvious hint you should stop If you only need to obey the speed limit when there is a speed camera do you only need to stop for red lights if there is a camera there to catch you?

 

[cynic-al]

Re: luck.....you said it

stop on an orange in sheffield and someone will run into the back of you, when i moved back home i was amazed how early people stop for lights, had a few near misses.

 

[kevdj]

i have a e book that might be of some interest to you about speed camras and avoiding paying fines and how to get out of having points aswell. email me if your interested.

 

[jackie]

Hey, I know how to avoid paying fines and getting points....dont speed in the first place.

Jackie

 

[Tom]

Oi! Only I am allowed to be rude like that

 

[jackie]

Opps, sorry Tom but all this "how do I get out of this" stuff, when if you were doing the speed limit in the first place, you wouldnt have to worry about it, gets right on my nerves.

Jackie

 

[Tom]

Its not like its hard to stick to the speed limit, just dull at times.

 

[Anonymous]

On the subject of speeding tickets...after 11 years i got my first one

Obviously my fault can't complain at that...

But i swear the road i got 'caught' on was a 40mph road, but they have listed it as a 30mph (if i knew it was a 30mph i would have been doing about 35)...The worst thing is, that i saw a clearway sign up ahead and was increasing my speed...

Got caught doing 44mph, does anyone know if there is a site i can look at to check the speed limits on roads...?

Daz

 

[Tom]

If there are no speed limit signs but there are street lights less than 100yds(I think) apart then its automatically a 30 zone.

 

[Anonymous]

Can't remeber the street lights distance...

Don't know the area that well either as i was staying at a mates...

Would it be more than £60 + 3 points for doing 44 in a 30?

Daz

 

[Anonymous]

I "got away" with 3 points and a £60 fine for doing 95 in a 60 . Thankfully the car I was driving had 4 pot AP Braking system and therefore the pic of the car was with the nose of it buried and two sets of eyes bulging into the windscreen

As Tom says, if you speed you will be caught, if you dont speed you wont! I average 3 points every 98,000 miles since 1992 which is fair enough (I average 42,000 per year since 1988).

It also helps if you are a vigilant driver and are backed up by a snooper/road angel/velentine etc etc.

However, if you get caught for speeding in a 30 you deserve everything you get including a ban - its so obvious that you dont speed in a built up area. (sorry Daz lol!)

Nige
PS - I can't really comment as I have been caught 6 times in total and had 1 thrown out of court n a technicality

 

[Anonymous]

"However, if you get caught for speeding in a 30 you deserve everything you get including a ban - its so obvious that you dont speed in a built up area. (sorry Daz lol!)"

I agree, i am not disputing the fact...

If you seen the road you could understand why, certainly not a built up area, there is not a house in sight, the only thing on the road is an industrial estate...(This was a Sunday).

I have spoken to my m8, who says its a common place to get caught...as they sit just before the national speed limit sign

Daz