Connections Puzzle #328 Sat 4 May
Quizzes & Puzzles3 mins ago
Speed camera detectors
Folks,
My new job entails a lot of motoring. Can anyone recommend a speed camera detector other than the Mk I Eyeball that is cheap, effective and unlikely to be made illegal? I have a budget of �100.
Also, ones that jam radar singals are to be made illegal, how will the police know you have one? Will this include a model called a Silver Bullet?
For what it's worth, I do drive sensibly and within the speed limits, I just want one for piece of mind.
Cheers.
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In the last 18 months I have received 5 "notice of intended prosecutions" for exceeding the speed limit, varying from 38 to 45 mph. Each time I stated that the driver was a foreigner, giving a name and address and a believable story how he was driving my car on that particular occasion. The police wrote back asking for details of flight numbers and dates of arrival and leaving etc but as one is not required to answer these questions I didn't. One force even took me to magistrates court trying to make me "surrender" but I went to court, pleaded not guilty and the CPS dropped the case against me as they admitted they had no evidence to prove that I was the driver. I was awarded costs and expenses. Stick to your story, involve nobody else or that is conspiracy, and there is nothing they can do. Most forces use civilians in the camera vans who would be useless in giving evidence and it wouldn't be worth taking a van crew off the road to go to court to try and get �60 as they would lose �1000s in fines on that day. I still have a clean licence.
Oh. I forgot to mention that I am an ex traffic cop with 30years experience. If everybody gave this story every speed camera in the country would become a white elephant overnight. Remember, you do not have to prove that you were not the driver. The police have to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that you were. Even if they have a photo of you there are such things as twins , siblings and cousins. THIS WORKS.
You know, when I was doing the job I had the guts to actually stop an offending vehicle and speak to the driver face to face. (With regards to speeding, 42 mph was the minimum we would summons for.) These days I refuse to plead guilty to a photographic device or it's master who is probably a civilian sitting in some secure office in police HQ, safe from any danger and who has probably never even seen an angry man. This man is responsible for getting drivers travelling at 35 to 40 mph disqualified and therefore possibly losing his job and mortgage and marriage. This man will probably drive home exceeding the speed limit cos he knows where the cameras aren't and he doesn't care about you or me as long as he is getting paid. Yes I will plead not guilty to this man every time.
Precisely.
This is exactly the result when ethics and morals are discarded by society... the members of which are not only the 'man on the street' obliged to abide by the law but also those in office to uphold the law, prosecute the law, administer the law etc. etc., the very people who should be setting the example.
Have you not read my posts at the start of this thread.
My stance was, and still is, that these 'safety' cameras do nothing to improve safety, if anything they reduce it. Therefore the only reason for officialdom to persist with them (and fudge the statistics) is for their ability to rake in the cash.
On previous threads on this topic I have advocated the increased presence of traffic cops (big up to you) to reduce the proliferation of the real danger on our roads, bad driving. Whether just inconsiderate or downright dangerous, these never trigger a 'safety' camera.
All that being said, I do not believe in 'tit-for-tat'. Just because the system is poorly focussed doesn't mean you should evade prosecution when you have broken the law.
And whatever happened to cautions for first time offenders? If you were caught commiting burglary for the first time you would be realeased after having received a caution from the police. I seem to remember a number of Sunderland football players were arrested recently for firing a gun from a moving car in their town centre. They all received cautions. What happens to a motorist who is caught doing 35mph for the first time, he is fined �60. This is a law which is absolutely and completely wrong. I will continue to drive at a speed which is safe for the conditions and I will continue to plead not guilty. If you want to keep on paying out fines that is okay with me.
Hi Rolferoo
You'll be lucky to find a good speed camera detector for �100.
On the subject of some of the answers here, 80mph in a 70mph limit.. you are allowed +/- 10% speedo accuracy, so 77mph should be ok, on top of that most police allow +2mph, so 79mph would be the cut off limit. I read once that most speedos actualy read higher than the true speed at over 60mph.
Regarding getting off a speeding ticket, I was caught by a speed trap (not a camera) and the notice came in normal post, NOT registered or recorded.. i.e not signed for.. so there is no proof you actualy received any intended prosecution. The original they sent I didn't recieve, I replied to the copy of the original they sent, telling them I do not recall if I was or was not there on that date and time and did not want to give false information, I asked for a pic to prove I was driving and it was MY car and not a clone (false plates).. I replied to them by recorded delivery. They sent me the pic but the driver could not be seen at all, and they said if I didn't identify the driver or reply the case could be sent off for possible court action. I didn't bother replying, but for all they know I could've replied (by 1st or 2nd class mail) and it could've been lost in the post. It was in a local paper that in Derbyshire, 59 police patrol cars have been caught speeding through roadside speed cameras (piggy banks) but none were prosecuted.
How do we know the pics are genuine and not edited in photoshop, etc to make it look like we were speeding?
For your info emergency vehicles, police, fire engines, ambulances, are NOT allowed to speed.
I know of one camera placed on an incline, if you enter at 25mph you are doing 30mph on the way out.. and thats with engine braking,
You'll be lucky to find a good speed camera detector for �100.
On the subject of some of the answers here, 80mph in a 70mph limit.. you are allowed +/- 10% speedo accuracy, so 77mph should be ok, on top of that most police allow +2mph, so 79mph would be the cut off limit. I read once that most speedos actualy read higher than the true speed at over 60mph.
Regarding getting off a speeding ticket, I was caught by a speed trap (not a camera) and the notice came in normal post, NOT registered or recorded.. i.e not signed for.. so there is no proof you actualy received any intended prosecution. The original they sent I didn't recieve, I replied to the copy of the original they sent, telling them I do not recall if I was or was not there on that date and time and did not want to give false information, I asked for a pic to prove I was driving and it was MY car and not a clone (false plates).. I replied to them by recorded delivery. They sent me the pic but the driver could not be seen at all, and they said if I didn't identify the driver or reply the case could be sent off for possible court action. I didn't bother replying, but for all they know I could've replied (by 1st or 2nd class mail) and it could've been lost in the post. It was in a local paper that in Derbyshire, 59 police patrol cars have been caught speeding through roadside speed cameras (piggy banks) but none were prosecuted.
How do we know the pics are genuine and not edited in photoshop, etc to make it look like we were speeding?
For your info emergency vehicles, police, fire engines, ambulances, are NOT allowed to speed.
I know of one camera placed on an incline, if you enter at 25mph you are doing 30mph on the way out.. and thats with engine braking,
(continued)
The speed limits are out of date on some roads... 70mph in a 1960's car with poor suspension and drum brakes in comparision to a modern car.. braking distances much shorter and safer now.. On the other hand 30mph in a built up area.. the population is much bigger now, and many more cars on the road. I agree that 35mph in a 30mph may increase the death toll but it's not something you should be prosecuted for (or is that persecuted !!!).
I agree that taking your eyes off the road to look at the speedo more often is more dangerous.. but the worst things to distract are mobile phones and loud music systems.. and what about sat nav? Isn't that like watching TV when driving huh?
Roads in a poor condition are a hazzard (just where des the road tax money and fuel tax go to?).. other roads get resurfaced when there's nothing wrong with them.
Poor road signs is another cause of accidents.. if signs were bigger and clearer and placed better then drivers would be able to concentrate more on the road ahead than looking for some tiny road sign half hidden by a hedge or tree.
Ok, enough ranting from me.
Kev_UK
The speed limits are out of date on some roads... 70mph in a 1960's car with poor suspension and drum brakes in comparision to a modern car.. braking distances much shorter and safer now.. On the other hand 30mph in a built up area.. the population is much bigger now, and many more cars on the road. I agree that 35mph in a 30mph may increase the death toll but it's not something you should be prosecuted for (or is that persecuted !!!).
I agree that taking your eyes off the road to look at the speedo more often is more dangerous.. but the worst things to distract are mobile phones and loud music systems.. and what about sat nav? Isn't that like watching TV when driving huh?
Roads in a poor condition are a hazzard (just where des the road tax money and fuel tax go to?).. other roads get resurfaced when there's nothing wrong with them.
Poor road signs is another cause of accidents.. if signs were bigger and clearer and placed better then drivers would be able to concentrate more on the road ahead than looking for some tiny road sign half hidden by a hedge or tree.
Ok, enough ranting from me.
Kev_UK
lordpicton - Why do you persist in (seemingly) arguing your right to break the law? There are some flaws and contradictions in your argument:
"An unjust law, where a man doing 35mph is fined the same as a man doing 70mph."
So you are not arguing that the law shouldn't be enforced, but that a more severe punishment be handed out for a greater transgression.
You also argue that other 'neglected' laws should be enforced and prosecuted more vigorously, but then you say
"And whatever happened to cautions for first time offenders?"
If you knowingly commit any criminal offence there should be an appropriate punishment. A caution is not a punishment it is a let-off. So, do you want criminals to be punished or not?
As for
"I am innocent until proven guilty. I haven't been found guilty yet!!"
You are presumed innocent, however you have repeatedly admitted guilt on a public forum therefore all presumption is removed.
"If you want to keep on paying out fines that is okay with me."
Not applicable. I have never received a fine and so this cash cow receives no funding from me.
"I will continue to drive at a speed which is safe for the conditions and I will continue to plead not guilty."
Until you are in a position to make (or change) the law you are, unfortunately, obliged to adhere to it. I agree with your disapproval of the misuse of these cameras however I will never agree with the methods you employ to show your displeasure.
Don't be so righteous, everybody drove cars just fine before Gatso. Gatso is a machine used to take your money, nothing else.
I remember the "good old days".
When it wasn't uncommon to see people driving along the motorway whilst reading the newspaper.
As for the "safer modern cars" argument: not everybody drives a modern car, and not everybody that does so has it properly maintained...
