WARNING REGARDING HIDDEN SPEED CAMERA VANS

[Mark B]

Dear all,

Don't know whether any of you saw Motorcycle news last week but on page 11 there's an article on 2 sneaky speed camera vehicles-

One is a light blue Iveco van (transit size) which looks like a builders van reg no is FN02 NWZ, the only bit that gives the game away is a couple of lines across the back windows & two small holes- although by the time you'll have noticed this it's probably too late.

This is in the Derby area, particularly the Buxton area.

Second is a horse box trailer, normally towed by a dark blue land rover discovery and with the right hand top door section left open for the camera.

This is in North wales particularly around the A5, betsy co ed, corwen and blanau festiniog.

This was a public service announcement........  

[Bean]

Is that legal?

[Mark B]

Don't know mate tbh, mcn were trying to challenge it on those grounds........

[pistonbroke]

QUOTE

Second is a horse box trailer, normally towed by a dark blue land rover discovery and with the right hand top door section left open for the camera.

This is in North wales particularly around the A5, betsy co ed, corwen and blanau festiniog.

They will soon be commissiong the Mk11 version

Its 2 horse power  

[MK11]

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say good for the Police.  The problem as I see it is inapropriate speed limits which is not the fault of the BIB.  

The Police are merely doing their job which is to enforce legally set speed limits.  Now the use of disguised cameras is an excellent way to do this as in theory a driver will never know when they are being filmed so will always abide by the limit.  You don't hear about anyone objecting when the Police set up a sting operation to catch say burglars or car thieves, so why moan about the Police catching people who break the speeding laws?  Yes, I agree that if more traffic cars were on the road then a similar effect would be had with the benefit that a person can be reasoned with whereas a camera can't, however, this would be more costly and I for one think that we pay quite enough tax as it is, plus what is the difference between a ticket from an Officer and one from a camera?

Now as to the limits being set that is a completely different issue and I believe that far too many speed limits are being set too low or are being changed for no good reason other than to catch out motorists, but this is not the Police doing this so redirect all compaints to the local highways authority.

[Asterix]

Is that legal?

yes I think, but it doesn't abide by ACPO guidelines.

[Hammy]

I'd rather they spent the money eslewhere

[bhouse]

I'm going to go way out on a limb here and say good for the Police.

I thought that most mobile cameras were now operated by quangos - "Safety Camera Partnerships" or something?

Brian

[dombanks]

that horse one is causing us horsey people real problems.

its common practice to leave the rear top doors open when there is a horse in and its causing drivers to behave more eratically behing the box, several people i know have been honked/shouted at wrongly mistaken as a the camera box.

ironically from the pics ive seen they are in the worng with the numberplate they are using. we got told off for having a normal car type plate and had to buy the two tier bike type plate. !!!

[cast iron]

With the cost of fuel never mind the points and fines I'm suprised people can afford to speed.

Seriously stick to the limit for one tank of fuel and see how much more MPG you get

[Norman Verona]

The "Safety Camera Partnerships" are run by the local authorities and a Police representative sits on the committe.

The problem is that some committes have councilers who do not have driving licences or don't drive on the roads the select for policing.

The same applies to speed limits on non-national roads. The councils set the limits.

I agree with Matthew but totally disagree with some of the limits that are being set.

[neilb]

Isn't the point of the police to prevent crime and not just monitor how many people are braking the law? How exactly does this covert operation prevent crime and get the offenders to see the error of their ways and slow them down at the time of the offence?

[MK11]

How exactly does this covert operation prevent crime and get the offenders to see the error of their ways and slow them down at the time of the offence?

This is where mobile concealed cameras are better than dayglow fixed cameras.  Who hasn't seen the tyre marks just before the obvious camera and then watched people speeding up just beyond the camera.

A camera that can be hidden anywhere should make people more consistently follow the posted limits as they can be caught anywhere.

[bhouse]

Isn't the point of the police to prevent crime ?

Now that's an interesting point.

I believe that the constitutional role of the police is to locate lawbreakers and offer them to the judicial system for the evidence to be considered and (if guilty) an appropriate punishment to be given. Not to actualy prevent crime in the first place.

Our society is subjected to ever increasing numbers of rules. For the police to move from catching to preventing criminals/criminal behaviour would require a dramatic change in the relationship between the government and the populace, as well as each of us acting with a much greater sense of personal responsibility. If this were to happen, I think we'd end up with a much better society.

Brian

[neilb]

Isn't the point of the police to prevent crime ?

Now that's an interesting point.

I believe that the constitutional role of the police is to locate lawbreakers and offer them to the judicial system for the evidence to be considered and (if guilty) an appropriate punishment to be given. Not to actualy prevent crime in the first place.

Our society is subjected to ever increasing numbers of rules. For the police to move from catching to preventing criminals/criminal behaviour would require a dramatic change in the relationship between the government and the populace, as well as each of us acting with a much greater sense of personal responsibility. If this were to happen, I think we'd end up with a much better society.

Brian

Taken from the National Policing Plan here, it states: The core role of the police is to prevent and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

Moreover they are then allowing drivers of speeding cars to continue to be a danger to themselves and other road users, don't think that it's an argument that I would like to test in court but I do think that it is a fair point if the point of these is to change people driving habits and not just to raise cash....