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Motors Speeding laws...

Discussion in 'General' started by will., 13 Jun 2009.

  1. will.

    will. A motorbike of jealousy!

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    I'm in a bit of a panic...

    I've just been out for a drive in the middle of no-where and I came round a gentle corner doing about 70 and accelerated a little to about 75 (in reality the speeds are about 5-6% less) I know my car overestimates above 30. I spotted a police van (no doors open and both officers in their seats) about 200 meters away facing straight at me from a lay-by on a corner so I quickly slowed back down to 60 and went round the corner next to the lay-by they were on at about 35. By this point I'm in a complete panic. In my rear view I see them start to pull out and follow me. Now if I was in a panic before I'm really going nuts now. I keep driving though at about 55 and carry on.

    Then on the return leg of my journey, I run into the same damn van, and I was just about calming down... I do the same as before and just carry on at 55 and the van does about 30 so I quickly pull away.

    Right, so you know the story... Potentially, they could have got me speeding, but surely if they did, given plenty of opportunity, they could have pulled me over, but they didn't. Does this mean I'm OK or could I still get a ticket through the post?
    I didn't see any radar device. I would imagine that if they did have a laser or radar, they don't work too well behind the sloped front windscreen either so would usually be out of an open window. They could have just been packing up to head home, it was 9:30 after all.

    And before anyone tells me, 'serves you right' I never usually speed at all. I'm never in a rush, so there's no need, just this one time I decide to go for a pointless evening drive because I was bored. I know I shouldn't have done it, and I'll never do it again, I don't like being this nervous! ****ity **** ****! :wallbash:

    I need to calm down... Need beer...
     
    Last edited: 13 Jun 2009
  2. ArtificialHero

    ArtificialHero We were just punking him sir!

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    As far as I'm aware police policy is that if they see you speeding, they are supposed to stop you and give you a ticket, it's only the machines that give the tickets out in the post. Logically speaking this is the only sensible way of doing it, as the officers can confirm the identity of the driver before issuing the ticket. Could be wrong though.
     
  3. will.

    will. A motorbike of jealousy!

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    I thought that was the case too... I really hope it is! :(
     
  4. smc8788

    smc8788 Multimodder

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    Nah, I was caught by a mobile camera van and got a letter through the post about a week later without being stopped, but as will says they have to have the back doors open for it to work.

    Any time I've seen a mobile camera van they've not had any cars/bikes there to actually stop the cars they catch speeding as they don't need to - they just set up in a sneaky place where they know they'll catch a load of people (I've seen them placed just before the stationary Gatso cameras and I was caught just after the speed limit changed from a 40 to 30), hand out the tickets and watch the cash roll in.

    It doesn't sound like you'll be getting a letter from what you've said, but I can't be sure. Whatever happens, you might as well stop worrying because there's not a lot you can do about it now.
     
  5. Cookie Monster

    Cookie Monster Multimodder

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    So why did you do it? lol, sorry had too.

    My boss is an ex traffic cop and his missus just got a ticket through the post today. She was doing 35 in a 30, on a weekday, well away from any schools, roads were empty, in a section where the road opens out (still two lanes but each lane is wide enough to actually be two lanes), she also saw the van and said the same as you.

    My boss's response was so why were you speeding? She went quiet and walked out the shop.
     
    Last edited: 14 Jun 2009
  6. talladega

    talladega I'm Squidward

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    Here speed limit is 100KM/h and I usually go 117KM/h. Around here cops really only start pulling you over at 120KM/h. One thing I do is if I am speeding and I go by a police car, unless they flash their lights to tell me to slow down or whatever I do not slow down at all. By slowing down it makes me look guilty and cops will be more likely to pull you over.

    Anyways, you seem like you panic too much. Quit being so scared around cops. If they are going to pull over they are gonna do it. Don't start driving super slow because a cop is nearby. It looks suspicious. And by the time you see the cops they have your speed already so slowing down wont change anything.
     
  7. wiby645

    wiby645 Minimodder

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    if you were speeding and the cops follow you, they will pull you over. sometimes they will drive behind you and check stuff like, seat belt, on the phone, indicators, inconsistant driving (because they cant stop you for no reason) if you did anything wrong they will pull you over just to make checks.
    it sounds like your ok, just gotta wait 14days and hope you dont get a letter
     
  8. Matticus

    Matticus ...

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    Seems like you had a lucky escape.

    As far as I know, if its a big van with the camera running it will say on it and its pretty obvious it is that type of van, and the camera is at the rear, you will get a ticket in the post. Speed camera = ticket in the post. Police pull you over = ticket on the spot.

    If its a smaller van then the likely hood is that they were sitting waiting for someone. I would guess the reason they followed you was because you acted a bit strangely, but didn't pull you over because they were already doing something and you ticked all the right boxes, seatbelt on, car in good condition, registration checked out. And you weren't going dangerously fast for the road conditions.

    If you saw them on the way back, then I guess my suggestion about them waiting for someone could be right. They know/think a certain person or group of persons are likely to be coming through the area.

    I bet the police get a lot of people who were going a bit too fast and then slow down a lot out of nervousness, they probably put you down as one of these people.
     
  9. DarkLord7854

    DarkLord7854 What's a Dremel?

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    Took me a few minutes to realize you were going kph and not mph :p

    Not sure what it's like across the pond but over here, if you don't get pulled over, you're in the clear. Sometimes cops won't pull you over and just tailgate you forever (happens on a nearly daily basis to me) and try to scare you into doing something.

    Usually if they follow you it's because they didn't catch you speeding with the device but they eyeball'ed you going over the limit and thus follow you in the hopes you'll do it again when they're ready to record you.


    Btw.. though it's against the law, everyone speeds once in a while, it happens, we're all human after all, and those who say they don't, well, good for you Pinocchio :lol:
     
  10. Altron

    Altron Minimodder

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    I had a similar experience last week. I have to drive this terrible 1-mile long road. There's never any other cars, but there's about a dozen traffic lights, and they're not synchronized, so there have been times when I was stopped at every one of them and it took like 20 minutes. Speed limit is 25.

    Few days ago, I was driving doing about 30. The light directly in front of me turned yellow, but the next two after it were still green. I knew that if I stopped, then I'd end up getting stuck at all three, because they like to time it so that as soon as the light you're at turns green, the one in front of you turns red. So I drop the hammer and end up going through the light at around 40mph. It turned red the second I crossed the line into the intersection.

    Well, there's a cop sitting on the road I just crossed, waiting for the light to turn green. Once it's green, he pulls out, and is driving right behind me. I was soooo freaked out because I thought I would get a ticket for 40 in a 25 and for running a red light. But then, the first main road we got to about 1/4th of a mile later, he turned off, and then I saw another cop go the same way, so something must of been going on.

    This was in Camden, NJ aka "The most dangerous city in the US"

    I guess, lucky for me, I looked reputable. No burnt out bulbs, up-to-date insurance, registration, and inspection, no tints on the car or blue lights or any of that crap, and there were like no other cars so I guess the cop had more important stuff to do. Like maybe try to prevent Camden from having the highest murder rate in the country.
     
  11. sui_winbolo

    sui_winbolo Giraffe_City

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    Lmao. I'll share my experiences of getting near tickets.

    I usually do about 5 over, going 30MPH, when it's 25MPH around town, normally cops will only pull you over if you're doing 10MPH over, or you are speeding in a school zone.

    Well I guess my speedometer is a little off. My mom works as dispatcher in the Sheriff's Office, so one of the cops said they saw me doing 33MPH and they would have pulled me over if I was doing any faster.

    Next day I was going to take pictures of my car near the lake, well I was cruising a little fast since the pickup in front of me was doing like 65-70 in a 55. So I was doing roughly 63 or so and I see the pickup get on his brakes, I'm thinking what he's slowing down for? Sure enough, a cop. Next day I heard from my mom again. :rolleyes:

    So now I pay attention to my speed and do the speed limit according to my speedometer.
     
  12. D3s3rt_F0x

    D3s3rt_F0x What's a Dremel?

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    Don't worry you won't get anything for doing 75 in a 70 anyway
     
  13. Krikkit

    Krikkit All glory to the hypnotoad! Super Moderator

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    Accidents happen? Free will? Part of your driving test is to assess the condition of the road and the suitability of your speed for it. On a road like that I'd probably be doing 35-40 (depending on how busy it was of course).

    I could show you a few stretches of road where the speed limit is quite a bit lower than what you'd think safe when it's dead quiet and dry.

    The holier-than-thou attitude doesn't always work because everyone has broken a speed limit.
     
  14. Cookie Monster

    Cookie Monster Multimodder

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    :D I have never broke the speed limit, :( because I can't drive.

    I've no doubt there are 100's of roads in the UK where the limit is way too slow. I guess my thinking (being a non-driver) is that theres a limit why go above it. I'm sure that if / when I learn to drive I would also speed as ^^^ he said

     
  15. smc8788

    smc8788 Multimodder

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    Although from the sounds of it he was on a single carriageway road, where the national speed limit (designated by the black stripe on a white background) is 60, not 70 (as on dual carriageways).
     
  16. kempez

    kempez modding again!

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    Agreed and on the opposite side of the argument there are roads around me where it should quite obviously be less!

    The van-type speed traps often issue tickets in the post I'm afraid, so you may receive a nasty letter, or you may not.
     
  17. will.

    will. A motorbike of jealousy!

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    I think I was just being a little nuts last night, after some sleep I think most of you are right. They were just following me to make sure they had made their point. There wasn't a camera, and if there was a hand held gun, it wasn't pointed at me. If they were going to give me a ticket, they had all the opportunity to pull me over. Besides, there are motorbikes in the area doing far greater speeds than I ever got up to.

    Near where I live there is a school road which is rightfully 20mph, but all along that road where the turnings all lead into a housing estate where all the kids actually live and play on the street, the speed limit is back up to 30mph. Stupid.
     
  18. crosshair

    crosshair It's life Jim but not as we know it

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    Mobile speed cameras MUST display "safety camera partnership" and the familiar logo to all road users. They are also big pieces of equipment that require an officer to be sitting in the back to operate them. If both officers were sitting in the front seats, then it's unlikely there'll be a third in the back.
    The back doors and any side doors will have blacked out windows with a small portal, that MUST be open for detection to work. Or the doors themselves MUST be open. No detection can be done thru' the front windows or windscreen. If your speed were taken by a laser gun, then there would be no recorded video footage, and they would have to chase you down. And VASCAR doesn't work unless both vehicles are moving.
    The only other possibility is ANPR, which would explain why they moved off to follow you, as they didn't get all the information when you passed them.
    Chances are you're in the clear.
    If you want to worry, then you only need do so for 14 days, (plus the speed of the postal service). After that, there's not a damn thing they can do about it.
     
  19. julianmartin

    julianmartin resident cyborg.

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    wouldn't worry too much...normally those vans camped out with their mates in cars/bikes round the corner are to get people with no insurance etc. the camera checks the plates and then the guys a bit further up get notified if an offender is approaching. as to why the followed you...not a clue...

    i reckon you're alright.
     
  20. crosshair

    crosshair It's life Jim but not as we know it

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    Err, ANPR(Automatic Number Plate Recognition). That's what I said, isn't it?
     

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