Speed trap detection

Hi,

After a hiatus from driving for many years while I was living in london I now find myself outside "the big smoke" once again. As we have no public transport of any signficance outside of the cities in this retarded country then I have had to buy a car in order to get around at my convenience. Much to my dismay the last ten years have seen an explosion in the proliferation of speed traps for no good reason other than as cash machines for the law enforcement agencies. Even long straight country roads seem to be arbitrarily limited to 40 mph for vast stretches, for what I assume is no less than aiding and abetting cash collection by said speed traps. I dont generally drive fast and almost always stick to the limits however with the best will in the world its possible for the speed to creep up a bit and the next thing you know you have three points on your license and a fine. It hasnt happened to me but I know others it has happened to, without any particular intention of speeding. So having something in the car that beeps to remind you if it detects or has knowledge of speed traps might be a very shrewd investment. So my question is - are the existing devices such as snooper and road angel any good and has anyone tried them?

Nick

 

Just use your eyes. Speed cameras always have a helpful warning sign just before them.

 

Only if they are fixed. It would also be nice to know which cameras are active - not all of them are (alledgedly).

 

Even the mobile sites all have signs, I think. If you see a sign, just watch the lay-bys and check bridges up ahead for parked Transit-style vans with large, dark side windows. Usually, obviously, there's nothing. If you aren't a fast driver, your chances of getting nicked are pretty low.

 

Perhaps I am just paranoid at the change - but I seem to know a lot of people that got nicked at 35 mph through a lapse of concentration. Not on motorways or dual carriage ways obviously.

 

just don;t break the speed limit. job done.

 

Sometimes you just kinda drift into it

Plus it would be nice to give the old jag a bit of a thrash sometimes without having the pesky nanny state interfere.

 

I am one of the 50,000 caught by the speed trap in Chideock(Dorset)due to an illegally positioned camera I should get my fine back and 3 points off my license.Imagine having to refund 10 years of speeding fines,my offence was in 2003 and the dodgy speed trap was operational from 1999 to 2007.

 

Chaps

I drove a 35 mile journey this morning, 10 miles of A road and 25 miles of Motorway.

I passed two camera vans. So they are everywhere.

The message is simple, only fools or chancers break speed limits, so keep your speed within limits and this becomes a non issue.

It is hardly rocket science.

Regards

Mick

 

I know someone with a Road Angel. Swears by it. It is an expensive system but once you are maxed out on P points, its worth it.

And it is easy to let your speed drift over the limit. I drive over 25,000 miles/year and have developed a sixth sense for camera vans, signs, infrastructure, vans on bridges, rear view and so on. Whilst I may sometimes do 80, I never use my phone on the move since the law changed and with my own take on the law, I am very responsible around town.

 

yeah...however, there aren't any speed camera in county durham (where I live) - except for the odd mobile one (I've only seen a couple) - but over my 80 mile daily roundtrip to newcastle - there is one fixed speed camera (50mph) so it's not really an issue for me...

 

I'm all in favour of them in accident black spots or built up areas, but elsewhere it's blatant revenue collection.

They're bloody everywhere in Dorset, as Smithy knows, and you see some of them in really sneaky places. I used to travel on the A37 between Yeovil and Dorchester and they're ever so fond of lurking in the dip between steep hills where it's easy for people to inadvertently drift over the limit as they go down the hill. It's got bugger all to do with accident risk as the visibility is excellent. I've even seen one at the top of the hill with the sun behind them so that you'd have no chance of seeing them. Bastards.

I tend to drive like a granny most of the time now anyway, never being in much of a hurry, but I still object to those arseholes pretending to be protecting us all from speeders whilst piling up the takings. By the number of complete bloody lunatics I see racing around they're clearly not very effective at catching the really dangerous drivers.

 

Unusuałlly i'm in agreement with Td here.

I took the advanced course some years ago, althoiugh I flunked the exam, I don't miss a speed limit now.

Not being funny, its road craft, reading the road.



(i'm off electronic gadgets after a recent experince. I wouldn't use for this. use your eyes)

 

I gree with you sentiments exactly concerning many limits.

Highly pC vote catching/revnue collecting.

I've lost a degree of respect for the cops now. When I started out I had nothing but praise for them.



( my IAM instructor said pretty much the same thing btw)

 

choice of vehicle

I used to driive my dads old audi coupe.

I came out of an (job)interview once , coiughed on the gas a bit too hard comign roiund a corner, and the copper had me.

Mr transit connect doesn't have quite the same issues.

 

Unless each was 17.5 miles long, they are/were not "everywhere", Mick. You really ought to think about trading up to the Telegraph.

Regards,

 

Bub

You are getting pendantic in your old age.

 

I've always been pedantic.

It struck me as a Mailism. It's a nightmare, we are all going to hell in a handcart, if Brussels can impose this then what next, etc.

Regards

 

Bub

I enjoy reading about people getting done for speeding because:-

1. Anyone who speeds in this day and age is too dim to drive a car, so I feel safer with them off the road.

2. They get fined which means that HMG coffers get filled.

3. They don't drive so the roads are less congested which is better for us.

4. Their cars get used less, so less pollution.

5. They help keep taxi drivers in a job.

It seems all jolly good to me.

Regards

Mick

 

Until local plod nicks you.