Camera van questions.

[MerBrook]

This morning a friend was heading out of Evesham towards Tewkesbury on a nice straight piece of road and overtook a car, he wasn’t doing a silly speed probably just a little over the limit.
When he was overtaking the car he saw parked a1/4 to 1/2 a mile away on his side of the carriageway a camera van parked up and the rear of the van and the camera facing him.
My friend would like to know wether if the camera takes its photographic evidence, either of the cars driving away from it as a Gasto does or coming towards it as a Truvelo fixed camera does. Also what is the effective range of these cameras.
If anyone knows the answers my friend would be grateful.

[Bottom]

Bad luck for your "friend", unfortunately they work like a Truvelo, rather than a Gatso. If they're still working to the old chief constable guidelines of 10% +2mph of the limit then maybe your friend will be OK?

They're accurate to 2000m or some thing like that, so if you can see one it can see you unfortunately.

I think your friend has 2 weeks to wait for the paperwork if they're the registered keeper of the car in question.

[Darren Slone]

As Bottom has said, if your friend could see the van then it can see him, generally 10% +/- 2 mph although iirc some forces can have Zero tolerance, look on the forces website and the tolerance will be on there, I got caught last year and checked tolerences on the North Yorkshire site

[MerBrook]

Thanks for the replies.
Bottom, that answers the questions a little too well unfortunately. Surprised they work as a Truvelo works, always wondered.
Darren, my friends speed wasn't overly fast so may well come within the 10%+/-2 mph ACPO guidance as you suggest which the West Mercia force appear to operate too.
Once again thanks for your replies.

[buzyg]

I think they have up to 6 months to bring a prosection. However, as said, normally something will arrive within a few weeks, if the got him.

[Number5]

Your (friends) only hope Tim is that the focal spot was aligned to the left carriageway rather than the overtaking side of the road at the point of overtaking.

I went to a talk by a motorcyclist a year or so back and he was explaining that they actually have a trigger to pull which fires 34 pulses of beam in approx 1 second and the gun then takes a random 6 of those 34 to calculate the average speed. . With the hand helds he did say it's a matter of almost "getting a shot in' so if the overtake was not on the calibrated target spot your friend may be ok ....clinging to a little hope

[MerBrook]

Your (friends) only hope Tim is that the focal spot was aligned to the left carriageway rather than the overtaking side of the road at the point of overtaking.

I went to a talk by a motorcyclist a year or so back and he was explaining that they actually have a trigger to pull which fires 34 pulses of beam in approx 1 second and the gun then takes a random 6 of those 34 to calculate the average speed. . With the hand helds he did say it's a matter of almost "getting a shot in' so if the overtake was not on the calibrated target spot your friend may be ok ....clinging to a little hope

Alan, judging by your reply the camera is triggered by a laser beam which is fired at the oncoming car?If this is the case then my friends radar/laser detector didn’t pick up any “laser scatter” .Which would be odd and it was working.
At the end of the day if you get caught it’s tough and not a lot of point worrying. But it’s interesting to find out how these things work.
Thanks

[Jembo]

The Highway Code does state ‘move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking...’

It does not ‘specifically’ state when overtaking it has to be done within the speed limit, just safely.

I mention it as my brother-in law, ex-traffic, pointed this out many years ago.

If you want to fight it, you’ll need to employ Mr. Loophole... Nick Freeman

[patriot66]

I am reliably informed by someone in the Lancashire Constabulary that there about 6 commonly used types of speed camera and the maximum range is approximately 1200m/ 0.75miles, but they rely on line of sight. Not surprisingly they cannot see round bends, over brows or through solid objects or other vehicles
Also, provide you are not going 'stupid' fast then the driver that reacts to the camera van and slows down is less likely to receive a nasty letter in the post

[mr wilks]

I am reliably informed by someone in the Lancashire Constabulary that there about 6 commonly used types of speed camera and the maximum range is approximately 1200m/ 0.75miles, but they rely on line of sight. Not surprisingly they cannot see round bends, over brows or through solid objects or other vehicles
Also, provide you are not going 'stupid' fast then the driver that reacts to the camera van and slows down is less likely to receive a nasty letter in the post

The latest introduction of 8 new camera vans in Lancashire ( May 2018 ) has made it virtually impossible to spot them & hit the brakes as the range has been radically increased , they also operatre both front & rear so catch traffic in both directions & not only speeders , the cameras are equipped to also catch those on phones or without seatbelts , they also come in rather bland colour scheme now so they don't even stand out pity they don't show the same zealous attitude to other criminal activity

[patriot66]

I am reliably informed by someone in the Lancashire Constabulary that there about 6 commonly used types of speed camera and the maximum range is approximately 1200m/ 0.75miles, but they rely on line of sight. Not surprisingly they cannot see round bends, over brows or through solid objects or other vehicles
Also, provide you are not going 'stupid' fast then the driver that reacts to the camera van and slows down is less likely to receive a nasty letter in the post

The latest introduction of 8 new camera vans in Lancashire ( May 2018 ) has made it virtually impossible to spot them & hit the brakes as the range has been radically increased , they also operatre both front & rear so catch traffic in both directions & not only speeders , the cameras are equipped to also catch those on phones or without seatbelts , they also come in rather bland colour scheme now so they don't even stand out pity they don't show the same zealous attitude to other criminal activity

I will be seeing 'someone' later this week and will see what else they are willing to divulge on this subject

[Hunter]

Im just wondering, does a single camera in a van cover more than one lane? If not, which lane is the camera likely to be focused on?

[noiseboy72]

The current vans can only cover one lane, but have the camera and associated laser emitter and receiver mounted on a pan head - so that it can be manually moved quickly from lane to lane.

The favorite spot to sit is on the inside of a fast bend - such that they are difficult to spot until the last minute.

We have some of those local speed recording volunteers in a nearby village. Armed with a police issued speed gun, a clip board and hi viz jacket, they record all those vehicles they adjudge to be entering their village at excessive speed. Their favored spot is a pub car park on the outside of a sweeping bend about 30 metres inside the 30 zone. Now, of course I don't agree with speeding in a village, but these vigilantes are not really helping themselves . I do find therefore that a good place to need to "clear the cobwebs" is by spinning around in the pub car park, disengaging traction control and dumping the clutch at at about 5000 revs... I am quite sure the combination of fumes, noise, dust and shed tyre rubber adds to their day and there's nothing they can do about it, as I won't hit 30 before the limit changes

[Marlon]

. . . I do find therefore that a good place to need to "clear the cobwebs" is by spinning around in the pub car park, disengaging traction control and dumping the clutch at at about 5000 revs... I am quite sure the combination of fumes, noise, dust and shed tyre rubber adds to their day and there's nothing they can do about it, as I won't hit 30 before the limit changes

Forum name's making sense now

[buzyg]

. . . I do find therefore that a good place to need to "clear the cobwebs" is by spinning around in the pub car park, disengaging traction control and dumping the clutch at at about 5000 revs... I am quite sure the combination of fumes, noise, dust and shed tyre rubber adds to their day and there's nothing they can do about it, as I won't hit 30 before the limit changes

Forum name's making sense now