pritesh Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Hello all, Question (to which im hoping someone can give me some info): driving back from the west midlands today on the M40 near the Oxford exit I saw in the distance a Speed Camera Van sitting on the bridge above the M40. Naturally I took my foot off the loud pedal and sat at a steady national speed limit, I cant say to be honest how far ahead I spotted the van, but it was at least 500 meters away as by the time my road angel went of (set up for 500M) I was doing the national speed limit. How much flexibility is one allowed on the national speed limit (if any)? My query is: what is the range on these types of Vans and how do they actually work? Surly in order to measure the speed of the car, it would have to use some sort of laser or something? and my Road Angel didn't go off at all for Laser detection (which does actually work). Any thoughts on the matter? Thanks P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edo Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Cant answer the range question, I think some just use video, but there is also a chance it was just ANPR too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pritesh Posted April 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Cant answer the range question, I think some just use video, but there is also a chance it was just ANPR too. Interesting, however the van was positioned such that the camera it was aimed directly at the outside lane of the motorway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark_90 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Generally the range is about 1 mile. Some of the newer stuff can see for 2 miles, so it doesn't matter where you think the camera was pointing, because it can see for so far the perception of the angles won't make a difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pritesh Posted April 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Generally the range is about 1 mile. Some of the newer stuff can see for 2 miles, so it doesn't matter where you think the camera was pointing, because it can see for so far the perception of the angles won't make a difference. crap...so looks like a NIP is likely to be on its way then! :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
byron13 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 I got one of these last summer on the M4 428M 94mph 3 points. Very clear picture so suspect they can go further than that. My fault as my Road Angel had been beeping like crazy for a while about mobile cameras but stupidly I did not think of the bridges and was slow to see the white van parked on the opposite side of the bridge to my lane!!! Empty road, middle lane!!!! Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedywheels Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 Depends what speed you were doing - anything less than indicated 80mph on your speedo and you'll probably be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shark_90 Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 crap...so looks like a NIP is likely to be on its way then! :-( Your two week wait starts now unfortunately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza_g Posted April 22, 2009 Report Share Posted April 22, 2009 but it was at least 500 meters away as by the time my road angel went of (set up for 500M) I was doing the national speed limit. Potentially bad news I'm afraid, I've sat in a camera van with an officer to be shown how they work - they are precise enough to get a reading by lasering your number plate (takes less than half a second of havinig the laser on) and not setting off your Road Angel. Then if the officer is feeling like messing he can aim it at the road angel in your windscreen to set it off.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Then if the officer is feeling like messing he can aim it at the road angel in your windscreen to set it off.... Cruel. Gotcha, but just to feck about for fun, I'll make you think you got away with it, by zapping your Road Angel Git! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza_g Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Yup, I was really shocked how accurately they could aim the beam at your car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarmac_Terrorist Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Best not to think about it too much. Twice previously I thought I'd been caught for sure. Once was a steady 90 on the A3 and another was about 62 in a 50 limit and I was still accellerating to beat the lights (not seeing the camera van in the central reservation next to the lights. Got nothing for either of these. Obviously speedo's generallu over read by about 10% so perhaps I was just within their tollerance margins. What speed do you think you were doing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1MAC Posted April 23, 2009 Report Share Posted April 23, 2009 Depends what speed you were doing - anything less than indicated 80mph on your speedo and you'll probably be ok. Might even be a bit more than that, depending on which force it was. As already suggested, it could easily have been ANPR as well. I was in this position a few weeks ago but nothing came of it, even though I was reasonably convinced otherwise. I can only guess it was ANPR or the threshold was fairly high that day (which would have been surprising given where it was). I guess it's just a case of slightly squeaky bum time & get on with things - can't do anything to change it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted April 24, 2009 Report Share Posted April 24, 2009 Obviously speedo's generallu over read by about 10% so perhaps I was just within their tollerance margins.What speed do you think you were doing? Not in my A8 it didnt. I was cruising at an indicated 82, past a fixed Fatso camera. Flash, flash and I got a ticket stating I was doing 82 in an NSL. :mad:. Which does equate to the 70mph + 10% + 5 mph theory. So be careful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bullett Posted April 24, 2009 Report Share Posted April 24, 2009 That's harsh. I though I'd been got by a mobile about a year ago. Heading down to Cornwall I'd been following a VX220 Turbo and he'd got away on the previous dualy. Was nudging an indicated very dodgy speed, just stood on the brakes and pootled past. Never got anything and drove like a granny for the next 2 weeks. I was alot further back than 500m though when I spotted him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonC Posted April 24, 2009 Report Share Posted April 24, 2009 Having read this thread, I'm convinced that there's nothing tangent to decipher whether someone's going to get caught or not, as some seem get away with it and others get collared. I guess you either lucky or not. I myself, flew past a scamera van on the A9 heading north to to the Highlands at at least 80mph before I anchored up. The NSL on that road is a measily 60 and thankfully, I didn't get done for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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