Camera Van....did I escape it?

merlin · 27 Jan 2006 at 10:07

I drove 660 miles yesterday, did quite well at spotting the camera vans/gatso's/unmarked police cars etc apart from one that took me by surprise...

Tranny van, unmarked on a bridge - little smoked glass window on the side and also three cameras on tripods looking down onto the 3 motorway lanes. I guess the van was to catch evil speeders and the camera things on tripods are checking tax/insurance etc yeah?

Anyway, I saw the van pretty much instantly, hit the brakes to get down from 81/82 to low 70's and then hid behind a truck

I reckon he got clear sight of me for less than half a second. How long would it take him to get me in his sights and press the trigger?

vanpeebles · 27 Jan 2006 at 10:09

sounds like airwolf

Nozzer · 27 Jan 2006 at 10:16

Isn't that ANPR as opposed to money grabbers?

thebrasso · 27 Jan 2006 at 10:16

I think you should be ok, considering you weren't massively over the limit anyway and you hit the brakes. Only time will tell I guess.

merlin · 27 Jan 2006 at 10:20

Nozzer said:
Isn't that ANPR as opposed to money grabbers?

Not sure, I was thinking it was both because of the smoked glass window.

There was no warning signs before the van, and no markings on the van itself - nothing at all.

thebrasso · 27 Jan 2006 at 10:24

Was it in a designated speed check area? Don't know where you were, but you could check via BBC local pages and usually in the travel bit there is a link for fixed and portable camera locations.

eidolon · 27 Jan 2006 at 10:32

It does sound like the tax disc cameras rather than speed cameras. If you were doing an indicated 81/82 then I wouldn't worry anyway.

Lowe · 27 Jan 2006 at 10:51

Sounds like ANPR yeah. 82 indicated isn't anything to worry about if you ask me, especially after seeing how innacurate speedos are compared to GPS.

Just for reference though, they only need to zap you for 0.3 seconds to get a reading that's good enough for prosecution...

theboyrob · 27 Jan 2006 at 11:56

oyu dunno what car you drive man, but the speedo on the focus is way out, about 7 mph at 70. In that case if i was doing 81 i would actually be doing about 74

rG-tom · 27 Jan 2006 at 12:48

i'd guess that on something like the Teg DC5 the speedo won't be THAT far out? Couple of mph at most at that speed?

Tom.

geiger · 27 Jan 2006 at 13:16

If it was Laser they'd have got you but at that speed I dont think they'd do you and if its anything else your ok

bandit · 27 Jan 2006 at 16:22

these cameras are usually for tax/insurance, and traffic flow.

the sytems count the number of cars per lane per hour...

Morba · 27 Jan 2006 at 16:31

waiting to see if i have any post this coming week.
saw a van on a bridge that i know is normally there but wasnt thinking, got down to 75 indicated and was hopefully hidden by the car in front while i was over 80 :/