Gasto Vans (not a happy Camper)

tunney · 19-12-2003 3:07pm

Are you for real? You honestly think that the sole purpose of speed traps is do generate revenue? Are you really that ignorant and self centered?

an_taoiseach · 19-12-2003 3:24pm

Its probably an offence to post that piccy

BTW Garda Gatso vans are also available in GREEN IIRC

And please would you all understand that 'Driver Error' is responsible for over five times as many "accidents" as 'speed' is ?

What is more this 'speed' may not involve breaking the speed limit but just be inappropriate speed for the road conditions at the time.

Stay alert = reduce accidents. Stay alert + spot the Gatso van = reduce accidents & save money.

Here are a few piccys of a UK Tallivan ( you all seem to call them Gatso vans )

http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/readers/tax1.jpg

http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/readers/tax2.jpg

http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/readers/tax3.jpg

An T

seamus · 19-12-2003 3:41pm

Originally posted by tunney
Are you for real? You honestly think that the sole purpose of speed traps is do generate revenue? Are you really that ignorant and self centered?

Not the sole purpose, but certainly a primary purpose.

There's a reason why they place themselves mainly on long, straight, wide roads - cos that's where the most traffic is. The roads they choose tend to be places where fatal accidents aren't common, but drivers commonly edge over the limit.

If the Gardai weren't interested in speed traps as a means of generating revenue, most of them would be on backroads in Cork, Donegal and Kerry, notorious for serious accidents and dangerous driving.

And please would you all understand that 'Driver Error' is responsible for over five times as many "accidents" as 'speed' is ?

What is more this 'speed' may not involve breaking the speed limit but just be inappropriate speed for the road conditions at the time.

Yep. Bit like the whole "Guns don't kill people, people kill people" thing. Quite a lot of the time, it can be safer to drive at 40mph in the heart of Dublin City, or 110mph on a motorway than it is to do 45mph on a country road, where 60mph is the limit.

tunney · 19-12-2003 4:02pm

You really have your head up your hole. 110 on an irish road?

I think we'll have to agree to disagree, you go on speeding and justifing it to people. I suppose yuo think you're a great driver adn it will never happen to you?

seamus · 19-12-2003 4:05pm

Originally posted by tunney
You really have your head up your hole. 110 on an irish road?

I think we'll have to agree to disagree, you go on speeding and justifing it to people. I suppose yuo think you're a great driver adn it will never happen to you?

I'm not justifying anything. I'd never do 110 on a motorway, even if my bike was capable of it.

I picked that speed arbitrarily. My point is valid. Dispute it.

tunney · 19-12-2003 4:11pm

40 mph in the heart of dublin city is never valid. The statistics for vunerable road users death rates at various speeds show just how devasting that extra 10mph is to others. It increases the chances of dying from I think its 50% to 9x%. Given the high concentration of vunerable road users in dublin 40mph is a no no.

I do accept the point that 45mph is too much in some places, conditions depending, on country roads. But one good point out of three doesn't make your argument valid.

seamus · 19-12-2003 4:25pm

Originally posted by tunney
40 mph in the heart of dublin city is never valid. The statistics for vunerable road users death rates at various speeds show just how devasting that extra 10mph is to others. It increases the chances of dying from I think its 50% to 9x%. Given the high concentration of vunerable road users in dublin 40mph is a no no.

I do accept the point that 45mph is too much in some places, conditions depending, on country roads. But one good point out of three doesn't make your argument valid.

I only made one point.

Whether a speed is safe at position x is obviously a debatable matter. But you have to agree with me that regardless of your opinion on it, "it can be safer to drive at 40mph in the heart of Dublin City, than it is to do 45mph on a country road, where 60mph is the limit.", which reverts to the original argument to do with that point - Revenue generation is a primary reason for speed traps.

tunney · 19-12-2003 4:48pm

Change the speeds to 30 and 35mph and I'll agree but I am firmly of the opinion that 40mph is never safe in dublin city centre and I do not *have* to agree with you regardless of my opinion,

especially when I think you are wrong.

seamus · 19-12-2003 4:55pm

Heh, have to agree to disagree then

Now, on to the traffic...

RicardoSmith · 19-12-2003 5:25pm

Speed traps are a token jesture to the public perception of the garda combating speeding on Irish roads. In my own area I can give you 5 roads off the top of my head where 90% of the cars are above the speed limit. (Main road in the phoenix park for example) Its s rare to see a speed trap. On my current commute (a 100 mile round trip that takes in about 15 miles of the M50), in 3 months I haven't seen a single speed trap. I'd love to see some statistics of speed trap locations, vs accident hotspots. I doubt they'd collate. In my local area the residents have asked for some response to excessive speeding (60-70+) in our estate, but in 2 years we yet to see a speed trap. I did get done for speeding myself, about 2 years ago, caught off guard by an unexpected 30 mile zone on an unfamilar road after a long drive back from Galway to Dublin. No excuses. Fair cop. I was just lazy slowing down from 50. Once in over 15 yrs isn't too bad I reckon. I think he clocked me at 39 or 40. Its not that there are double standards, there just aren't any consistent standards. Aysmal signage doesn't help either.

the evil belly · 19-12-2003 5:44pm

Originally posted by seamus
If the Gardai weren't interested in speed traps as a means of generating revenue, most of them would be on backroads in Cork, Donegal and Kerry, notorious for serious accidents and dangerous driving.

it can be safer to drive at 40mph in the heart of Dublin City, or 110mph on a motorway than it is to do 45mph on a country road, where 60mph is the limit.

i totally agree with you. i drive the shiity little back roads in cork daily and you'd want to be oof your head to do 60 on then despite being legally allowed to. you're much less likely to be killed a few mph over the limit on a nice big motorway

Originally posted by tunney
40 mph in the heart of dublin city is never valid.

what about the parts of dublin that have 40mph speed limits?

ando · 19-12-2003 6:18pm

Originally posted by an_taoiseach
Its probably an offence to post that piccy

How so, I took the pic with my camera.. I own the picture

BTW, it was the N2 inbound just after where it meets the m50

leonlafrite · 19-12-2003 6:47pm

On thing with that type of speed trap , is that the guy driving on the left "slow lane" (maybe 5-10 mph over the limit) is being flashed, but the idiot doing 70 in his big 03 BMW which forced you off that same left lane wont...
See what I mean.

RicardoSmith · 19-12-2003 6:54pm

Originally posted by ando
How so, I took the pic with my camera.. I own the picture

BTW, it was the N2 inbound just after where it meets the m50

Not the copyright. What the picture is of. Thats why that site that used to have all the garda info on it was taken down.

Silvera · 19-12-2003 9:35pm

sceptre,

The Gatso van is usually parked off the southbound lanes just passed An Post SDS - opposite Joels Restaurant (i.e. - going FROM the Red Cow roundabout TOWARDS Newlands Cross. Bewleys is the other side of newlands i.e. going northbound).

Ricardo Smith,

Is this the website you are referring to Speed Traps in Ireland - http://www.speedtraps.ie.nu/
If so, it's still online.

In Australia, mobile speed traps are ADVERTISED EACH MORNING ON THE RADIO i.e. they are only used to slow drivers down - not to trap/collect money from motorists.

N.B. - I do not condone speeding, far from it. But I believe we should operate a fairer, well balanced system than we currently have.

Seth Brundle · 19-12-2003 10:45pm

Originally posted by leonlafrite
On thing with that type of speed trap , is that the guy driving on the left "slow lane" (maybe 5-10 mph over the limit) is being flashed, but the idiot doing 70 in his big 03 BMW which forced you off that same left lane wont...
See what I mean.

no!

Seth Brundle · 19-12-2003 10:53pm

Originally posted by an_taoiseach
Its probably an offence to post that piccy
<SNIP>
An T

Why?
a) is it not better that people know thre are devices out there that can catch them?
b) the information is already in the public domain
c) prove that it is in fact a gatso van / mobile money maker!

RicardoSmith · 19-12-2003 11:06pm

Originally posted by Silvera
[B...Is this the website you are referring to Speed Traps in Ireland - http://www.speedtraps.ie.nu/
If so, it's still online.
... [/B]

Its not working for me. Yeah I though ihe used to list the unmarked cars vans tec and had to take them down. I can't remember why exactly.

Silvera · 20-12-2003 1:34am

Does this link work for anybody else ?

http://www.speedtraps.ie.nu/

Our man in Havana · 20-12-2003 10:45am

Originally posted by Silvera
Does this link work for anybody else ?

http://www.speedtraps.ie.nu/

Works fine here.

ZENER · 20-12-2003 1:29pm

And here too !!

Tinky

RicardoSmith · 20-12-2003 1:38pm

..its working today for me too..

an_taoiseach · 20-12-2003 5:13pm

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/motorcycle-ireland/message/48718

Date: Fri Dec 19, 2003 2:44 pm
Subject: Re: [motorcycle-ireland] Re: O/T Turkey Shoot

Speaking of points. Got stopped today for doing wait for it 42mph in a 40
zone. The Garda told me there was zero tolerance was in force over Christmas.
I told him that my speedo was in Km/hr and that I thought I was going just
under the limit and that I thought we were allowed 10% lee way so any error
margins in equipment could be accounted for. Sound bloke (yes he let me away
with it ) but he had told me that he had done a taxi driver for being 2 miles
over the limit in a 30 zone.

So keep a close eye on your clocks over the hol.s

J.

This kind warning is thanks to

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/motorcycle-ireland/

An T

Seth Brundle · 20-12-2003 8:28pm

and the gardai often wonder why the public are reluctant in helping them?!?!?
That garda is being a prick! Fair enough, the limit is x and in theory people should not be doing x + y but when y is 2mph???? :mad:
There are far more things out there worthy of this garda's time (e.g. other crimes) but naturally they won't be dealt with!

Silent Bob · 21-12-2003 12:49pm

Originally posted by tunney
I am firmly of the opinion that 40mph is never safe in dublin city centre and I do not *have* to agree with you regardless of my opinion, especially when I think you are wrong.

What if the city centre is devoid of other people and there is just you on your vehicle?

Seems 40mph at times would be a perfectly safe speed...

Never is a very strong word. Respect it, don't abuse it.

BigEejit · 21-12-2003 1:33pm

Originally posted by Silent Bob
What if the city centre is devoid of other people and there is just you on your vehicle?
Seems 40mph at times would be a perfectly safe speed...
Never is a very strong word. Respect it, don't abuse it.

Tunney was obviously trolling ... 40mph in any city centre is not a problem at 5AM on a ordinary Tuesday night ... but on any day of the week 20mph can be dangerous with stupid **** doing the "half jog until, in front of the car and then stroll remainder of distance" thing and idiot cyclists weaving in and out of the cars.....

Back on topic: Luckily there only seems to be one Gatso in/around Cork, I've only seen it twice .... dunno about fixed Gatso's though .... isnt there a sign saying cameras ahead in/around passage? .... I have seen it [edit] when I said "it" I meant the van, not the fixed camera [/edit] 50 meters away from the 40Mph sign on the Macroom side of Ballincollig ... catching all the people who hadnt slowed down before they entered the 40mph zone ... this is a wide road with no turns to speak of, purely a money making exercise

[edit]
When I first saw the vans they had fluorescent (sp?) stripes on both the back doors (lower half of the doors)... I am sure I saw one near Tipp without those stripes in October ... have they all got rid of the stripes?
[/edit]

Our man in Havana · 21-12-2003 1:43pm

The Green transit has the stripes. The white ones havent.

Seth Brundle · 21-12-2003 2:01pm

Originally posted by BigEejit
Back on topic: Luckily there only seems to be one Gatso in/around Cork, I've only seen it twice .... dunno about fixed Gatso's though .... isnt there a sign saying cameras ahead in/around passage? .... I have seen it 50 meters away from the 40Mph sign on the Macroom side of Ballincollig ... catching all the people who hadnt slowed down before they entered the 40mph zone ... this is a wide road with no turns to speak of, purely a money making exercise

Fixed Gatsos are only in the Dublin, Meath & Louth areas as these were (IIRC) supposed to be the highest risk areas.

tunney · 22-12-2003 10:25am

idiot cyclists weaving in and out of the cars....

True from time to time I have been known to do this but 9 times out of 10 its because of the idiot motorists trying to make 2 lanes for themselves where only one is marked and there is only room for one.

Okay I accept that the word "never" should not have been used. I should have said something like "between 7:00 and 22:00".

BigEejit, trying to say that the dangers on the road come from joggers and cyclists is a bit unrealistic. If anything the joggers and cyclists are more aware of what is going on around them than the motorist in their car with the heating on full singing away to their hearts content who is startled by the "idiot cyclist who came out of nowhere". If they are not looking at the road then of course they won't see them.

seamus · 22-12-2003 10:50am

Originally posted by tunney
BigEejit, trying to say that the dangers on the road come from joggers and cyclists is a bit unrealistic. If anything the joggers and cyclists are more aware of what is going on around them than the motorist in their car with the heating on full singing away to their hearts content who is startled by the "idiot cyclist who came out of nowhere". If they are not looking at the road then of course they won't see them.

Agreed, there are plenty of idiot motorists around, I know full well, being a motorcyclist.
In the city centre though, pedestrians are the greatest danger to themselves. This morning for example I saw a girl who would step out on the road, and then look. First she nearly got mowed down by a Garda bike, then she stepped back onto the kerb, and instantly stepped back out in front of a truck. I really hope she doesn't drive a car.
Pedestrians are morons...
Cyclists come in 3 categories, like motorcyclists - Couriers, Wormmeat and then those who drive safely.

Gasto Vans (not a happy Camper)

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