Bears with Hairdryers

Wing Walker

I was on my way a village and there was a squad car parked up on the other side of the road. This was just after you go from an 80 into a 60 zone (make sense?). I noticed that he had the speedgun out the window and that's when I noticed I was still doing close to 80 but well inside the 60 zone. Cruising by him and he was staring me out of it. There was a cop on my side of the road who was writing up a ticket for a car he pulled over.

The question for you folks is, if they don't pull you over there and then, is it likely that you'll receive a 2 points for speeding notice in the post?

_Kaiser_

As I understand it, most of their new cameras are capable of producing a printout after the fact so yea, they could very well send you a letter in a few weeks

Has anyone ever tried to challenge these cynical, purely revenue-oriented speedtraps?

(Oh and love the title.. Reminds me of the opening scene in Convoy for some reason )

el tel

Bear...with hairdryer
or ?

NeMiSiS

The picture with the Garda really sums it up, nice stretch of clear road, two lane either dual carraige way or Motorway, shooting fish in a barrell.
TK

smiling_time

i believe the speed traps are put in places where it is easy for them to keep their numbers up. however these traps are not being placed on the more dangerous roads. bit of a joke

smashey

The local press here in Donegal, reported this week, that the Gardai were operating covertly now in an unmarked van with a camera at the rear window. The Superintendent said that they no longer have to pull somebody over to issue a ticket.

gstonesmx5

there were two check on the n11/m11 last tuesday one at glen of the downs where you turn on from delgany and another under the on ramp from shankill.
that is mabey max 3miles between them and it was 06:30 whats the point if its not financial gain and number collecting on the second last day of the month and they were not there prior to that that month.

its baffeling sometimes.

Atomic Pineapple

Wing Walker wrote:

I was on my way a village and there was a squad car parked up on the other side of the road. This was just after you go from an 80 into a 60 zone (make sense?). I noticed that he had the speedgun out the window and that's when I noticed I was still doing close to 80 but well inside the 60 zone. Cruising by him and he was staring me out of it. There was a cop on my side of the road who was writing up a ticket for a car he pulled over.

The question for you folks is, if they don't pull you over there and then, is it likely that you'll receive a 2 points for speeding notice in the post?

If they were pulling in cars its likely that they needed to pull you in to take your details, i thought that most of there new speed traps had to print out a picture for legal reasons but it seems to be only the cameras set up on tripods that print out pictures, i'd bet you got away with it

Victor

NeMiSiS wrote:

The picture with the Garda really sums it up, nice stretch of clear road, two lane either dual carraige way or Motorway, shooting fish in a barrell.

Or a two lane road with some looper overtaking.

jimmycrackcorm

smashey wrote:

The local press here in Donegal, reported this week, that the Gardai were operating covertly now in an unmarked van with a camera at the rear window. The Superintendent said that they no longer have to pull somebody over to issue a ticket.

you mean operating like in the rest of the country. I think the point about catching people in 50-80 zones or on good road stretches is to make people more aware of their speeding. If they only stuck to dangerous stretches then they would need to be present permanently on those stretches.

Personally I stick the the limits now because I saw lots of traps on the long straight outside carrickmacross and just got used to it.

mike65

(boring Mod mode) Best not to break the limit I find. (boring Mod mode)

Mike.

smashey

mike65 wrote:

(boring Mod mode) Best not to break the limit I find. (boring Mod mode)

Mike.

Sounds like me. You never know what is around the corner.

Seth Brundle

Kaiser2000 wrote:

As I understand it, most of their new cameras are capable of producing a printout after the fact so yea, they could very well send you a letter in a few weeks

There are two areas in the country with these - louth/meath and portlaoise, and not all traps in these areas have these - like the rest of the country the garda must pull you over to inform you of your crime!

Kaiser2000 wrote:

Has anyone ever tried to challenge these cynical, purely revenue-oriented speedtraps?

I used to but don't think anymore that these are revenue focused (unlike in the UK where it has been confirmed that they are). They are statistical-orientated speedtraps designed to make the gardai look good (and the Minister of Justice come election time).

smashey wrote:

The local press here in Donegal, reported this week, that the Gardai were operating covertly now in an unmarked van with a camera at the rear window. The Superintendent said that they no longer have to pull somebody over to issue a ticket.

These have been floating the country around for ages.

Victor wrote:

Or a two lane road with some looper overtaking.

The far side does not appear to have a hard shoulder like the side the garda is on so I suspect that it is fact a dual carriageway.

_Kaiser_

kbannon wrote:

There are two areas in the country with these - louth/meath and portlaoise, and not all traps in these areas have these - like the rest of the country the garda must pull you over to inform you of your crime!

How current is that info do you know, cause as I mentioned in another thread, there's been a cop on a bike camped out under the bridge just after the Damastown turnoff on the N3 the last week or two with what looks like a small digital camcorder. I assume then if he doesn't pull you in then you're fine?

Second question would be is there leeway in it as a general rule? (eg: 5/10kph in a 100 zone you'd be ok with, but 120 or more would get you done?).

Seth Brundle

I heard it from a garda friend recently. However, things could have been bought in the meantime.

As for garda discretion - thats up to the garda and how he feels on the day. In theory anything over even just 0.5km/h is punishable.

FX Meister

My mother got stopped on the Ballymun road last week doing 68 in a 50 zone. He showed her the speed and then let her off with a warning. Guess he felt sorry for an auld one just not heeding her speed.

Seth Brundle

kbannon wrote:

I heard it from a garda friend recently. However, things could have been bought in the meantime.

Just to add to my previous comment - I hope they haven't got more of these - came across a speed trap near Kildare on the M7 today when I was [ahem] 'slightly' over the limit!

_Kaiser_

kbannon wrote:

Just to add to my previous comment - I hope they haven't got more of these - came across a speed trap near Kildare on the M7 today when I was [ahem] 'slightly' over the limit!

How can you tell them - the cameras - apart (or can you?).. as I mentioned the cop I saw had what looked like a small handheld digital camcorder. Are the older ones bigger?

Atomic Pineapple

Kaiser2000 wrote:

How can you tell them - the cameras - apart (or can you?).. as I mentioned the cop I saw had what looked like a small handheld digital camcorder. Are the older ones bigger?

When I was stopped it was a handheld device that was a bit like a bulky angular shaped hair dryer, it just had the read out of the speed i was doing, looking through websites about them the ones that dont require the garda to stop you seem to look more camcorder like.

makes me wanna buy a "parking sensor" for my car......

http://www.belradardirect.co.uk/laser-pro-park.htm

Victor

draffodx wrote:

makes me wanna buy a "parking sensor" for my car......
http://www.belradardirect.co.uk/laser-pro-park.htm

Not a whole lot of use, by the time it detects the laser, you've been done.

Mr Magnolia

Wing Walker wrote:

The question for you folks is, if they don't pull you over there and then, is it likely that you'll receive a 2 points for speeding notice in the post?

No, he'd would have pulled you there and then, and, AFAIK, they can only take your picture from behind, not face-on

RiderOnTheStorm

getting back to orig question, no. The gardai will not / cannot give points / fine if they do not stop you..... thats if they are using a speed gun. You can get points / fine if you are spotted by a speed camera, because that takes a picture. the speed gun just registers speed and the guard has to then stop you. it should be a failsafe system, as they stop you there and then and there is no arguement as to who was driving at the time, etc. But as we know (from this fourm and elsewhere) there is nothing to stop a few of 'them' from clocking a fast car, and then using the same readout to say you were doing that speed (no date-timestamp, no pic, etc on the gun)

oh... and if they were stopping cars by using a speed gun, then wont have a camera also (minister for justice's budget wont stretch to that!) so I reckon you are safe... this time!

Atomic Pineapple

Victor wrote:

Not a whole lot of use, by the time it detects the laser, you've been done.

its not a radar detecter, it blocks the radar from getting a signal, not fully legal here though still if i could afford one i'd get it

Victor

draffodx wrote:

not fully legal here

You mean its fully illegal then.

Atomic Pineapple

Victor wrote:

You mean its fully illegal then.

hehe indeed it is.