Just been caught..

lukin

..speeding, I am pretty sure. It was on an R road and I was doing 120 kph.
I am only posting about this because of the location of the speed trap which I thought was weird:the garda was in the driveway of a house, just off the road, it was impossible to see him until I was passing him.
He was on his own (he must have parked the car up the driveway).
Is it possible for speed cameras to work in this way? I have only ever seen them positioned where they are pointing straight down a long stretch of road but this one was facing the road at an angle and only covering a few yards of it at the most. My car would have been in it's field of vision for only a second or two.
I am probably clutching at straws here.

L1011

he'd have needed to get your reg plate as well as sufficient lock to get your speed - which needs to be a fixed-ish point on the vehicle - are you absolutely sure it was a speed trap at all?

They usually either chase down, or have someone stopping you, or its a fixed camera or the GATSO van. Only the camera types can have a fine sent in the post without you having been stopped by the guards.

lukin

MYOB wrote: »

he'd have needed to get your reg plate as well as sufficient lock to get your speed - which needs to be a fixed-ish point on the vehicle - are you absolutely sure it was a speed trap at all?

They usually either chase down, or have someone stopping you, or its a fixed camera or the GATSO van. Only the camera types can have a fine sent in the post without you having been stopped by the guards.

Apologies mods, posted in the wrong forum first time.
I am certain it was a speed trap, I only glanced to my right and saw him briefly, he had a dark blue uniform on and had what was definitely a speed camera in his hand. At the speed I was going he couldn't possibly have got a lock on that car in that time, I don't know how those cameras work, I though they work like a camcorder and record everything that goes past?

L1011

the handheld guns just have a readout of the speed on them, nothing more. They're just speed detectors...

lukin

MYOB wrote: »

the handheld guns just have a readout of the speed on them, nothing more. They're just speed detectors...

They don't read regs?I thought they do and that the garda only has to read the info off it when he finishes. Doesn't seem to be much point in using it unless they can identify which cars are speeding.

L1011

they might be able to, but there would be absolutely no proof of who was driving or that the car was even there in that case. Which is why they stop you... or have a camera system (GATSO, be it mobile or fixed)

DublinWriter

lukin wrote: »

..speeding, I am pretty sure. It was on an R road and I was doing 120 kph.

So which dying family member were you bringing to hospital to merit such speed on a Regional road?

For your own sake and the lives of others I hope you were snagged.

I drive the R152/N2 every morning and have seen several prime examples of cars embedded in hedging and overturned in fields from overnight RTA's in the last two months.

L1011

Do we need the self righteousness on every thread?

There are R roads which are capable of those speeds. There are R roads which would be at those speeds if in another country, even across the border (dual sections of former N7, N1 come to mind).

Let the person who's never sped, in their entire life (not never-got-caught) cast the first stone over speeding. I'm not expecting to see a rock attack....

Guy:Incognito

MYOB wrote: »

Do we need the self righteousness on every thread?

Yes, then people might start copping on.

The speed limit was probably 50 or 80 meaning he was between 50 and 140% over the speed limit.

cyclopath2001

anto-t wrote: »

DELETED

Ahh, the eloquence and wit of the Ordinary Decent Speeder (ODS)!

Safety is just one reason for a speed limit. The effect on people who live along the route is another.

But to the ODS, all that matters is if they can keep their tyres on the road.

snubbleste

The OP admitted he (deliberately imo) committed an offence by driving over the maximum permitted limit.

And he is asking advice on whether or not he was 'caught'.

L1011

Stekelly wrote: »

Yes, then people might start copping on.

The speed limit was probably 50 or 80 meaning he was between 50 and 140% over the speed limit.

The only way people are going to start 'copping on' is when they get fined / put off the road, not people condescending them on the internet.

But anyway, have you never gone over the posted speed limits, ever?

Scottie99

I remember a case in Scotland where a speeding case was thrown out of court. The reason....................the police were on private property without permission while doing speed checks.

I wonder if its been done here?

Sizzler

Stekelly wrote: »

Yes, then people might start copping on.

The speed limit was probably 50 or 80 meaning he was between 50 and 140% over the speed limit.

You know I'd pay money to have someone put a camera in your car for a week and see what your normal driving behaviour is with regards to keeping within the speed limit for every inch of road you cover. Must be tough !

badlyparkedmerc

From what you describe I'd guess the Garda was watching for mobile phone use or more correctly any hand movement that appears to be mobile phone use.

Apparently some Gardai have been equipped with some form of super vision that can distinguish mobile phone use from an innocent movement in almost literally the blink of an eye.

I'm aware of a similar situation where someone adjusting a seatbelt was accused of using a phone, not sure of the outcome but the garda wasn't for persuading. Phone records won't help defend the driver as the garda can easily claim the driver was about to use the phone.

Guy:Incognito

Sizzler wrote: »

You know I'd pay money to have someone put a camera in your car for a week and see what your normal driving behaviour is with regards to keeping within the speed limit for every inch of road you cover. Must be tough !

I have never once denied that I go over speed limits. The above speeding is taking the piss.

L1011

Stekelly wrote: »

I have never once denied that I go over speed limits. The above speeding is taking the piss.

He didn't say where he was. I wouldn't say going at a speedo-reading of 120kmh (so probably 110kmh or lower) on the WS2 sections of the R148 is 'taking the piss' considering they were posted at 60mph four years ago, had a design speed of higher, and now have feck-all traffic.

Guy:Incognito

MYOB wrote: »

He didn't say where he was. I wouldn't say going at a speedo-reading of 120kmh (so probably 110kmh or lower) on the WS2 sections of the R148 is 'taking the piss' considering they were posted at 60mph four years ago, had a design speed of higher, and now have feck-all traffic.

So we just make up our own speed limits now? Can I pick some other laws I dont agree with and expect them to be ignored because Idont agree with them?

Sizzler

Stekelly wrote: »

So we just make up our own speed limits now? Can I pick some other laws I dont agree with and expect them to be ignored because Idont agree with them?

You're missing his point, you said he was taking the piss, he said he wasnt in the context of the law in question.

DonJose

MYOB wrote: »

Do we need the self righteousness on every thread?

I'd rather have the "self righteous" than your kind anyday. There was a thread in After Hours about a fella who was caught DRINK DRIVING and the amount of people who sympathised with a DRINK DRIVER was un-fukking-believable. The sooner the drink driving and speeding ******* are off the road, the better and safer for all of us.

L1011

DonJose wrote: »

I'd rather have the "self righteous" than your kind anyday. There was a thread in After Hours about a fella who was caught DRINK DRIVING and the amount of people who sympathised with a DRINK DRIVER was un-fukking-believable. The sooner the drink driving and speeding ******* are off the road, the better and safer for all of us.

Drink driving is always, unquestionably dangerous.

Speeding, despite what Uncle Gaybo says to is, rarely actually is.

Theres a vast difference between speeding and excessive speed - theres many a road in this country where the posted speed limit is excessive speed. Try to do 100km/h on the N56 in to Dungloe without ending up in a ditch (its a dead straight road for much of this, by the way).

So anyway, you've never sped? At all? In your entire life? Really?

DonJose

Sizzler wrote: »

You know I'd pay money to have someone put a camera in your car for a week and see what your normal driving behaviour is with regards to keeping within the speed limit for every inch of road you cover. Must be tough !

I'd love a system like that whereas a private citizen is allowed to host a police camera in their car and get a percentage of each fine. I'd earn a few bob catching people using mobiles (notice at least a dozen everyday), people speeding (dozens speed by when I'm driving at 120km/h).......

DonJose

MYOB wrote: »

So anyway, you've never sped? At all? In your entire life? Really?

I work from home and when I am in the car I am driving with my wife and 3 children, I prefer to stick to the speed limit and let the missus drive when I've had a drink. I already lost one brother to a learner driver overtaking when she shouldn't have and losing control of her car.

L1011

DonJose wrote: »

I work from home and when I am in the car I am driving with my wife and 3 children, I prefer to stick to the speed limit and let the missus drive when I've had a drink. I already lost one brother to a learner driver overtaking when she shouldn't have and losing control of her car.

That doesn't answer my question. You said you 'prefer to', then go off on a tangent (sorry to hear about the brother...). Have you ever gone over the posted speed limit?

Kimbot

Some gardai can have recording equipment in their hand that looks like a speed camera. I have seen this a few times, its the same camera they mount out the windows of MPV type vehicles as gatsos.

L1011

DonJose wrote: »

people speeding (dozens speed by when I'm driving at 120km/h).......

Depending on what age your car is, what type, etc, etc, what you think is 120kmh could be up to 15kmh lower. People overtaking you on a motorway - someone doing 15kmh more goes past quite quickly - could be entirely within the law.

DonJose

MYOB wrote: »

That doesn't answer my question. You said you 'prefer to', then go off on a tangent (sorry to hear about the brother...). Have you ever gone over the posted speed limit?

I drive on the M4 to Dublin, the speed limit is sufficient for that road, I'm sure I've strayed over the speed limit like any other driver, especially when I'm driving a newly purchased and more powerful car, but never enough when passing a speed camera to say, "Sh!t did he catch me."

L1011

DonJose wrote: »

I drive on the M4 to Dublin, the speed limit is sufficient for that road, I'm sure I've strayed over the speed limit like any other driver, especially when I'm driving a newly purchased and more powerful car, but never enough when passing a speed camera to say, "Sh!t did he catch me."

So you're sure you've gone over the speed limit, yet feel able to berate others for doing the same? Not feel slightly hypocritical there?

Or do you accept theres quite noticeable differences between 'speeding' and 'traveling at an excessive speed'? The latter of which depends on road conditions, weather conditions, traffic conditions, etc, but which could on (limited) certain roads exclude doing 120km/h on an R road? Its still illegal, its still speeding. But its not excessive speed for the conditions.

By the way, the M4 was designed for 160km/h. It has a limit of significantly less than that, not sure how thats 'sufficient'. Its the law, though...

DonJose

MYOB wrote: »

Depending on what age your car is, what type, etc, etc, what you think is 120kmh could be up to 15kmh lower. People overtaking you on a motorway - someone doing 15kmh more goes past quite quickly - could be entirely within the law.

I have a sat nav which I use all the time, this is more accurate than the speedo on my 2 cars. I drive at 120 km/h as stated on my sat nav and I know the corresponding speeds on my cars.

peasant

I'm getting tired of the same old ding-dong pissing contests every single time the word speed is mentioned.

I'm bored with it in fact ...thread closed