Radar Speed checks at night?

stifz

Forgive my ignorance but i did'nt think it possible to do speed checks with speed guns at night. What exactly are they tracking your lights?

Anyone been caught similar?

And before the beating sticks come out... Im not moaning about being done for speeding. I was in the wrong and accept the charge.:o

TheNog

Yeah we can do speed checks at night by locking onto the reg plate, headlights, your teeth;) to get the speed.

seamus

stifz wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance but i did'nt think it possible to do speed checks with speed guns at night.

Your ignorance is forgiven.

Mena

Radar bounces radio waves off of objects, not light

testicle

It's laser, not radar.

stifz

Anyone ever installed a detector to their car? aparantly picks up radar and laser within 2 miles? I would assume there probably illegal though?

Anyone?

TheNog

stifz wrote: »

Anyone ever installed a detector to their car? aparantly picks up radar and laser within 2 miles? I would assume there probably illegal though?

Anyone?

Not illegal to own but illegal to use.

Sounds stupid cos it is stupid

stifz

sooooo.. to have it fitted in the car but off.. is not illegal? So there must then be a unit to detect the detector!! Theres a touch of austin powers to this..!!

Once spotted by the kind gentleman in a blue uniform i'm sure he'd then go about checking every light bulb and tyre for thread until something.. of interest.. comes up.

seamus

TheNog wrote: »

Not illegal to own but illegal to use.

Sounds stupid cos it is stupid

I'm not sure if this is true. I remember reading legislation which made it illegal to possess any device which was capable of indicating the existence or location of speed guns.

This technically renders all GPS devices in Ireland illegal.

It may also make reference to having the device in the vehicle - so as you say, it's not illegal to own one, but it is illegal to carry one in your vehicle.

I'll see if I can find the thread.

Alun

seamus wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is true. I remember reading legislation which made it illegal to possess any device which was capable of indicating the existence or location of speed guns.

This technically renders all GPS devices in Ireland illegal.

It may also make reference to having the device in the vehicle - so as you say, it's not illegal to own one, but it is illegal to carry one in your vehicle.

I'll see if I can find the thread.

I though that particular one had been (rightly!) debunked later by some of our friendly AGS / TC members?

cormie

yeah, something about the locations on GPS just being locations and not definitely where a camera is.

Pat Mustard

seamus wrote: »

I'm not sure if this is true. I remember reading legislation which made it illegal to possess any device which was capable of indicating the existence or location of speed guns.

This technically renders all GPS devices in Ireland illegal.

It may also make reference to having the device in the vehicle - so as you say, it's not illegal to own one, but it is illegal to carry one in your vehicle.

I'll see if I can find the thread.

Looks like yer right. Here's the thread: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055222200

Link to the statutory instrument: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1991/en/si/0050.html

Section of the statutory instrument:
"4. A person shall not use in a public place a mechanically propelled vehicle to which is fitted, or in or on which is carried, a speed meter detector whether or not such device is actually in use."

cormie

A GPS can't detec them though, it only has history of where they have previously been known to be. If there's a new kid in town, it wont tell you hehe

seamus

I was 99% sure I posted in that thread.

Anyway, indeed it is legal to own a detector, but it's not legal to carry it in your vehicle, regardless of whether or not it's switched on.

The law in the UK definitely used to have that loophole, so people would just switch off their detectors if they saw a checkpoint. I'd imagine that's been changed over there too though.

stifz

So now we've agreed they are illegal.. How do the gardai detect a detector in use??

Anyone?:D

Anan1

stifz wrote: »

Anyone ever installed a detector to their car? aparantly picks up radar and laser within 2 miles? I would assume there probably illegal though?

Anyone?

A laser detector is a waste of time - all it does is tell you that you've just been caught. Laser jammers do work, though.

Lumen

stifz wrote: »

So now we've agreed they are illegal.. How do the gardai detect a detector in use??

If you're talking about laser jammers, they won't be able to get a reading.

They'll then pull you over and do you for using a jammer.

I've heard that in France they just get the driver to drive over the device, cutting down on the paperwork.

andrewh5

stifz wrote: »

Forgive my ignorance but i did'nt think it possible to do speed checks with speed guns at night. What exactly are they tracking your lights?

Anyone been caught similar?

And before the beating sticks come out... Im not moaning about being done for speeding. I was in the wrong and accept the charge.:o

First of all they are NOT radar devices. Secondly they cannot be used accurately at night.

Anan1

Lumen wrote: »

If you're talking about laser jammers, they won't be able to get a reading.

They'll then pull you over and do you for using a jammer.

AFAIK, not being able to get a reading is quite a common occurrence even for cars without jammers.

stifz

andrewh5 wrote: »

First of all they are NOT radar devices. Secondly they cannot be used accurately at night.

Is this opinion or fact?

seamus

andrewh5 wrote: »

First of all they are NOT radar devices. Secondly they cannot be used accurately at night.

Would you care to offer some facts to back up your bull opinion?

Bandara

I've a detector fitting to mine, saved me 3 times from points/fines.

well worth it.

stifz

Hammertime wrote: »

I've a detector fitting to mine, saved me 3 times from points/fines.

well worth it.

As in non gps position of camera. an actual unit fitted to locate mobile traps?

andrewh5

seamus wrote: »

Would you care to offer some facts to back up your bull opinion?

Try googling laser guns before you start slinging the insults around. The UK police do not use them at night for that very reason. Fixed cameras are totally different. The hand held ones are not accurate at night as they have no flash!

You also have a right to challenge it in court and ask to see the last calibration test certificate for the device used. They have to be regularly calibrated. There was a very famous case in the UK where a driver did just that and the defence barrister pointed the gun at the judge and showed him that, according to the device, he was travelling at 30MPH!

andrewh5

stifz wrote: »

As in non gps position of camera. an actual unit fitted to locate mobile traps?

The Gardaí are obliged under EU law to notify the actual position that they will use mobile traps in. These settings can be added to a database and installed on a GPS device. I have one and it is updated regularly (via annual subscription). It will beep and show a warning when you are approaching a mobile area or a fixed camera. Well worth €35 a year!

seamus

andrewh5 wrote: »

Try googling laser guns before you start slinging the insults around. The UK police do not use them at night for that very reason. Fixed cameras are totally different. The hand held ones are not accurate at night as they have no flash!

a. If you think that's an insult, you've clearly lived a very happy life.
b. I try to not make a fool of myself, I do check these things out.

Radar speed detectors are not affected by the lack of light. There's a tiny chance of laser speed detectors being affected by outside sources, but it's an insignificant risk.

In Ireland to the best of my knowledge, you do not have to be issued with a picture of you speeding if you are pulled over by the Garda. So the lack of a flash is irrelevant.

You also have a right to challenge it in court and ask to see the last calibration test certificate for the device used. They have to be regularly calibrated.

Not in this country. There is no requirement on the part of the state to show that the device has been calibrated.

Alun

seamus wrote: »

Radar speed detectors are not affected by the lack of light. There's a tiny chance of laser speed detectors being affected by outside sources, but it's an insignificant risk.

They need to be aimed correctly though, which may be a problem in the dark.

Not in this country. There is no requirement on the part of the state to show that the device has been calibrated.

True. Which is, quite frankly, laughable. I couldn't believe it when I first heard this. Banana state indeed.

Marcus.Aurelius

andrewh5 wrote: »

First of all they are NOT radar devices. Secondly they cannot be used accurately at night.

eh where did you get that from?

Lasers work fine at night, they only require a reflective surface to return 2 or 3 beams to give distance and speed reading.

Methinks you've been misinformed.

Marcus.Aurelius

andrewh5 wrote: »

The Gardaí are obliged under EU law to notify the actual position that they will use mobile traps in. These settings can be added to a database and installed on a GPS device. I have one and it is updated regularly (via annual subscription). It will beep and show a warning when you are approaching a mobile area or a fixed camera. Well worth €35 a year!

Not true for mobile GATSO vans, they can be anywhere. At present, sites like irishspeedtraps.com are informed by drivers who come accross the devices. Fixed cameras are usually signposted, but this may change. :pac:

andrewh5

seamus wrote: »

a. If you think that's an insult, you've clearly lived a very happy life.
b. I try to not make a fool of myself, I do check these things out.

Radar speed detectors are not affected by the lack of light. There's a tiny chance of laser speed detectors being affected by outside sources, but it's an insignificant risk.

In Ireland to the best of my knowledge, you do not have to be issued with a picture of you speeding if you are pulled over by the Garda. So the lack of a flash is irrelevant.

Not in this country. There is no requirement on the part of the state to show that the device has been calibrated.

So the good old gardai assume guilt and give no proof of it! Wonderful! And they wonder why they are viewed with such disdain by most people.

Similarly with the calibration. They dfo need calibrating and a gards word that is has been should NEVER be acceptable as evidence that it has!

Clearly we need someone to have the balls to take a test case to the EU courts over this.

Bandara

stifz wrote: »

As in non gps position of camera. an actual unit fitted to locate mobile traps?

dashboard unit fitted, unit is called a Valentine one, I highly recommend it.