Speed cameras in Ireland - a guide

ironclaw

DanWall wrote: »

What is the accuracy in mph\kph ? As a ex calibration engine I do not think someone doing a small amount over is valid. To allow for statistics the camera must be at least 3 x better than the speed of the vehicle, ie. if the car is doing 6 mph the camera must be accurate to 2 mph

According to RedFlex, the manufacteur, its +/- 1.5 km/h. I understand that GOSafe themselves operate with a 3km/h tolerance e.g. 63km/h in a 60km/h would be a ticket. However, you must remember the average car speed over-reads by 5 to 10%, so a person doing 63km/h by a GoSafe van would have close to 65 / 70 km/h on their speedo.

Seth Brundle

ironclaw wrote: »

According to RedFlex, the manufacteur, its +/- 1.5 km/h. I understand that GOSafe themselves operate with a 3km/h tolerance e.g. 63km/h in a 60km/h would be a ticket. However, you must remember the average car speed over-reads by 5 to 10%, so a person doing 63km/h by a GoSafe van would have close to 65 / 70 km/h on their speedo.

Is there any source to say that "the average car over-reads?
In my experience, you can't assume that it over-reads by this amount.
Both my last car and my current car might be 1-2km/h off when the speedo is reading 120km/h - when compared to the SpeedView app on my phone out it's certainly not 5-10% out!

KOR101

ironclaw wrote: »

According to RedFlex, the manufacteur, its +/- 1.5 km/h. I understand that GOSafe themselves operate with a 3km/h tolerance e.g. 63km/h in a 60km/h would be a ticket. However, you must remember the average car speed over-reads by 5 to 10%, so a person doing 63km/h by a GoSafe van would have close to 65 / 70 km/h on their speedo.

I have always worked on the assumption that it was plus 10%, plus 3. So, 30km/hr is 35km/hr. When I lived in the UK that was how the British police did it.

Also, I ran an app on my smartphone and was only over-reading by 3-4%.

ironclaw

kbannon wrote: »

Is there any source to say that "the average car over-reads?
In my experience, you can't assume that it over-reads by this amount.
Both my last car and my current car might be 1-2km/h off when the speedo is reading 120km/h - when compared to the SpeedView app on my phone out it's certainly not 5-10% out!

There is an EU directive that states they have a margin to over-read but can never under-read. The US is different, I believe they need to be dead on and any car I've had there always has been (As you can get a ticket for being 1 mph over in a section)

What cars actually over read is up for debate. A Yaris I had was about 2% in the below 80km/h but was a good 10% off at 120km/h. The BMW by comparison is nearly dead on.

Seth Brundle

ironclaw wrote: »

There is an EU directive that states they have a margin to over-read but can never under-read. The US is different, I believe they need to be dead on and any car I've had there always has been (As you can get a ticket for being 1 mph over in a section)

What cars actually over read is up for debate. A Yaris I had was about 2% in the below 80km/h but was a good 10% off at 120km/h. The BMW by comparison is nearly dead on.

I don't think it's possible for an analogue speedo to be 100% all the time accurate given tyre wear, etc.
However, I don't believe that the 5-10% difference assumption can be made (certainly not in my own case).
Furthermore, telling people that the average speedo is 5-10% out may let them think that they can go that bit faster when in fact their speedo may be almost 100% accurate.

ironclaw

kbannon wrote: »

I don't think it's possible for an analogue speedo to be 100% all the time accurate given tyre wear, etc.
However, I don't believe that the 5-10% difference assumption can be made (certainly not in my own case).
Furthermore, telling people that the average speedo is 5-10% out may let them think that they can go that bit faster when in fact their speedo may be almost 100% accurate.

I'd see it the other way around. It means someone can keep it planted at 60km/h in a 60 without fear they are going to be over. If someone is going at 65km/h in a 60, they know they are over, over reading or not.

If one drives around adding 10% to their speedo without doing the necessary checks to verify their hypothesis, frankly one shouldn't be speeding as they clearly don't have the intelligence to do it safely.

Seth Brundle

ironclaw wrote: »

If one drives around adding 10% to their speedo without doing the necessary checks to verify their hypothesis, frankly one shouldn't be speeding as they clearly don't have the intelligence to do it safely.

The problem is that most Irish drivers are downright crap. If they hear that their speedo is likely to be 10% under (i.e. they then presume a reading 120km/h is actually doing 108) then they could end up doing 130km/h or so.
Not the end of the world but enough for a machine to give out some points.

Some who think they're smart might even think Gardai have a 10% tolerance and go that bit faster you could find them hitting 140km/h quite easily.

It's easier to tell people that their speedo is near accurate and if you're wrong then what harm!

joujoujou

kbannon wrote: »

The problem is that most Irish drivers are downright crap.

True!

kbannon wrote: »

If they hear that their speedo is likely to be 10% under (i.e. they then presume a reading 120km/h is actually doing 108) then they could end up doing 130km/h or so.
[...]

Not true. They'd keep going 80 km/h while hogging overtaking lane.

TheAlkaline

Can mobile camera move from one place to another at the same day and is it possible that the operator forgot to update the location?

Does garda have to provide me with full photo upon request?

mcmananam1980

IS SPEEDCAMERA ON THE MOTORWAY M50

I WAS DRIVING TWO NIGHTS AGO AND I MAY HAVE GONE A BIT HIGHER RTHAN SPEED CLOSE TO TOLL. DOES THAT CAMERA PICK UP FAST SPEED. SHOULD I GET A FINE

OR DO THERE BE VANS ON THE MOTORWAY. NEVER SAW THEM BEFORE.

I THINK THAT THE SPEED VANS DO MOVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE ONLY LIMURED VANS TO COVER LARGE AREA, OK?

wonski

mcmananam1980 wrote: »

OK?

OK!

Seth Brundle

mcmananam1980 wrote: »

IS SPEEDCAMERA ON THE MOTORWAY M50

I WAS DRIVING TWO NIGHTS AGO AND I MAY HAVE GONE A BIT HIGHER RTHAN SPEED CLOSE TO TOLL. DOES THAT CAMERA PICK UP FAST SPEED. SHOULD I GET A FINE

OR DO THERE BE VANS ON THE MOTORWAY. NEVER SAW THEM BEFORE.

I THINK THAT THE SPEED VANS DO MOVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE ONLY LIMURED VANS TO COVER LARGE AREA, OK?

(I'm not sure if I should respond sarcastically in CAPS or not!).

The toll cameras are for collecting a toll, not for catching speeding vehicles.
Gardai do monitor speed along the motorway both via the occasional Gatso van and it so occasional unmarked cars.

The cameras within the M50 Port Tunnel are soon to record average speed however but these aren't the ones you referred to.


To respond to your last point, I'm fairly sure that the vans move around on those four roundy black things!

minimadman

What's the diff between garda and a go safe I no go safe are a private company. But do both vans record both ways wats the tolerance levels etc how long b4 a ticket should come

robbie99

I thought Gardai couldn't use the handheld laser units when it's raining, but this tweet suggests otherwise...

https://twitter.com/GardaTraffic/status/826110374097350656

Would this driver have any grounds for a challenge?

ironclaw

robbie99 wrote: »

Would this driver have any grounds for a challenge?

No, on two grounds:

• The Ultralyte 20:20 (The laser gun in question) can adjust for rain and other environmental factors (I don't believe it but thats the marketing bumpf). It will trigger a fault code in certain circumstances if it can't get a reading.
  
• The Irish Statues make no provision for proof that the instrument used to measure your speed was in good working order or otherwise calibrated. A Garda could point a divining stick at your car and say you were speeding, and you can't say a thing otherwise.

AlanHartigan

Can a speed van catch you for being in a bus lane?

I was in the bus lane as traffic was mad and I was turning left at the end of the road, there was a speed van on the road. Can it clock me for that or is it soley for speed?

ironclaw

AlanHartigan wrote: »

Can a speed van catch you for being in a bus lane?

I was in the bus lane as traffic was mad and I was turning left at the end of the road, there was a speed van on the road. Can it clock me for that or is it soley for speed?

Its not in GoSafe mandate. However, I know of one person who was prosecuted by a Garda van for not wearing a seat belt. Garda vans are manned by Gardai hence I'd imagine they can issue fines for anything they observe during the course of their duties.

That said, highly unlikely.

AlanHartigan

ironclaw wrote: »

Its not in GoSafe mandate. However, I know of one person who was prosecuted by a Garda van for not wearing a seat belt. Garda vans are manned by Gardai hence I'd imagine they can issue fines for anything they observe during the course of their duties.

That said, highly unlikely.

Solely* (from my previous post). Yeah, suppose best not worry about it unless in comes in the door. Thanks!

MuddyDog

Do the GoSafe Vans and Garda Speed Vans use the same camera tech? Basically, do they both have the same range for catching you? I know the GoSafe vans you basically have to be on top of them speeding for them to get you, but is it the same for the Garda vans?

mikeecho

MuddyDog wrote: »

Do the GoSafe Vans and Garda Speed Vans use the same camera tech? Basically, do they both have the same range for catching you? I know the GoSafe vans you basically have to be on top of them speeding for them to get you, but is it the same for the Garda vans?

They are pretty much both the same.

Different camera, different radar. But the same principles and limitations apply to each system.


http://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057633648/1P

lamb stew

I was driving last week , not sure if I was breaking the speed limit or not, I always genuinely try and stay under the limit, but sometimes it can go over by 10km before Id realise it. Anyway last Friday week I saw a van in the distance a few hundred metres away from me , I broke as I looked at my speedo I could have been over, so I decided to turn right off he road maybe atleast 100 metres before the van and Id say 200 metres or more. I know technology probably could tell I was over (if I was), but how does it work, taking pics etc. Thanks in advance.

ironclaw

lamb stew wrote: »

I was driving last week , not sure if I was breaking the speed limit or not, I always genuinely try and stay under the limit, but sometimes it can go over by 10km before Id realise it. Anyway last Friday week I saw a van in the distance a few hundred metres away from me , I broke as I looked at my speedo I could have been over, so I decided to turn right off he road maybe atleast 100 metres before the van and Id say 200 metres or more. I know technology probably could tell I was over (if I was), but how does it work, taking pics etc. Thanks in advance.

You're fine. You need to be about 20m or less from the rear of the van to be in any danger of a fine. If you turned off the road before the van, you're most certainly safe. People seem to think these vans are omnipotent and operate like Tom Cruise in Minority Report. The tech isn't that advanced, if anything, its stone age.

Also, with respect, you shouldn't be drifting over your speed without noticing. It should be part and parcel if your driving, perhaps something to concentrate on and develop in light of this.

lamb stew

i will Iron claw thanks

AidenL

EricM wrote: »

All GoSafe locations found
http://www.garda.ie/gosafe.htm

Data source (backup in case garda kill that link)
http://www.garda.ie/sez/gardagosafecameras.kml

Just wondering if this is still current and is there any way to upload it onto an SD card based fixed in car sat nav?

Or is it pointless as it covers stretches of roads and not just points where cameras appear?

Seth Brundle

You're possibly better off not having it for a few reasons:
* it's just mapping the gosafe van spots, not the garda van spots or where individual gardai set up a speed trap or simply just mobile patrols
* it can lull you into a false sense of security because of the above
* having the zones mapped out and alerting you is still illegal AFAIK under the act and technically a garda can take your equipment.

ofcork

Would you notice a flash at night from a go safe passed one last night in the dark was around the limit

Miike

ofcork wrote: »

Would you notice a flash at night from a go safe passed one last night in the dark was around the limit

No. The light on those cameras are outside of human visual spectrum AFAIK.

The "flash" people report on seeing is a result of the headlights of your car passing the lens of the unit on the van. Anyway they take the picture of every single reg that passes. It's only kept if you've broken the speed limit.

ofcork

Cheers here's hoping I was under he was parked in an old quarry entrance near Ringaskiddy.

blackwhite

Seems to be a targeting of speed traps on the M1 this week.

Wednesday evening there was a go-safe on the Garda ramp southbound, just before J4; and again around 2pm Thursday.

Thursday morning there was a Go-Safe on northbound side, again on a garda ramp, just after the Lusk services.

Then this morning there was a marked squad car on the bridge at J6.

blackwhite

blackwhite wrote: »

Seems to be a targeting of speed traps on the M1 this week.

Wednesday evening there was a go-safe on the Garda ramp southbound, just before J4; and again around 2pm Thursday.

Thursday morning there was a Go-Safe on northbound side, again on a garda ramp, just after the Lusk services.

Then this morning there was a marked squad car on the bridge at J6.

I don't mind the Garda cars hiding on the bridge or on the on-ramps, but those vans are feckin' lethal to have on the motorway. I nearly had a crash on Wednesday when traffic went from a smooth 120 to a grinding halt (i believe we were at 40km going past the van!).

It wasn't even on our side of the road! Will absolutely cause a crash.


Do we still not know the tolerance for the vans? (ie how much over you can be and still 'get away with it'?) Surely it must have been leaked or said by someone by now?