Blocking Go Safe van

pippip

goz83 wrote: »

Did you break any law? If not, i would have told the uniformed puppets to take a hike.

Exactly, did they actually specify an offence they could charge you with?

Pinch Flat

ouncer wrote: »

Got really fecked off with go safe van on the way into our town.

I would have thought most people would support the notion of drivers respecting speed limits driving through towns where there's pedestrians / cyclists / kids about. It's a pity that it takes a speed van to do this, but if it helps I would have thought folks would be supportive of these

ouncer wrote: »

I am so pissed off. These vans are in the pitch dark. Drivers havnt a hope. If they want folks to reduce speed then put revolving emergency lights on these vans. The way they hide is plain sneaky

If people adhere to the speed limit and drive responsibly I don't see what the issue is. I would prefer these in place and pedestrians being able to move about without fear of being hit by a speeding motorist.

ironclaw

@ouncer, whilst I commend you, I wouldn't recommend standing too close. After all, it is high frequency radio at a relatively focused and powerful output, not the best to be absorbing into the body for any sustained period.

But on point, did they caution you under any section?

markpb

At a guess, obstructing the course of justice or refusing to obey the legal instruction of a member of AGS?

Henry Ford III

ouncer wrote: »

Got really fecked off with go safe van on the way into our town. So took a 'rest' covering the camera, walking dogs is not easy and I do enjoy looking at the beauty of my home town. So 15 minutes later our buddies from the police force arrived and gave me a severe warning. I am so pissed off. These vans are in the pitch dark. Drivers havnt a hope. If they want folks to reduce speed then put revolving emergency lights on these vans. The way they hide is plain sneaky

You took Connacht's latest loss very badly?

ThisRegard

ouncer wrote: »

Drivers havnt a hope.

For real? There's no posted speed limits or anything on approach, and just before hand strangers jump into the car and nail the drivers foot to the ground?

ironclaw

markpb wrote: »

At a guess, obstructing the course of justice or refusing to obey the legal instruction of a member of AGS?

Not arguing the point, but do you have to 'move on' from a public place without suitable reason? Surely a Garda cannot just tell you to 'move' and you must comply? Understandable in certain situations like crowd control or a live incident, but one man walking his dog in a public place? I don't know, I wouldn't take it lightly personally.

goz83

ironclaw wrote: »

Not arguing the point, but do you have to 'move on' from a public place without suitable reason? Surely a Garda cannot just tell you to 'move' and you must comply? Understandable in certain situations like crowd control or a live incident, but one man walking his dog in a public place? I don't know, I wouldn't take it lightly personally.

Loitering. The first time I was accused of it, I thought the guy said that i was "littering". To be fair, I was 12 :pac:

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

ouncer

ironclaw wrote: »

Not arguing the point, but do you have to 'move on' from a public place without suitable reason? Surely a Garda cannot just tell you to 'move' and you must comply? Understandable in certain situations like crowd control or a live incident, but one man walking his dog in a public place? I don't know, I wouldn't take it lightly personally.

So I'll kick myself in the foot first by saying that I could stand in the position of my own houses water meter installation. I would be obstructing people doing their job and while I may be standing in a public place I probably should move to allow people do their job.

Don't for one second think that speed restrictions are a bad thing. Like many families I lost a cousin who lost control of his car when speeding. My point with the go-safe van is that it should be clearly identifiable by day and by night. As such it achieves its purpose (as our politicians describe the function of these vans) by reducing the speed of cars. If they are hidden they are simply a money gimmick (which we all know they are).

As citizens we supposedly drive our legislation. My suggestion is that folk write to our transport minister requesting that these vans are visible to oncoming traffic and not hidden. I will be doing so tomorrow.

My brother-in-law got caught twice in one night, both occasions between 4 and 6 am while driving people to their accommodation after his sons wedding. Its very easy to say he should adhere to speed limits. It was a dual carriageway with an 80km limit with no other cars on the road. He had spent all day ensuring the day went well and all night getting people home safely. And wanted to get back for his next pickup.

If the go-safe van was evident he would have slowed. If there was a go-safe van on my cousins road would it have saved his life. The answer is no. They would have simply photographed his death rather than provided a suggestion for him slowing down.

Dawn Rider

Did anyone see the one on the Greenhills Road Dublin during the week between Airton and the astro park? It was in the 60kph zone, and I've never seen a speeding car there...

ouncer

Dawn Rider wrote: »

Did anyone see the one on the Greenhills Road Dublin during the week between Airton and the astro park? It was in the 60kph zone, and I've never seen a speeding car there...

So many people never understand tragedy until they witness it. What a shame they must learn the hard way. If our legislators only learnt. Anyway, statistically dawn rider, you will learn also. Its how it goes.

Spook_ie

TBH If you don't see a GoSafe van parked up when you approach or pass it you should be charged with driving without due care and attention, they aren't exactly inconspicuous



unlike AGS vans

ironclaw

Spook_ie wrote: »

TBH If you don't see a GoSafe van parked up when you approach or pass it you should be charged with driving without due care and attention, they aren't exactly inconspicuous

Comparing the DVR footage of the marked AGS Vans and the GoSafe vans, the GoSafe vans are not at all reflective. They are, at best, shiny / glossy stickers. The AGS vans are properly reflective in line with the AGS cars and other vehicles. Its actually quite dangerous the lack of reflective-ness the GoSafe vans have, but I suppose that has its advantages.

darragh o meara

ironclaw wrote: »

Comparing the DVR footage of the marked AGS Vans and the GoSafe vans, the GoSafe vans are not at all reflective. They are, at best, shiny / glossy stickers. The AGS vans are properly reflective in line with the AGS cars and other vehicles. Its actually quite dangerous the lack of reflective-ness the GoSafe vans have, but I suppose that has its advantages.

Im sure that the lack of reflectivness on them GoSafe vans wasn't an accident, more a revenue collecting measure. They don't light up much at night.

Spook_ie

ironclaw wrote: »

Comparing the DVR footage of the marked AGS Vans and the GoSafe vans, the GoSafe vans are not at all reflective. They are, at best, shiny / glossy stickers. The AGS vans are properly reflective in line with the AGS cars and other vehicles. Its actually quite dangerous the lack of reflective-ness the GoSafe vans have, but I suppose that has its advantages.

darragh o meara wrote: »

Im sure that the lack of reflectivness on them GoSafe vans wasn't an accident, more a revenue collecting measure. They don't light up much at night.

Every Go Safe van I've met at night glows like a Xmas Tree when you shine headlights on them, dunno which vans you two are seeing ( or not ) but NCD's are most definately highly reflective, I'll see if I can get a piccy next time I pass one

EDIT just for my own clarity you do agree that the 1st picture is a GoSafe van and the second an AGS van?

darragh o meara

Spook_ie wrote: »

Every Go Safe van I've met at night glows like a Xmas Tree when you shine headlights on them, dunno which vans you two are seeing ( or not ) but NCD's are most definately highly reflective, I'll see if I can get a piccy next time I pass one

EDIT just for my own clarity you do agree that the 1st picture is a GoSafe van and the second an AGS van?

Yes, I do agree with the pics. Ive passed a few of these vans at night, the latest been Sat night gone, and they were not reflective at the rear. Yes they had the stripes as seen above but none of the ones I've passed have ever lit up like the proper reflective stripes do. It could well be that some do and some don't light up so I won't say your wrong on that.

Gards vans on the other hand.... Well they're just terrible altogether. Seen one out past the Liffey Valley exit the other day and it was sitting about 20 meters inside a 60kmph zone on a bend, now thats just wrong....

Bogger77

passed two vans in about 3 miles on Sunday night, either side of Thurles on the N62. Neither was particularly reflective. The markings on the back were not as reflective as they seem in day light. I kept full beams on the van, and those logos on the back, and even the stripes did not reflect any more than if it was a normal commercial van.

Yes, some vans are reflective, but not all, and most I've passed in the last 3 months, were not.

kooga

the transit is an umarked garda camera van.......................who will blink first!

TheChizler

Bogger77 wrote: »

passed two vans in about 3 miles on Sunday night, either side of Thurles on the N62. Neither was particularly reflective. The markings on the back were not as reflective as they seem in day light. I kept full beams on the van, and those logos on the back, and even the stripes did not reflect any more than if it was a normal commercial van.

Yes, some vans are reflective, but not all, and most I've passed in the last 3 months, were not.

You sure they were GoSafe vans and not work vans with a some red and yellow chevrons? They're very popular in recent years with councils and even regular tradesmen.

Bogger77

TheChizler wrote: »

You sure they were GoSafe vans and not work vans with a some red and yellow chevrons? They're very popular in recent years with councils and even regular tradesmen.

I'm not blind, I saw the vans close up, hey, I even saw the camera in the windows.

I'll repeat it, not all go-safe( so called) vans have reflective markings. In fact, the chevrons were less visible than the sow down signs on the top of the doors.

billie1b

If the vans have no reflective markings on them, whether they be go-safe or Garda vans they are 'tester' vans, they are put in areas to keep an eye on the speed limit and see if there is a problem with speeding within that area, they usually test for a couple of days/times out if the week and if needed they will put a marked van there then to issue penalties and the tester vans move on to another area.

TheChizler

Bogger77 wrote: »

I'm not blind, I saw the vans close up, hey, I even saw the camera in the windows.

I'll repeat it, not all go-safe( so called) vans have reflective markings. In fact, the chevrons were less visible than the sow down signs on the top of the doors.

I didn't say that you were blind? I was wondering could there be an alternate explanation. If they had specific GoSafe markings then fair enough.

ouncer

I'm going to get pictures of the go-safe van in my area next time around. It parks on a side area to the main road incoming to the town in a specific place where the town lights don't work so its in the pitch dark. It is practically invisible to oncoming traffic and certainly not very reflective.

Bogger77

billie1b wrote: »

If the vans have no reflective markings on them, whether they be go-safe or Garda vans they are 'tester' vans, they are put in areas to keep an eye on the speed limit and see if there is a problem with speeding within that area, they usually test for a couple of days/times out if the week and if needed they will put a marked van there then to issue penalties and the tester vans move on to another area.

Not tester vans, I have a ticket from one in one of the locations, from a couple of years ago.

They're in marked zones, with all the usual markings, but just not very reflective.

darragh o meara

Bogger77 wrote: »

Not tester vans, I have a ticket from one in one of the locations, from a couple of years ago.

Me too, unfortunately. 1st one in 17 yrs of driving.

billie1b

Well if you have a ticket from a van with 'NO' reflective markings on it I would suggest you appeal that decision and say it was from an unmarked van, these vans are only to be used for surveying areas, all vans that send out fines must have visible markings on it

ironclaw

billie1b wrote: »

Well if you have a ticket from a van with 'NO' reflective markings on it I would suggest you appeal that decision and say it was from an unmarked van, these vans are only to be used for surveying areas, all vans that send out fines must have visible markings on it

No, read again what all the posters said. The vans have markings, all the usual camera signs, slow down, chevrons etc. They are just not very reflective. In industry, you can choose how reflective you want a material to be for such use. The more reflective, the more expensive generally speaking. I'd consider these vans to have 'glossy' markings as opposed to reflective.

You are right in saying that unmarked vans cannot issue fines, provided of course they are GoSafe. Garda vans can operate marked and unmarked in any area they please.