Having your picture taken in a hired car!!

[morsing]

What to do about it?? Can I deny it?? What's the procudure??

And I was of course not exceeding the speed limit :)

Oh, by the way: What does 90/70 give??

Cheers

[noiseboy]

90/70 = about 3 points and £60! (assuming no previous convictions)

You cant really deny it - the rental company have on record that the car was on hire to you.... unless you hired it under a false name which is an even bigger no no.....

Take the fixed penalty - consider it a reminder to:

a) look out for GATSOs
b) observe the speed limit

(You choose a or b - no one else can choose for you)

Drive Safely.

Phil :)

[morsing]

GATSO??

No points since I'm a newcomer and the last time I got flashed (also in a hired car) I never heard anything about it.

I was kind of wondering about these cameras. I noticed on small roads that they apparently take your picture from the rear but this one got me from the front. (rather unpleasant since it was dark).

It was on the A23 going towards M40.

I had no chance of seeing it.

Cheers

[George Holmer]

It's when they stick these darn things on the M4 that I object, well any motorway really. Ok, set them at 110 mph or so then, if you need to have them there. Are you seriously telling me that 85 mph is sooo much more dangerous than 70 mph? Well, the usual speed adaption to road circumstances apply of course... I can tell you how much fun it is driving 55 mph in pouring rain in the dark on a full motorway with a BMW stuck up your backside flashing... it's about as much fun as cleaning out my drains... and I do that, alot!

I have no problem with speed cameras in built up areas, near schools, I love speed bumbs, little potted plants and every thing else you can think up to prevent the local boys to race their 20 to Audi 80 diesels outside my house and any house or buidling with children or old people in, on streets in towns and citys, around roundabouts (in built up areas again).

Anyway, GATSO is another name for speed camera and it comes from the company name Gatsometer BV, and it's a Dutch company. In England and Belgium, the camera takes a picture of your back and traces you with the plate number, in Sweden they take a picture of the front and matches the image of the driver with the photogrqaphic driver's licence register, thus eliminating people saying "sorry, I lent it to my mate that day...". They have ways of avoiding that in the UK too. I have never heard of a frontal speed camera in the UK but I suppose it's possible.

George

Anglo-Swede resident near Leuven in Belgium

'87 745 GLE Turbo Diesel Intercooler (D24TIC/M46, 200k)
'88 745 Turbo Intercooler (B230FT/M46, 270k)
'88 745 GL (B200E/M47, 200k)
'89 440 GL (B18K, 90k)

[Mav_UK]

The orginal speed camera's in the uk (2 round lenses) take a picture of the front, but track the car only, the square ones take a picture of the rear, and the new digital ones are also take a picture from the front.

I'm with you with their use though George - why don't they have them around built up estates rahter than on the m'way, where they miss the most dangerous driving. Must admit though I hate speed bumps, potted plants fine, but speed bumps I hate - they knacker your car even when going slow, esp the Spitfire.....

Stu

[ChrisWT5]

I can confirm that in the UK they do flash and take a pic from the front. 5 years ago - Jan 2 1998 Beeston A1 Beds - 50mph zone on a slight bend. I nearly crashed when this thing blinded me in my LandRover Discovery. I was doing 58mph (in the wrong then) and it was late at night with no other cars. The steering on a Disco is a bit like a truck and a natural reaction when u are blinded is to hit the brakes (no ABS).I can tell u its extremely frightening when u start swerving in a Disco. Just thought I'd let u know its not new.

If u do find yourself speeding on the motorway keep below 100mph if u want to keep your license. Speeding in built up areas is a no-no. Speed bumps cause more pollution - stop/start etc. Rumble strips much better.

[George Holmer]

There is this local guy, he's got a Golf TDI with the lowering kit, spoilers, 19' alloys and the tripple exhaust.. It's such fun seeing him crawling at 2 mph over a speedbump with 80 yo OAPs in Micras behind beeping at him....

Ok, I agree, speed bumps are no good but I'd still like to get that idiot who goes past our house in his Porsche Boxter at 80 mph every evening at 7.20 pm. I do know where he lives...

George

Anglo-Swede resident near Leuven in Belgium

'87 745 GLE Turbo Diesel Intercooler (D24TIC/M46, 200k)
'88 745 Turbo Intercooler (B230FT/M46, 270k)
'88 745 GL (B200E/M47, 200k)
'89 440 GL (B18K, 90k)

[sheerwater]

Henrik,
Speeding with a car in the UK is like commiting murder in any other country.
You can beat the hell out of old ladies, break into cars and houses, vandalise anything you want,shoplift openly and nothing will ever be done to you. In fact it may be to your benefit.
I have told this story before.... Lad of 14 steals, does drugs, breaks into houses, sticks 2 fingers up to the law.
At 18 the police get their own back and he is jailed for 2 and a half years. One year later he is out on licence and given a grant to settle back into society on condition he reports weekly to the police. He doesnt and goes into hiding and eventually buys a house!!!!! At 21 the police catch him and find that he has been breaking into houses to fund his mortgage. Does he serve any remaining part of his sentence. NOPE. Is he fined. NOPE. Does he have to repay any money back that he has reinvested in his house. NOPE. He is let off and told to be a good boy. (this was my friends wayward son so I know the case) I cant wait until he gets a car. Then the Government will be able to fine him,slow him down on his way to work , ban him , send him on re-habilitation courses etc,etc.
90 mph Henrik.... Tower of London job Im afraid !!!!!
Cheers Nige

[Magyver480]

As far as I know from some fairly reliable sources here is the lowdown.

Cameras are usually set for 10% above the limit so on the motorway you will get away with about 75 to 80 mph before setting one of the buggers of. BUT bear in mind most domestic standard speedos are not that accurate which is why a police man following you on a speeding violation will ALSO allow you 10% (here is a handy hint, if the police car has not had its speedo or radar gun calibrated that day you can not be prosecuted if you go to court. It is a minor technicality which on a busy morning or start of shift can be over looked or skipped).
The cameras which flash once have not taken your picture as they have no point of reference to calculate speed
The cameras which flash twice have taken your picture and the road markings (white horizontal stripes) will be used to calculate your speed. EVEN if you are pictured going above the speed limit you will only hear about it if you are in the top percentage they are prosecuting that month in that division.

BUT above all remember if you dont speed you wont get caught and you wont get to your destination late :-)

[morsing]

Well, got the letter yesterday. It says 83mph, so how fast was I really going??

And yes, $60 and 3 points. ANd they last for three(four) years?!? Man this system is tough!!

Cheers

[sheerwater]

WHOOPS WRONG !!!!!! Zero tollerance is now the word so beware.
If you change your wheel size the speedo may put you one mph over the limit and into the 3 points bracket. As for the top percentage they are prosecuting this may apply to GATSOS but not the digital TRUVELOS which do everyone.
Cheers Nige

[Peter Milnes]

Calm down Nigel, if you change wheel sizes you should also change tyre sizes to suit the overall running diameter which determines your speedo reading. I have a newsletter from IPD which clearly states the differences to be expected and gives the formula with which to calculate for your own tyre sizes/wheel sizes so that you can select the combination which will give the same speedo reading.

All the best, Peter

[Joe440Andrew460]

We've just been reading all the messages and thought we'd add one too.

From what we are aware the GATSO Camera needs to take two photos and can only go by the registration on the rear of the car. You then get sent your ticket and have to say who is driving the car. NB It is an offence under the Human Rights act to Incriminate YOURSELF you have to be proven GUILTY. Just how advanced are these Gatso cameras anyway!!!

There are a new breed of speed cameras on the road nowadays involving the laser technique. They consist of two "cameras". There are two narrow lines painted across the road and another say 1/4 mile down the road exactly the same two lines as the first set. The lasers actually face your car, get an image of the entre front of it and judge the time it has taken you to get between the lines (the 1/4 mile) and if you are speeding there is NO FLASH! just a ticket through your door!

Another interesting point is that Police patrol cars (not traffic ones) but ordinary non modified bobby cars cannot book you for speeding nor are they supposedly to exceed the speed limit as they are driven by ordinary officers and not high speed pursuit drivers (the ones who drive the traffic cars {the V70's more often than not!!!})

Just a thought!..

[Peter Milnes]

Unfortunately the excuse about incriminating yourself will not hold water as a Privy Councel in Scotland has stated that Human Rights are not contravened. If you do not supply the name of the driver at the time thew offence is comitted then you are liable for a fine of £100 plus at least three points on your licence. The offence then is failing to supply information requested i.e. the name of the driver. Not only that but the registered keeper of the car is served with the notice of impending prosecution. Much better to own up or better still DO NOT EXCEED THE SPEED LIMIT IN FORCE.

All the best, Peter

[cootuk]

Just wait until some bright spark thinks of putting tachographs into cars...

[Davef]

>Just wait until some bright spark thinks of putting
>tachographs into cars...

Have you seen the info you can get from your ECU!!