Got flashed by a camera on the A361 in Devon on Friday. The road is 2/3 lanes and it was positioned around a slight bend, facing forward on an uphill stretch with 2 lanes in my favour. i.e. exactly where you'd be overtaking a slower moving vehicle . I was doing about 80-ish in a 60 limit. So am now just waiting for the letter to arrive - how long does this normally take ?

 

Now I'm deadly serious about buying a Geodesy thingy. How much are they and, Bob, where are you ?

 

------------------

Hangon - facing forward - do you mean the camera was facing you?

 

Was it a normal GATSO type camera? (Visible flash)? If it was, and it was facing you, you didn't get done.. It was a pretend GATSO..

 

The only ones that face you have IR flashes (round lens, round flash, obvious red tints), and dont use the normal lines on the road method..

 

Az

Yep, facing me (motorbikes are safe etc), very bright double white flash, with markers on the road. Does this mean I'm safe ??????

When the letter comes, just ignore it, I did and eventually they go away.

If they don't stop pestering you and take you to court, deny all knowledge, they can't prove a thing unless you admit the offense and therefore have to drop the case, twats!

 

Laterz,

 

Jonezey.

I hear that they can use ones that face you. To start having a large double flash in front of you is dangerous. Also they arent allowed to show your face on the photo. So I've heard anyway

 

Stuart

Andy, it is against EU policy to have cameras facing the front of your car to take your picture - they are "an invasion of your privacy". This isn't to say that it is not done, as there are 2 in Great Barford that face the front of your car and they definitely work. However, it can be contested more easily than the IR ones and more often than not, it will be thrown out, if it was one with film inside as a lot of the front facing ones are flash only.

 

Hopefully you're safe...

There's loads of detail about the Human Rights issues (you face on camera etc) at www.abd.org.uk

Andy - AFAIK front facers are only IR..

 

Normal GATSO's do not flash when facing you, *unless* they are dummy cameras - I.e. no film.. They have a less sophisticated radar unit in them which cannot distinguish between movement toward or away from it..

 

Were the markers on your side of the road BTW, or the oncoming side?

 

Az

Camera was on my side, markers were definitely on my side, could have been on other too - it's possible that this could rotated, but not sure. Usually those ones are in the middle of the carriageway.

If you don't receive a letter from them within 14 days of the incident, they can't do anything about it. If you do receive something, either ignore it hoping they will forget, or ask to see proof of the film which was taking it. By the time they get off their lazy asses to arrange a time for you to see the film, they would've forgotton. One of my mates got away with it, but unfortunately I didn't. Still, its worth a go anyway.!! Good luck...

When I drive through Cambridge along the A14, theres a couple of these 'facing you' style cameras. However, I got flashed by one once, and never heard anything!

 

------------------

Simon

Andy

 

Someone send me this the other day, it might be worth a try if you get a letter.

 

"Just thought I would share this with you, as you know I work in the

speeding fine department in Swindon's Magistrate's Court and in the

course of my investigation into "fines, their payment methods, and how

points

are automatically added against drivers licences" we discovered something

very interesting "If You Get a Speeding Fine." This has been tried and it

works

... I tried to send this to everyone I know. I know that for a fact is

works so if you ever get in this situation, you have an out.

We discovered that this procedure works nationwide. Read it and try it,

you have nothing to lose but the points on your license. This is how it

works:

If you get a speeding ticket or went through a red light or whatever

the case may be, and you are going to get points on your licence, then

there is a method to ensure that you DO NOT get any points.

When you get your fine, send in the cheque to pay for it and if the

fine is say, 40, then make the cheque out for 41 or some small amount over

the fine. The system will then have to send you back a cheque for the

difference, but here is the trick!

 

***DO NOT CASH THE REFUND CHEQUE!!!**

 

Throw it away!! Points are not assessed to your licence until all

financial transactions are complete. If you do not

cash the cheque, then the transactions are NOT complete. However, the

system has gotten its money and is happy and will not bother you any

more.

This information came to our attention from a very reliable computer

company that sets up the standard database used by each county's

computing system.

 

Ta for the info but I think this is an urban legend. Somewhere I read that this is complete bull and doesn't work. I'll have a trawl around and see if I can find it.