Hidden Gatso Van

antodeco

Just saw something today, which was so sly by the guards. They had a white van parked behind a building across from hueston station, that was completly out of view until you were beside it. The camera in the back was facing sideways catching people doing over 50kmph along that road. I was doing around 55 going past it.

Things that annoy me:

- This is purely money making, as oppose to safety. Obvious by how hidden this was
- The fact that they put it on a road which is 50kmh zone, something which people rarely do along this road. Most people generally drive 60 along the road

SOmething I was thinking of tho was, how can they measure ur speed, if the camera can only catch u drving past it, not upto it. Surely it couldnt judge ur distance from that?

is_that_so

Got caught by that thing last year and got points out of it.

Mr. Presentable

antodeco wrote:

I was doing around 55 going past it.

Things that annoy me:

- This is purely money making, as oppose to safety. Obvious by how hidden this was

So don't contribute, stay within the speed limit!

antodeco

nipplenuts wrote:

So don't contribute, stay within the speed limit!

The funny thing was, is that I was going slowest out of every car, there was around 20, that were driving past! I agree that if the speed limit is 50, yes, its 50, buts it like kilmaconogue. Theres no reason for it to be 50. Its basically a 3 lane road

unkel

Agree, money making scam. 50km/h is a very unnatural limit on that road

antodeco wrote:

how can they measure ur speed, if the camera can only catch u drving past it, not upto it. Surely it couldnt judge ur distance from that?

It's a Gatso, named after Maurice Gatsonides, a Dutch rallye driver who once won the Monte Carlo rallye. He wanted to measure the speed of cars during a race and came up with his invention. Unfortunately, he crossed over to the dark side and commercialised his invention

The Gatso uses radar to measure speed and then, once you pass the van, it will take a picture of your reg if you were speeding

Big Balls

What is the story with Gatso vans and their range?

Is it literally just along the side of it as you drive past where the camera can get you or does it work like a guard hiding behind something with a gun, ie. it can record your speed some distance off?

Savman

Ah yeah, the aul Gatso vans...preying on the easy targets! You might be alright doing 55 in a 50 zone but the whole thing is so stoopid I wouldn't be surprised if you did get the points :rolleyes:

Worst thing is you really have no defence :D

Turner

Most Gatso vans are positioned in places beacuse the local superintendent has recieved complaints about speeding and dangerous driving.

If you live in an estate where people speed thorugh, contact your local superintendent and request a gatso placed in it.

Hundereds of people do it throughout the country.

The gardai will provide you or your residnets assocaitions with day by day statistics of how many people have passed through or how many people have sped through your estate and what the top speeds were.

We pay the money to finance these things, We might as well use them.

Guy:Incognito

Savman wrote:

Ah yeah, the aul Gatso vans...preying on the easy targets!

Yep, the people who break the law.

Stark

unkel wrote:

Agree, money making scam. 50km/h is a very unnatural limit on that road

I actually think 50km/h is a sensible speed limit for the quays. There's just too much **** happening on them to justify increasing it.

unkel

Stark wrote:

I actually think 50km/h is a sensible speed limit for the quays. There's just too much **** happening on them to justify increasing it.

The location we're discussing is not on the quays. It is past Heuston station driving west when the road is a good quality dual carriageway

Victor

unkel wrote:

The location we're discussing is not on the quays. It is past Heuston station driving west when the road is a good quality dual carriageway

No specificly he said "They had a white van parked behind a building across from hueston station" - you get lots of people crossing hte road to / from the station and theres a break in the median to access the Irish Rail yard that is used by taxi driver to u-turn. 50km/h is perfectly reasonable on that section.

unkel

Victor wrote:

you get lots of people crossing hte road to / from the station

Not really once you pass the station

Victor wrote:

theres a break in the median to access the Irish Rail yard that is used by taxi driver to u-turn. 50km/h is perfectly reasonable on that section.

That's dangerous alright. It's too narrow, so taxi drivers waiting for uncoming traffic before crossing over, take up part of the outside lane

Kersh

Has anyone noticed that since the Naas road (opposite McCormacks + Joels) speed limit went up to 80kmh (from 60kmh) the speed patrol arent there quite as often.
I used to see them there early morning on at least one of the 2 weekend days. But since the limit went up I havent seen them.

unkel

Kersh wrote:

Has anyone noticed that since the Naas road (opposite McCormacks + Joels) speed limit went up to 80kmh (from 60kmh) the speed patrol arent there quite as often

The exact same thing happened on the Lucan road after the limit went up to 80km/h (from 60km/h)

Everybody happy, very few people speeding past 80km/h

Wing Walker

Oh FFS! I passed the green version of this coming from Lucan to Chapelizoid along the Strawberry beds last Tuesday doing 70 in the 60 zone. The thing was parked in an entrance to a house and I didn't spot it until I was on top of it. There was no way it could have been looking down the road.

I thought that they needed a certain distance to determine your speed i.e. they can't do it when you're practically alongside them? Am I just being naive and hopeful?

FX Meister

You don't always get a speeding ticket from them anyway. My GF passed one doinf 90 in an 80 zone last september and nothing happened. Similar happened to my sister, twice.

fits

antodeco wrote:

T it like kilmaconogue. Theres no reason for it to be 50. Its basically a 3 lane road

Kilmacanogue north bound is fine. But south bound that stupid petrol station comes out onto the exit lane for Roundwood. The amount of near misses Ive had there! Its quite dangerous south bound.

cast_iron

Wing Walker wrote:

I thought that they needed a certain distance to determine your speed i.e. they can't do it when you're practically alongside them? Am I just being naive and hopeful?

No, they usually park in such a place where they are of no actual use...:rolleyes:

LegacyUser

Hey Wingwalker

They gaurds placed the Gatso van on the Strawberry beds twice this week....Once on Thursaday and again yesterday ....But what I dont understand was that they placed it on a blind bend...so it must not take any time at all to get your speed.I saw it the second time and passed it at 63 KPH...altough the limit is 60.

Mailman

May I ask where on the strawberry beds and at what time.
was it east or west of the M50?

Wing Walker

I had just passed the M50 bridge heading east. It was parked up in a driveway entrance on the river side of the road.

Sesshoumaru

I saw that van just past Heuston as well. I am very paranoid about white vans(or any vans) parked on the side of the road. So I slowed down well before I got to it. When I looked over the camera was angled at 45 degrees. It was really sneaky how they had it hidden partially behind a wall. I can't see how this helps safety wise. If they were truly interested in safety they would place signs on the road before the van informing people of a speed check up ahead. The way they were doing it most people would continue speeding and remain oblivious to this speed trap.

28064212

antodeco wrote:

- This is purely money making, as oppose to safety. Obvious by how hidden this was

Sesshoumaru wrote:

It was really sneaky how they had it hidden partially behind a wall. I can't see how this helps safety wise. If they were truly interested in safety they would place signs on the road before the van informing people of a speed check up ahead. The way they were doing it most people would continue speeding and remain oblivious to this speed trap.

So essentially you want them to announce that they're checking speeds so that anyone who is has time to slow down and not suffer any consequences?

Sesshoumaru

28064212 wrote:

So essentially you want them to announce that they're checking speeds so that anyone who is has time to slow down and not suffer any consequences?

My priority would be to slow people down in the designated risk area. So yes thats exactly what I'm saying. We need to move past this whole GOTCHA!! mentality and revenue collection. If we use speed cameras they should be used to save lives. How is a concealed cemera that no one can see going to slow people down and save lives? Oh because they get points in the post a few months later? Thats not going to help a pedestrian crossing the road at Heuston who gets flattened by someone speeding.

28064212

Sesshoumaru wrote:

My priority would be to slow people down in the designated risk area. So yes thats exactly what I'm saying. We need to move past this whole GOTCHA!! mentality and revenue collection. If we use speed cameras they should be used to save lives. How is a concealed cemera that no one can see going to slow people down and save lives? Oh because they get points in the post a few months later? Thats not going to help a pedestrian crossing the road at Heuston who gets flattened by someone speeding.

We already have plenty of systems for slowing people down in risky areas e.g. Accident Black Spot signs, Pedestrian crossings and of course, good old speed limits. Speed cameras are there to hurt people who ignore these things.

Sesshoumaru

28064212 wrote:

We already have plenty of systems for slowing people down in risky areas e.g. Accident Black Spot signs, Pedestrian crossings and of course, good old speed limits. Speed cameras are there to hurt people who ignore these things.

And these systems work? Sorry but the only system I've seen that actually slows everyone down is a well advertised working speed camera. Like I said my priority is safety not punishment. Example: Fixed speed camera outside of a Primary school with signs clearly indicating that its there. People will slow down, who wants points on their licence? The alternative is the old hidden camera and the AHA GOTCHA! mentality that rules at the moment.

28064212

Which would be ok if it was possible to do this at every dangerous spot in the country all year round. But do you really think a driver who slows down for a speed camera is going to stay within the limits once they're out of sight? But they might if they find out they're in danger of losing their licence

prospect

28064212 wrote:

Speed cameras are there to hurt people who ignore these things.

Hasn't been really working for the last few years now, has it?

mobby

May I ask where on the strawberry beds and at what time.
was it east or west of the M50?

From what I read in local papers there has been major complaints from local residents regarding speeding cars, trucks, and in particular motor bikes etc on the Strawberry beds hence the speed checks. Have to say I have witnessed some manic driving on this stretch of road over the last year. I believe the Co Co are to place 25/ 30 speed ramps between Lucan and Knockmarron hill in a effort to slow down traffic.

Sesshoumaru

28064212 wrote:

Which would be ok if it was possible to do this at every dangerous spot in the country all year round. But do you really think a driver who slows down for a speed camera is going to stay within the limits once they're out of sight? But they might if they find out they're in danger of losing their licence

Currently its the best roads in the country that are targetted. Not the back roads where most road accidents occur. Why aren't they putting gatso vans on the country roads? because they won't catch as many people? IMO the current system is all about who can catch the most drivers out, the GOTCHA system. Whether it saves lives or whether the roads in question need speed cameras isn't the priority. Which is a shame really. The priority should be on saving lives not some contest to see if the police can keep catching out more drivers each year.

Big Balls

28064212 wrote:

So essentially you want them to announce that they're checking speeds so that anyone who is has time to slow down and not suffer any consequences?

Have you ever seen a speed camera in the UK? They're generally bright yellow.