Another "was I caught thread?"

tw0nk

Hi All,

I apollogise in advance for the thread but cant get it out of my head...

Was on Gorey bypass (southbound) yesterday evening and there was a Garda landrover parked perpendicular to the road with the drivers side window facing oncoming traffic. The speed limit on this road is 60mph and I was going about 70-75mph. The Garda in the drivers seat was looking through a handheld unit and would have had clear sight of me as I drove on the straight stretch of road.

They didnt flash lights or chase me or stop me or anything so Im wondering if it was a camera they were using and will I get something in the post?

Thanks.

Anan1

Probably not.

Curvy Vixen

Of course you were caught! I've been on 120kph on the motorway and had cars blur past me and the cops have just sat with their money making device pointed at them ~ do they stop them for dangerous driving?? Hell no! They just make another 100 quid or whatever a couple of months later in the post for the governments coffers!

And before anyone says 'and so they should!' I agree completely but it would be nicer to think that the guards might actually pull over dangerous drivers too!

mikemac

tw0nk wrote: »

The speed limit on this road is 60mph and I was going about 70-75mph. The Garda in the drivers seat was looking through a handheld unit and would have had clear sight of me as I drove on the straight stretch of road.

This may come across as pedantic but the speed limit wasn't 60mph.
What was the limit and what speed did you do?

tw0nk

Curvy Vixen wrote: »

Of course you were caught! I've been on 120kph on the motorway and had cars blur past me and the cops have just sat with their money making device pointed at them ~ do they stop them for dangerous driving?? Hell no! They just make another 100 quid or whatever a couple of months later in the post for the governments coffers!

Ah disaster, I was hoping they were just waiting for someone really booting it. What is penalty? 2 points and how much?

Wishbone Ash

Curvy Vixen wrote: »

They just make another 100 quid or whatever a couple of months later.........

................. it would be nicer to think that the guards might actually pull over dangerous drivers too!

If it happens several times they'll lose their licence anyway when they reach 12 points.

tw0nk

micmclo wrote: »

This may come across as pedantic but the speed limit wasn't 60mph.
What was the limit and what speed did you do?

Im guessing you mean the speed limit was actually 100kph? and I was doing circa 125kph.

I just wish they did something to let you know you were caught, never realised until now that the Gardai had handheld speed cameras

Curvy Vixen

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

If it happens several times they'll lose their licence anyway when they reach 12 points.

Yep that's very true....I do wonder though, how many people who have/will lose their licence actually stay off the road and how many would take a chance and still drive..

And how many of those hold an Irish licence too? Some of those without one couldn't care less how many speed camera's are pointed at them! I would still rather the police pulled these idiots in at the time of the incident. If all it did was stop them driving so dangerously for the rest of the day then it might save someone getting injured or killed.

Ah disaster, I was hoping they were just waiting for someone really booting it. What is penalty? 2 points and how much?

Can't help you tw0nk sorry, sure someone will be along to help soon though..

bman

How would they have a record of your number plate?? Those handheld devices don't take pictures afaik. I reckon if you weren't stopped at the time your fine.

And 120 km/h on your speedo is probably closer to 110 km/h in real terms as your speedo is designed to be over ambitious with your reading. They're probably not gonna book you for 110 km/h.

tw0nk

Thanks for replies everyone, unfortunately from reading other posts it looks like I will have to wait up as far as 6 months to find out if I am totally in the clear.

master-d

Yep my understanding, from a reliable freind whos dad is a guard is that those speed guns do not take pictures and that the only way you can be "done" is if they pull you over. I know this because i found myself in the same position around xmas last year, same thing has happened twice since then, and i still have a clean licence!

The way i look at is that the cars speedo reads faster than the speed you are actualy doing (if compared with a gps or sat nav) and the guard will generaly (unless he/she is a young, recently graduated *insert word here* who is mad to get as many offences under their belt as possible so they can be promoted asap), give a bit of leeway of up to 20kmph im told.