Speed checks at night

breadmonkey

It just occurred to me last night as a taxi went flying past me way over the speed limit that I've never once seen a speed check at night. Now I've only been driving for about five years but I still find it strange. Are speed checks ever carried out at night?

siobhanoh

I have done a lot of driving at night and I have never seen a speed check. Actually I remember one winters evening I saw a speed check when it was dark but that could have been at about 6 o'clock. I would be on the m1 a lot between 2 and 3 in the morning and have never seen any speed checks.

Andrewf20

Yep, I did once did on the N3 outside Blanch at 8pm one Autumn evening in the dark.

mick.fr

Got caught myself just before Cork at 9pm (It was very dark) last year.
They used laser gun.
I was racing with another bimmer :-)

breadmonkey

I'm talking more about after 10 or 11pm.

Cionád

I've seen lots of people getting pulled over on the Chapelizod bypass late at night. Usually by unmarked cars that they've passed out rather than a Garda with a gun.

Cuddlesworth

breadmonkey wrote: »

I'm talking more about after 10 or 11pm.

Never past nine, there are Gardai traffic cars around and undercover.

CreepingDeath

Only about a month ago there was an unmarked speed trap van ( white transit type ) parked outside Guinnesses on the quays.
Just before Heuston Station.

That was at 11pm.

here.from.day.1

mick.fr wrote: »

Got caught myself just before Cork at 9pm (It was very dark) last year.
They used laser gun.
I was racing with another bimmer :-)

Your cool. :rolleyes:

breadmonkey

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

Never past nine, there are Gardai traffic cars around and undercover.

Is this policy or your own observations?

hobochris

The older equipment they have was not that effective at night, Its being replaced and with the recent roll out of ANPR night time speed checks will be more common soon... so I've been told.

Saab Ed

I got caught at quarter to twelve at night back in 2001 outside Kill on the Naas road. 75mph in a 60 zone and thank God the points system hadnt come in by then.:)

Flyer1

Ohhh they sure do. And those Gatso vans work at night too apparently.

Bogger77

2am, in 2001 by radar gun.

stuckinarut

i got caught by gatso van at midight beside rte on way into town,where it goes to 50km/h, was doing 65 following an rs4..

we both got flashed but havnt got ticket yet and that was in beginning of jan in a friends car!

Yakult

never seen any speedchecks at night. Still tho you'd be silly to take the risk imo.

Mr Ed

Got done by the cops in Paulstown at 12:30am about 2 years ago. Often see them out at night.

timmywex

Generally more checkpoints are done at night for things like drink driving or such, rather than speed checks because theres not going to be as many cars on the roads

Joey the lips

My understanding is speed traps work all the time. Its just at night its down to frequency of traffic does not warrent the check.

I think if this policy is true it would be daft as most accidents that kill happen at night.

A bit of useless info: I once read an article about how the IRA use to adapt land mines so they can be set off by radar guns. This was to stop the frequency jammers the Security forces used from jamming them. Anyway the mines would be planted at night when it was less likely to see them.

Moral of the story: I always thought radar could could work at night (Or we would have a great laugh in dublin airport)

Paddy001

Speed checks are done at night, passed one at 2am a few months ago on a national road

It BeeMee

Way back in 2001, on the N9 between Kilkenny and Carlow, at 2am on a Tuesday night.

The guard started with the "Do you know what speed you were doing?" and I hadn't the heart to tell him my dash lights didn't work so I couldn't see the speedo.

I was well impressed when he told me I was doing 80. I was driving a '94 Vento diesel (flat, no turbo) - didn't think she had it in her!

Joey the lips

It BeeMee wrote: »

Way back in 2001, on the N9 between Kilkenny and Carlow, at 2am on a Tuesday night.

The guard started with the "Do you know what speed you were doing?" and I hadn't the heart to tell him my dash lights didn't work so I couldn't see the speedo.

I was well impressed when he told me I was doing 80. I was driving a '94 Vento diesel (flat, no turbo) - didn't think she had it in her!

You should have asked him did he want it in miles or kilometers. Then say it always sounds better in miles dosent it..

Great car.. It was only 7 years old then why wouldent it. I drive a 97 coursa now. It shakes like sh1t past 100k but it gets me 135 k ( In theory of course I have never tried it )

pablosd

after 9 pm out the N5 out of Castlebar, there was no cars at all and i had my cruise control set at 80mph, next thing i saw was cops pulling behind me from a small 3rd class road, i kept going for a while and then reduced the speed wit cruise control down to 60mph, after about a minute they were on my tail i know they were checking my speed coz they caught up too quick, dat means they broke the speed limit to catch up, but by then i was doing 60 so i got away with it, im more cautious now, coz u never know where they are....

askU

I got stopped for sppeing at 9.20 last Saturday coming down a bypass. I was doing 121Km per hour but he leff me off

congo_90

not only have I seen a speed check at night but got stung and 2 points! they do exist.

jaybee747

I've seen them dozen's of times on the Naas road after 11pm. Normally a marked Mondeo estate sitting at the dip at Kill ,i see these atleast once a forthnight, don't know if there using radar or not but have seen them with cars pulled over on a number of occasions.

Delta Kilo

You won't see too many speed checks late at night anymore because the overtime in the Guards has disappeared, and whatever you think about the guards, they are still human and are unwilling to go out at all hours unless they are going to be well renumerated for it! I haven't noticed as many tax/insurance/drink-driving checkpoints either.

Big Nasty

Got done on the north quays in Dublin last year doing 70-odd in a 60 zone at half twelve in the morning. €80 fine and two points! :mad: