Gatso Van Is Currently Located at....

KevR

Spotted yesterday evening on the N6 Oranmore Dual Carriageway pulled in under the overpass on the Westbound carriageway, hidden by the bushes. Map

I don't understand why they had it on a section of bullet straight Dual Carriageway which has a great safety record. Plenty of other roads where it would serve more of a purpose, the Orannmore Coast Road perhaps.

I wonder if it will make a few more appearences in Galway over the coming weeks and months. If you see it post about it here. It will be interesting to see which roads they target if it stays in the Galway area for a while.

(It's a white unmarked transit with blacked out back windows and you can sometimes see a light shining through the back window. I think it's 08-D registration).

PopeBuckfastXVI

KevR wrote: »

I don't understand why they had it on a section of bullet straight Dual Carriageway which has a great safety record.

Because that's where it will raise revenue, as opposed to saving lives.

Mike...

PopeBuckfastXVI wrote: »

Because that's where it will raise revenue, as opposed to saving lives.

As if speed camera's are a money making venture :rolleyes:

Of course it's to save lives, and they hide behind bushes so as not to distract you while driving.

sgthighway

There has been serious accidents on that road.
If you were to look out towards Oranmore from were the pic from the bridge was taken;
I have witnessed one car coming from Galway lose control on come right over the wire barrier and hedge and land on the other side of the dual carriage way. I don't know why he lost control.
Another day I saw a VW Golf lost control and manged to mount the front of the car onto the wall between the dual carriage way and the fields.
It is also used for racing at night time.

If we all stuck to 100KM we will get were we are going.

That van is stored in Oranmore so it would be handy to park it there.

I reckon it will be on the road behind Riverside soon enough.

mika27

It was a outside the school in Clarenbridge last week. Monday or tuesday morning i think

mika27

sgthighway wrote: »

There has been serious accidents on that road.
If you were to look out towards Oranmore from were the pic from the bridge was taken;
I have witnessed one car coming from Galway lose control on come right over the wire barrier and hedge and land on the other side of the dual carriage way. I don't know why he lost control.
Another day I saw a VW Golf lost control and manged to mount the front of the car onto the wall between the dual carriage way and the fields.
It is also used for racing at night time.

If we all stuck to 100KM we will get were we are going.

That van is stored in Oranmore so it would be handy to park it there.

I reckon it will be on the road behind Riverside soon enough.

Yeah but a dual carriageway is statiscally safer than than say an R road where the majority of accidents occur.

If they were really only interested in saving lives and don't care about the revenue how come you never see a gatso van on dangerous R roads??

Euro_Kraut

A list of Galway's Speed Enforecent Zones can be found here:http://www.garda.ie/sez/Galway.aspx

Its likely that the van will focus on these areas as the Garda website states:
from http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=106

Garda Mobile Speed Detection Vehicles



Excessive or inappropriate speeding continues to be a significant contributory factor in road traffic collisions. As part of the Road Safety Strategy 2007 - 2012 and of An Garda Síochána's strategic goals, a targeted approach to speed enforcement is being undertaken. The aim is to significantly reduce the incidence of fatal and serious injury collisions and improve road safety.



On the 22nd September 2008, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, launched 8 new Garda Mobile Speed Detection Vehicles. The digital enforcement technology operating in these vehicles enhances our enforcement capability during both daylight hours and the hours of darkness. These vehicles are deployed nationally with an emphasis on Collision Prone Zones. Additional speed enforcement activity will also be conducted in these zones through the use of handheld speed enforcement equipment

KevR

Mike... wrote: »

Of course it's to save lives, and they hide behind bushes so as not to distract you while driving.

Hmm, it was distracting people and causing them to break rather suddenly when it did come into view.

If it was out in plain sight then people would slow down well in advance of it and be forced to drive at the speed limit until they at least pass the van. Might not make as many fines that way but people would be forced to slow down which is supposedly the main aim of it. When it's hidden like it was it just caused dangerous sudden braking (which was pointless anyway because it was too late by that stage) and, in my opinion, was more concerned with money making than improving safety.

mika27 wrote: »

It was a outside the school in Clarenbridge last week. Monday or tuesday morning i think

That's exactly the sort of place where I fully agree with them having the Gatso Van. Hopefully they will have it near more schools when the schools start back in September.

And while the camera does it's work, the Gardai who drove it there could tackle the dangerous illegal parking and other stuff which goes on outside some schools.

blindpilot

KevR wrote: »

Spotted yesterday evening on the N6 Oranmore Dual Carriageway pulled in under the overpass on the Westbound carriageway, hidden by the bushes. Map

I don't understand why they had it on a section of bullet straight Dual Carriageway which has a great safety record. Plenty of other roads where it would serve more of a purpose, the Orannmore Coast Road perhaps.

I wonder if it will make a few more appearences in Galway over the coming weeks and months. If you see it post about it here. It will be interesting to see which roads they target if it stays in the Galway area for a while.

(It's a white unmarked transit with blacked out back windows and you can sometimes see a light shining through the back window. I think it's 08-D registration).

It was there last Sunday evening too around 9.30pm so I expect thats a place to expect it for a while.

mika27

Sorry but those speed enforcement zones are a load of rubbish. They've just listed all of the main roads in Galway. Whats the point?
They should be identifying specific dangerous sections of road and using the vans there.

Mike...

Michael Ring had a good point a few years ago, he reckons the Ninja tactic of hiding out is giving the guards a bad PR, he said they should place signs 1/2 a mile before any checkpoints.

mika27

KevR wrote: »

That's exactly the sort of place where I fully agree with them having the Gatso Van. Hopefully they will have it near more schools when the schools start back in September.

And while the camera does it's work, the Gardai who drove it there could tackle the dangerous illegal parking and other stuff which goes on outside some schools.

Yeah I've no objection to having it there. In fact I think there should be fixed cameras outside schools.

But I think putting it on a straight stretch of dual carriageway is a waste of resources

KevR

mika27 wrote: »

Sorry but those speed enforcement zones are a load of rubbish. They've just listed all of the main roads in Galway. Whats the point?
They should be identifying specific dangerous sections of road and using the vans there.

Mike... wrote: »

Michael Ring had a good point a few years ago, he reckons the Ninja tactic of hiding out is giving the guards a bad PR, he said they should place signs 1/2 a mile before any checkpoints.

mika27 wrote: »

Yeah I've no objection to having it there. In fact I think there should be fixed cameras outside schools.

But I think putting it on a straight stretch of dual carriageway is a waste of resources

Agree with all of the above!

Mike...

Mike... wrote: »

Michael Ring had a good point a few years ago, he reckons the Ninja tactic of hiding out is giving the guards a bad PR, he said they should place signs 1/2 a mile before any checkpoints.

Bad PR..... so the Guards should set up big signs saying ''Checkpoint ahead''...??...... that reads as ''Checkpoint ahead, turn around if you don't have any Tax/Insurance/NCT'' :rolleyes:

Mike...

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Bad PR..... so the Guards should set up big signs saying ''Checkpoint ahead''...??...... that reads as ''Checkpoint ahead, turn around if you don't have any Tax/Insurance/NCT'' :rolleyes:

Good point, but in all honesty this ninja shite is really annoying...

bazjnr

mika27 wrote: »

Yeah but a dual carriageway is statiscally safer than than say an R road where the majority of accidents occur.

If they were really only interested in saving lives and don't care about the revenue how come you never see a gatso van on dangerous R roads??

How the hell are you meant to park a Gatso van on an R road?... up a tree perhaps! It is the Government's failure to roll out fixed speed cameras that can be used in dangerous locations that is the problem.

You don't see Guards on dangerous roads doing speed at present because they are dangerous- too dangerous to park a van on, too dangerous to stand out on.

KevR wrote: »

Hmm, it was distracting people and causing them to break rather suddenly when it did come into view.

When it's hidden like it was it just caused dangerous sudden braking.

How do hide a large white Ford transit van on the hardshoulder? They are made to be obvious that is why the are LARGE and WHITE and are VANS!! This large white Transit van certainly did not cause dangerous sudden braking it was the drivers of the moving vehicles that caused dangerous sudden braking by their total lack of awareness of what is going on around them.

The fact that people are slamming on their brakes when they see the van at the last second says two things: 1. Their observation skills are crap, 2. They have no comprehension of their own speed.

As far as using Gatso/ROBOT vans on bullet straight dualcarriageways people should not have anything to complain about... as long as they are obeying the speed limit!

The fact is that the vans are in these locations is because people exceed the speed limit there. If they brake the speed limit there, they have the propensity to exceed the speed limit elsewhere. A fine and penalty points coming through their letterboxes might give them some food for thought regarding their selfish and socially irresponsible use of our roads"!

KevR wrote: »

I wonder if it will make a few more appearences in Galway over the coming weeks and months. If you see it post about it here.

Hows about not wondering over a van parked on the side of the road and concentrate on your driving and just drive under or at the speed limit!

This juvenile "post here if you see it" attitude of not wanting to get caught is the whole problem in this country. If you don't want to get caught there is a very easy solution- SLOW DOWN!!

Finally, as far as fixed cameras outside schools I totally agree. They could easily be incorporated into the school ahead warning signs- get writing to your TDs for them cos it will never happen on its own.

mikom

bazjnr wrote: »

This juvenile "post here if you see it" attitude of not wanting to get caught is the whole problem in this country. If you don't want to get caught there is a very easy solution- SLOW DOWN!!

Finally, as far as fixed cameras outside schools I totally agree. They could easily be incorporated into the school ahead warning signs- get writing to your TDs for them cos it will never happen on its own.

Let me guess......... officer?

bazjnr

mikom wrote: »

Let me guess......... officer?

Full licence holder actually. And no i'm not in the army.

Mr. Presentable

mika27 wrote: »

If they were really only interested in saving lives and don't care about the revenue how come you never see a gatso van on dangerous R roads??

Because it would be dangerous?

Madame Razz

Mike... wrote: »

As if speed camera's are a money making venture :rolleyes:

Explain why every station has a monthly target for catching speeding drivers then??

And why Garda presence on the roads is always more prevalent toward the month end so as to hit said target??

The 'fish in a barrel' approach is nothing more than a money making/target hitting exercise to keep Garda superiors happy. Saving lives doesn't come into it tbh.

bazjnr

Madame Razz wrote: »

Explain why every station has a monthly target for catching speeding drivers then??

And why Garda presence on the roads is always more prevalent toward the month end so as to hit said target??

The 'fish in a barrel' approach is nothing more than a money making/target hitting exercise to keep Garda superiors happy. Saving lives doesn't come into it tbh.

Never heard of stations having monthly targets for speeding drivers it is an urban legend. Have you any evidence to back that up?

As for Garda presence more prevalent towards the end of the month well thats when bank holiday weekends are and statistically bank holidays are high risk times for road users.

And I don't believe Joe Soap Garda is bothered about money making exercises or shooting fish in a barrel especially when morale and motivation in the force is at an all time low.

mikom

mikom wrote: »

Let me guess......... officer?

bazjnr wrote: »

Full licence holder actually.

Fair play to ya.

bazjnr wrote: »

And no i'm not in the army.

Nice side-step.

Zzippy

bazjnr wrote: »

Never heard of stations having monthly targets for speeding drivers it is an urban legend. Have you any evidence to back that up?

As for Garda presence more prevalent towards the end of the month well thats when bank holiday weekends are and statistically bank holidays are high risk times for road users.

And I don't believe Joe Soap Garda is bothered about money making exercises or shooting fish in a barrel especially when morale and motivation in the force is at an all time low.

Apart from October, what other bank holiday falls towards the end of the month? First Monday in May, first in June, first in August. 1st of January. St Patricks mid month. Easter varies depending on the year. So thats BS.
I have mates in the guards, and while they don't have "quotas" or targets, they do get pressure from superiors to get more speeding detections (fines).

Madame Razz

bazjnr wrote: »

Never heard of stations having monthly targets for speeding drivers it is an urban legend. Have you any evidence to back that up?

My Uncle is a Superintendent, I assume he would know what he is talking about. They DO have targets, and they are expected to be met very month.

CrowdedHouse

Saw it parked in the same place as the OP but on the outbound carriageway just before 1 pm today.

bazjnr

Zzippy wrote: »

Apart from October, what other bank holiday falls towards the end of the month? First Monday in May, first in June, first in August. 1st of January. St Patricks mid month. Easter varies depending on the year. So thats BS.
I have mates in the guards, and while they don't have "quotas" or targets, they do get pressure from superiors to get more speeding detections (fines).

Don't be so pedantic Zzippy! Perhaps I should have said bank holidays times occur over the transitionary period of one month ENDING and another month beginning... such as First Monday in May, first in June, first in August. 1st of January. And your mates would want to grow a backbone if they are buckling under pressure from superiors to get more speeding detections (fines).

Madame Razz wrote: »

My Uncle is a Superintendent, I assume he would know what he is talking about. They DO have targets, and they are expected to be met very month.

You would assume he would know what he is talking about wouldn't you.....!!!!! There are NO monthly targets!!!!

Madame Razz

bazjnr wrote: »

You would assume he would know what he is talking about wouldn't you.....!!!!! There are NO monthly targets!!!!

Maybe there actually are targets, but more Junior Gardaí like yourself are not made aware of them:pac::pac::pac:

Mrs OBumble

bazjnr wrote: »

And your mates would want to grow a backbone if they are buckling under pressure from superiors to get more speeding detections (fines).

'Tis a pretty common feature of most workplaces that senior management say what they want done, and how they will measure it. The middle management's job is to acheive the targets. Ways they do this include directions to junior staff about what is required. Sometimes they'll communicate what the actual target is, sometimes they won't.

I can't imagine that AGS is any different to other organisations in this respect.

KevR

bazjnr wrote: »

How the hell are you meant to park a Gatso van on an R road?... up a tree perhaps! It is the Government's failure to roll out fixed speed cameras that can be used in dangerous locations that is the problem.

Some R roads have hard shoulders and or verges that you could safely park a van in. Also, plenty of single carriageway primary and secondary routes which a van could be parked on. The Gardai should use their imagination in finding these roads, just like they used their imagination for finding that little spot under the bridge on the Oranmore DC where they could have the van fairly well hidden.

bazjnr wrote: »

You don't see Guards on dangerous roads doing speed at present because they are dangerous- too dangerous to park a van on, too dangerous to stand out on.

There are a fair few roads which it would be dangerous for a Garda to stand out on (mainly because the Garda would have to 'pursue' and stop the person to penalise them for speeding) but that's the problem Gatso vans were supposed to solve - they can be parked anywhere where there's a verge and work away, nobody needs to be stopped.

bazjnr wrote: »

How do hide a large white Ford transit van on the hardshoulder? They are made to be obvious that is why the are LARGE and WHITE and are VANS!! This large white Transit van certainly did not cause dangerous sudden braking it was the drivers of the moving vehicles that caused dangerous sudden braking by their total lack of awareness of what is going on around them.

Then why aren't they marked with a Garda symbol or have the speed camera symbol? I have heard of some Gatso vans around the country being marked but I have only seen unmarked ones so far.

It was parked under the bridge and concealed behind the bushes. Drive past and you should see how it could be fairly well concealed there.

People don't constantly watch their speed dial on good stretches of road (it would be dangerous to do so). I'm not saying people are totally unaware of their speed, but they might not be 100% sure of their exact speed. They could be slightly over the limit or think they are slightly over the limit when they spot the van and brake in a slight panic.

bazjnr wrote: »

The fact that people are slamming on their brakes when they see the van at the last second says two things: 1. Their observation skills are crap, 2. They have no comprehension of their own speed.

As far as using Gatso/ROBOT vans on bullet straight dualcarriageways people should not have anything to complain about... as long as they are obeying the speed limit!

The fact is that the vans are in these locations is because people exceed the speed limit there. If they brake the speed limit there, they have the propensity to exceed the speed limit elsewhere. A fine and penalty points coming through their letterboxes might give them some food for thought regarding their selfish and socially irresponsible use of our roads"!

I would rather have people around me driving at 105/110kmh and watching the road + other high speed traffic rather then constantly watching their speed dial and driving at 100kmh. People creep over the limit slightly sometimes on good roads without realising. It doesn't make them 'speeders', bad drivers, unsafe drivers and they wouldn't deserve to get fined if they were unlucky enough to be driving past a Gatso van when they crept over.

On Dual Carriageways/Motorways, people might on occasion need to break the limit to get out of someone else's blind spot. I think that someone who breaks the limit to get out of a trucks blind spot quickly is a better/safer driver than someone who stays within the limit and stays in the truck's blind spot for a lot longer while progressively overtaking.
Would a Gatso van or a fixed speed camera take this into account? No.

It's not always a black or white issue, although some people would have us believe that staying below the speed limit is the pinnacle of safe driving.

bazjnr wrote: »

Hows about not wondering over a van parked on the side of the road and concentrate on your driving and just drive under or at the speed limit!

This juvenile "post here if you see it" attitude of not wanting to get caught is the whole problem in this country. If you don't want to get caught there is a very easy solution- SLOW DOWN!!

I was concentrating on my driving and I was driving below the speed limit. I knew someone would wrongly jump to the conclusion that I was breaking the limit when passing this van and that I want to drive around at whatever speed I want.

Just so you know, I work in Athlone and commute from Galway everyday. I pass speed checks on a regular basis on my commute; I would be disqualified by now if I drove above the limit even on an occasional basis, never mind regularly.

Also, I don't tend to post about these speed checks as they are on sections of road that wouldn't be very good/safe in my opinion; I agree with those speed checks.

I am interested in speed enforcement which I am entitled to be (it's not a crime or a sin). If I see a Gatso parked on a good section of Dual Carriageway and I think it was more of a threat to safety than an improvement and the van resources could be better used elsewhere, I will post about it and express my opinion on the matter.

bazjnr wrote: »

Finally, as far as fixed cameras outside schools I totally agree. They could easily be incorporated into the school ahead warning signs- get writing to your TDs for them cos it will never happen on its own.

Fixed speed cameras would work very well outside schools and the like because they will force people to slow down outside the schools which is whole point.

I'm not so sure about having them on simple stretches of road - people get to know where the speed cameras are and just slow down for them and speed up again afterwards. A bit pointless as only the odd unsuspecting driver gets caught.

bazjnr

Madame Razz wrote: »

Maybe there actually are targets, but more Junior Gardaí like yourself are not made aware of them:pac::pac::pac:

Junior Garda? Maybe ten or eleven years ago but it does only seem like yesterday:)
And about your statement above thank you for agreeing with me Madame Razz that there are no targets that have to be met- if, as you say, junior Gardai are not made aware of targets then they simply don't have targets to meet!!! Well, do they???

If your uncle is a district super i'm sure he had a hand in drawing up his district annual policing plan, has read his divisional annual policing plan, has read the national annual policing plan, the road policing strategic review, etc, etc.

bazjnr

KevR wrote: »

I would rather have people around me driving at 105/110kmh and watching the road + other high speed traffic rather then constantly watching their speed dial and driving at 100kmh. People creep over the limit slightly sometimes on good roads without realising. It doesn't make them 'speeders', bad drivers, unsafe drivers and they wouldn't deserve to get fined if they were unlucky enough to be driving past a Gatso van when they crept over.

Don't you think the Gardai realise this? Gatso vans are not set on the button on 100kph. The same applies to hand held lasers Gardai use a certain amount of discretion and are not nailing everyone at 105/110kmh. If they were don't you think the stats for speeding would be greater and the public outcry deafening?

KevR wrote: »

On Dual Carriageways/Motorways, people might on occasion need to break the limit to get out of someone else's blind spot. I think that someone who breaks the limit to get out of a trucks blind spot quickly is a better/safer driver than someone who stays within the limit and stays in the truck's blind spot for a lot longer while progressively overtaking.
Would a Gatso van or a fixed speed camera take this into account? No.

The fact that it is a DUAL carriageway makes getting out of a truck's blind spot very simple by changing lane. All overtaking maneouvres should be carried out quickly and a driver can pass it and stay within the limit or a couple of k over as the truck's limit is 80kph and the car limit is 100 or 120kph.

KevR wrote: »

I am interested in speed enforcement which I am entitled to be (it's not a crime or a sin). If I see a Gatso parked on a good section of Dual Carriageway and I think it was more of a threat to safety than an improvement and the van resources could be better used elsewhere, I will post about it and express my opinion on the matter.

Of course you are entitled to be interested in speed enforcement you spend a substantial part of your daily life on the road which makes me wonder that if you believe that the positioning of that van is such a threat to safety why don't you express your opinion to the appropriate authorities such as the Gardai or Road Safety Authority? Perhaps you have?