Gatso van parked on N4 @ 12 midnight

bookerboy

Evening all.Just passed a Gatso van parked on the N4 near the Lucan Spa hotel (heading towards town)
This is a three lane carrigeway where the speed drops to 80kph
Nothing to do with road safety here just shooting fish.
I'm sure we will read in our sunday papers tomorrow about someone killed at the usual blackspot.Why are the cops not where they should be saving lives on the road instead of generating revenue for no reason?
How many times has this question been asked?

Rein-in

bookerboy wrote: »

How many times has this question been asked?

Too many, and it'll never be answered.

sogood

Is that not the same spot where there is a speed camera mounted? I used to drive that route regularly and saw numerous cars being caught. Belt and braces?
Anyway, we've all seen the statistics quoted by the RSA and insurance companies, used to justify their dubious actions etc. but every motorist in the country can vouch for the fact that speeding, in relation to accidents isn't being tackled seriously, where it might actually be effective. It's much easier to park up on a good straight stretch of very safe road and wait for the money to start rolling in.

unkel

sogood wrote: »

Is that not the same spot where there is was a speed camera mounted?

FYP

And yes, it's a disgrace and a national shame that speedchecks are still there on safe dual carriageways and motorways. That Garda head honcho who publicly said they wouldn't do it anymore on safe roads is a lier and a bastard.

Absurdum

unkel wrote: »

That Garda head honcho who publicly said they wouldn't do it anymore on safe roads is a lier and a bastard.

lol!

to be fair, there are some heavy rain, hail and sleet showers about, there's really no need to be doing anything more than 80 km/h in those conditions

ironclaw

That's the new white transit one. Very hard to detect til your on it. Tall Van, blacked out rear windows (Flash unit on the left hand side) and a noticeable air vent on the roof.

Its also regularly at the N11 (before the UCD Slip Road) going into town. And at "911" (The Petrol Station near the Cherrywood Interchange) going Southbound.

Both are unbelievably safe stretches of road and both are 60km/ph.

antomorro-sei

Noticed it an awful lot recently on the Naas Rd just after the Red Cow going towards the city. The amount of people it catches is unreal. Again, on a 3 laned road :rolleyes:

the_syco

Absurdum wrote: »

lol!

to be fair, there are some heavy rain, hail and sleet showers about, there's really no need to be doing anything more than 80 km/h in those conditions

To be fair, you're going in a straight road. To be fair, they'd catch less people on a country road, generate less money, but save lots more people.

But as I said, that'd get them less money. They seem to prefer catching people going fast in the go-fast road, rather than catching people going fast on the go-slow road :rolleyes:

ironclaw

antomorro-sei wrote: »

Noticed it an awful lot recently on the Naas Rd just after the Red Cow going towards the city. The amount of people it catches is unreal. Again, on a 3 laned road :rolleyes:

Interestly, depending on where the van was parked and you were in the furthermost lane away from it (So extreme inside to extreme outside) it would be less accurate (Cosine effect etc)

Absurdum wrote: »

lol!

to be fair, there are some heavy rain, hail and sleet showers about, there's really no need to be doing anything more than 80 km/h in those conditions

Radar and especially laser shouldn't be used in the rain. The accuracy flys out the window. But agreed, many people don't realise the need to slow down in wet weather and in the cold. Someone did almost 130km/ph past me last night and it was reading a steady 1 degree C.

brandon_flowers

ironclaw wrote: »

. But agreed, many people don't realise the need to slow down in wet weather and in the cold. Someone did almost 130km/ph past me last night and it was reading a steady 1 degree C.

Ha, I was coming down the N7 Monday morning around 6am and some guy passed me doing at least 140-150km/h and my temp was reading -1.0. Further on the raod the same Avensis was buried in the hedge in the Central Median beyond Rathcoole. I hate to say it but I was delighted for him.

ytareh

There was a white Transit with full 'white'/metal tail gate/rear doors parked all day on the N4 between Lucan and Foxhunter pub on citybound side on Sunday.It had no sign of glass whatsoever in the rear .I assumed/hoped this was a broken down van .Any idea?

MarkN

Saw one on the Merrion Road at about 12.30am heading into town a couple of Saturdays ago...

Heroditas

ytareh wrote: »

There was a white Transit with full 'white'/metal tail gate/rear doors parked all day on the N4 between Lucan and Foxhunter pub on citybound side on Sunday.It had no sign of glass whatsoever in the rear .I assumed/hoped this was a broken down van .Any idea?

I saw that too.
It was just a broken down van. I think it had UK plates anyway

Vikings

the_syco wrote: »

To be fair, they'd catch less people on a country road, generate less money, but save lots more people.

Do you really believe that or is it just a rant?

Think about it. These country roads where people die in accidents are what, very bad quality roads or decent quality roads with a nice big hard shoulder on them? Where do you expect a big ford transit Gatso van to be parked on these country roads? Safely, I might add.

It just isn't going to happen. Accidents happen on country roads by people going too fast, sure, throw a transit parked in on the grass at the side of the road and you make it more dangerous in my opinion.

Just to add, not defending putting a gatso on the n4, but I don't agree with your point here.

Rev. BlueJeans

I think in fairness, it probably has less to do with revenue generation (although that's going to become a far bigger issue), than it has to do with PR.

"Our glorious Gardai caught 1000 speeders this morning (unquoted-on the N4 at Palmerston, doing an average of 85 in an 80kph zone, on a 6 lane carriageway, in good conditions)."

Like most departments now, it's all about targets, even though we know they are not always the whole story, or even part of it.

Meanwhile, some goon embeds himself in a wall, or worse yet, takes out an innocent oncomer on a bad bend on some godawful boreen somewhere. Or sadly, as with a lady this morning in Wexford, get caught out on an icy bend.

Can the polis be everywhere? No. Can they play a role in education rather than skulking on busy hard shoulder, or in gateways hidden at the bottom of long straights. Absolutely.

Heroditas

There's two Gatsos there this evening.
One pulled in heading Westbound where the bus stop at the old entrance to Esker Lane is.
The other is directly across on the other side of the road monitoring traffic heading eastbound.

Needless to say, the flashes were operating on overtime this evening by the looks of it!

roadwars

Definitely say it on the Southern Cross road in Bray, could have sworn i saw the red laser in my rear view mirror, maybe i'm imagining it

L1011

Saw the one at the old Esker Lane today, also one on the M50 just before the Red Cow southbound earlier in the day.

Are the newer ones still only able to aim on one lane? I was doing ~110, there were people passing me in the outer lane, no flash for anyone; and it was dull enough for the flash to be needed.

ironclaw

roadwars wrote: »

Definitely say it on the Southern Cross road in Bray, could have sworn i saw the red laser in my rear view mirror, maybe i'm imagining it

They are radar based. And in addition police laser (Lidar) is invisible to the naked eye. It is on the Southern Cross Road some times however (Where they sell strawberry's etc opposite the industrial estate)

Are the newer ones still only able to aim on one lane?

All Lidar / Radar units can effectively target one lane only. I'd be skeptical of a system that could pull two lanes at the same time. If a car overtakes you for example? if you bang on 60 (in a 60 zone) and they go past at 75 who gets the ticket?

Heroditas

MYOB wrote: »

I was doing ~110, there were people passing me in the outer lane, no flash for anyone; and it was dull enough for the flash to be needed.

I suppose it depends what speeds they want to fine people for.
Perhaps they're only prosecuting people over 120kmph? Can they set the cameras to do that?

L1011

Heroditas wrote: »

I suppose it depends what speeds they want to fine people for.
Perhaps they're only prosecuting people over 120kmph? Can they set the cameras to do that?

Yes, as the same cameras work on 120km/h limit roads. Don't see *why* they'd do that though.

Before someone points out that "indicated 110 means you were probably doing 100" - Citroen digital speedo, I was doing 110

roadwars

ironclaw wrote: »

It is on the Southern Cross Road some times however (Where they sell strawberry's etc opposite the industrial estate)


Yep thats where it was, which way do they work out of curiosity? do you have to be driving towards them, or away from them, or does it matter?

roadwars

ironclaw wrote: »

It is on the Southern Cross Road some times however (Where they sell strawberry's etc opposite the industrial estate)

Yep thats where it was, which way do they work out of curiosity? do you have to be driving towards them, or away from them, or does it matter?

L1011

roadwars wrote: »

Yep thats where it was, which way do they work out of curiosity? do you have to be driving towards them, or away from them, or does it matter?

Driving towards their back doors.

ytareh

If these things can only target one lane surely they usually aim for the 'fast' lane and first procedure at a hint of a 'van' should be to move in to the left rather than slow down .

bookerboy

Yep.Saw the two of them there at 4.30pm.The one on the Luacn Spa hotel side of the road was flashing for nearly every car that passes.
At 1pm today in nearly the same spot heading out of town there was a guard there with a tripod standing by the side of the road with a cop further down the road pulling drivers in.
I was in the outside lane over the limit but thankfully saw him in time and was able to jam on the brakes and slow in time.
I make a point of phoning anyone i know that could use that road to let them know the Guards are collectin revenue again (on the safe roads)
I also did notice most of the car drivers around me were also on the phones.
I also tend to flash my brake lights a good few times to try and warn the traffic behind me.Some don't get the message and boot past me.I'm sure they get done,but at least i tried.

Eric Cartman

they had a gatso van either side of the road 100m away from lucan exit when i was going to work today, the middle and right hand lane everyone doing 100km , a truck blocked me out of view most of the way so hopefully i escape

ironclaw

roadwars wrote: »

Yep thats where it was, which way do they work out of curiosity? do you have to be driving towards them, or away from them, or does it matter?

Technically it can work either way but mainly working towards the rear doors

Heroditas

Eric Cartman wrote: »

they had a gatso van either side of the road 100m away from lucan exit when i was going to work today, the middle and right hand lane everyone doing 100km , a truck blocked me out of view most of the way so hopefully i escape

They'll be waiting a while to catch people speeding heading eastbound in the morning after 8am recently. The N4 has been at a virtual standstill all the way back from Palmerstown to the Newcastle junction quite a lot in the last few weeks.