Gatso's vans are dangerous

OldmanMondeo

Yip, Comming into work this morning over the M50, seen a white van at the N7 junction, think to myself is it or is it not? Just as I got near enough to see it the fecking thing flashes right in my eyes (and no not at me as I was well under the limit), lucky I wasn't blinded.

These things should be banned....:D

neilthefunkeone

It Blinded you?? Was it pitch black dark at the time??
Had one flash behind me once.. didnt think it was any worse than a flash of the headlights..

Seth Brundle

I saw it from about 200m and managed to make sure that I was under the limit (not that I'd be speeding anyway)

biko

Cars are dangerous, not vans

AugustusMaximus

Gatso Vans being hidden could potentially cause a massive pileup on a motorway due to drivers slamming on the brakes when they see it at last minute.

Of course they're dangerous.

neilthefunkeone

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Gatso Vans being hidden could potentially cause a massive pileup on a motorway due to drivers slamming on the brakes when they see it at last minute.

Of course they're dangerous.

If they are slamming on their brakes that means they were speeding or just terrible drivers.. Each fact on their own will cause a pileup!!!!

pokerface_me

Magnus wrote: »

Cars are dangerous, not vans

What a stupid comment.

R.O.R

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Yip, Comming into work this morning over the M50, seen a white van at the N7 junction, think to myself is it or is it not? Just as I got near enough to see it the fecking thing flashes right in my eyes (and no not at me as I was well under the limit), lucky I wasn't blinded.

These things should be banned....:D

You think that's bad!

I was once flashed by a forward facing camera about 11.30pm, on an unlit B-Road in the UK, somewhere around the Northampton area while on my way to Silverstone.

Imagine the flash from a fixed camera that you usually see in your rear view, straight in you face when everything else (except the bit illuminated by your headlights) is pitch black. Hadn't a clue what it was at first - could have been aliens landing for all I knew.

Never heard anything else from it (in a rental car), and they removed the forward facing cameras soon after because they are damn dangerous. Took a good few minutes before my eyes adjusted back to darkness.

AugustusMaximus

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

If they are slamming on their brakes that means they were speeding or just terrible drivers.. Each fact on their own will cause a pileup!!!!

While the positioning of a Gatso Van and a person speeding could be held equally as the cause of an accident in this case, the hiding of Gatso vans is a potentially reckless action by the authorities.

The purpose of speed cameras is to stop speeding. Placing sign posts warning of a camera ahead will have a similar effect of reducing speeding but that won't come with the risk of causing a major pileup.

robtri

neilthefunkeone wrote: »

If they are slamming on their brakes that means they were speeding or just terrible drivers.. Each fact on their own will cause a pileup!!!!

and people would rather blame the Gatso van as being the problem, not their own lack of ability to drive correctly

Seth Brundle

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Gatso Vans being hidden could potentially cause a massive pileup on a motorway due to drivers slamming on the brakes when they see it at last minute.

Of course they're dangerous.

On this occasion, the van was not hidden. It was parked at the edge of the motorway on the hard shoulder and visible for all to see.
As I approached it, I didn't see any cars braking.

WacoKid

robtri wrote: »

and people would rather blame the Gatso van as being the problem, not their own lack of ability to drive correctly

thats not the point here

Anan1

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Placing sign posts warning of a camera ahead will have a similar effect of reducing speeding but that won't come with the risk of causing a major pileup.

If cameras are always signposted in advance then drivers will reasonably assume that no sign = no camera. The deterrent effect of hidden speed traps will be gone.

robtri

WacoKid wrote: »

thats not the point here

see post 5 and 6......

Redsoxfan

Wouldn't an average speed camera type system work better on the M50?

Does the area where this van is normally positioned have any statistics to suggest it's a black spot or risk area (I can't recall what the Gardai/RSA terminology is....)

Traffic was more sluggish than normal in all lanes on approach to the GATSO this morning but sped up again immediately afterwards.

Can the camera catch all 4 lanes from where it is stationed?

rohatch

simple solution

if you get flashed and blinded by a forward flash just drive into the van

Absurdum

rohatch wrote: »

simple solution

if you get flashed and blinded by a forward flash just drive into the van

might be a little painful!

antomorro-sei

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Traffic was more sluggish than normal in all lanes on approach to the GATSO this morning but sped up again immediately afterwards.

This ALWAYS happens at the start of the M7 just after Naas when the Gardaí speedcheckers are there! I'd imagine they catch very few there.


Off Topic, sort of, sorry!

OldmanMondeo

Cans of worms opened. I was only taken the mick out of the flash in my face. I was surprised to see the van there as usually in the morning traffic is queing on the slip road and crawls along, no chance of getting done for speeding as the line of sight would eb blocked by slow moving traffic.

I.S.T.

OldmanMondeo wrote: »

Cans of worms opened. I was only taken the mick out of the flash in my face. I was surprised to see the van there as usually in the morning traffic is queing on the slip road and crawls along, no chance of getting done for speeding as the line of sight would eb blocked by slow moving traffic.

Did it really flash? AFAIK they don't usually.

ytareh

Once saw a motorcyclist crash as a result of one of these 'parked vans' on a wet road with other motorists slamming on to avoid being fined for making reasonable progress on the N4 westbound after the Foxhunter pub.The green Transit skulked off immediately no doubt shamed or nervous...

Anan1

ytareh wrote: »

Once saw a motorcyclist crash as a result of one of these 'parked vans' on a wet road with other motorists slamming on to avoid being fined for making reasonable progress on the N4 westbound after the Foxhunter pub.The green Transit skulked off immediately no doubt shamed or nervous...

How did the camera van make the motorbike crash?

antomorro-sei

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

Did it really flash? AFAIK they don't usually.

I've seen it flash plenty of times, but its not that bright to be fair. Can't see how it'd make someone crash

pokerface_me

Anan1 wrote: »

How did the camera van make the motorbike crash?

Imagine that type of comment from a mod. Yes its people's driving and there ability to control there motor but if the green van wasn't there, people wouldn't be jamming on the brakes would they.

I drive for a living and see this type of behaviour day in day out, and less experienced drivers panic like hell even if they are doing way under the limit. I've seen people hit there brakes and cross 3 lanes of traffic in a panic, if the van wasn't there the other lives of the people in the other 2 lanes wouldn't be put at risk, regardless of speed.

delly

I have seen threads here and there about speed vans, fish in a barrel, dangerously parked etc. etc. So here and now i've decided to offer up my idea on speed traps and a simple but very effective way of doing it.

Say a gatso van is setting up for a four hour period on for example the M2, which I happen to drive everyday. Now just before this speed trap becomes active, you have one of those mobile flashing signs, usually seen when roadworks are underway. On this sign you state in big flashing lights; "GUARANTEED SPEED TRAP WITHIN THE NEXT 10 KM'S". You then park the van somewhere along the 10 KM's.
The net result of this plan would be that you have practically every driver keeping to the speedlimit for most of the 10 KM's, which is better than just slowing down for 300 metres, and the other effect is you don't have drivers jamming on as they get a fright by seeing the van. Once the speedcheck is done, turn off the sign, so drivers will learn that once they see it, they know they will defo pass a speedtrap.

The other effect from this however is that you would have a large drop in revenue, but safety is the priority is it not?

pokerface_me

delly wrote: »

I have seen threads here and there about speed vans, fish in a barrel, dangerously parked etc. etc. So here and now i've decided to offer up my idea on speed traps and a simple but very effective way of doing it.

Say a gatso van is setting up for a four hour period on for example the M2, which I happen to drive everyday. Now just before this speed trap becomes active, you have one of those mobile flashing signs, usually seen when roadworks are underway. On this sign you state in big flashing lights; "GUARANTEED SPEED TRAP WITHIN THE NEXT 10 KM'S". You then park the van somewhere along the 10 KM's.
The net result of this plan would be that you have practically every driver keeping to the speedlimit for most of the 10 KM's, which is better than just slowing down for 300 metres, and the other effect is you don't have drivers jamming on as they get a fright by seeing the van. Once the speedcheck is done, turn off the sign, so drivers will learn that once they see it, they know they will defo pass a speedtrap.

The other effect from this however is that you would have a large drop in revenue, but safety is the priority is it not?

Excellent post and a very good idea. But i don't think safety is an issue, Anan doesn't understand how a dangerously parked gasto van would cause any problems at all, God forbid a crash or loss of life.

Anan1

pokerface_me wrote: »

Imagine that type of comment from a mod. Yes its people's driving and there ability to control there motor but if the green van wasn't there, people wouldn't be jamming on the brakes would they.

I drive for a living and see this type of behaviour day in day out, and less experienced drivers panic like hell even if they are doing way under the limit. I've seen people hit there brakes and cross 3 lanes of traffic in a panic, if the van wasn't there the other lives of the people in the other 2 lanes wouldn't be put at risk, regardless of speed.

That's an explanation of how driver incompetence caused the crash. Thing is, you said that the camera van caused the crash. Perhaps, after you've taken a few deep breaths, you could explain that to me.

antomorro-sei

Quick question, how much revenue to speed traps and the likes make? Roughly...

pokerface_me

Anan1 wrote: »

That's an explanation of how driver incompetence caused the crash. Thing is, you said that the camera van caused the crash. Perhaps, after you've taken a few deep breaths, you could explain that to me.

As explained to you before, the less experienced or competent drivers on our roads panic like fcuk when they see a gatso van even if they are way under the speed limit, its human nature unfortunately and we are not all perfect.

Remove the distraction and you remove the danger to loss of life. Not a money making solution but common sense.

ps...i never said anything caused a crash.. you have become distracted its human nature

OldmanMondeo

IrishSpeedTraps wrote: »

Did it really flash? AFAIK they don't usually.

It sure did, Just as I was straining my eyes to see if it there was a camera or not. Forgot my glasses this morning, got the full flash straight into the eyes...

Anan1

pokerface_me wrote: »

As explained to you before, the less experienced or competent drivers on our roads panic like fcuk when they see a gatso van even if they are way under the speed limit, its human nature unfortunately and we are not all perfect.

Remove the distraction and you remove the danger to loss of life. Not a money making solution but common sense.

The less experienced or competent drivers panic when they see anything unexpected. The solution is proper training/testing/enforcement. Or do you think that we should do away with marked Garda cars too, on the basis that they might give someone who's not fit to drive a fright?