Speeding Question....

fitness2010

I was driving home this evening and was met by a GoSafe van pulled in on the side of the road. When I looked down at the speedo I was doing somewhere around the 115 mark in 100 zone.

I'm just wondering if speedo says you're doing, say, between 110 - 115 then what speed are you really doing? I'm aware that most speedo's read a little on the high side.

Personally I feel I'm right on the limit with this one and probably over the limit.

Also how far away do they catch you? As I think my speed was actually creeping up before I noticed the van. So if they catch you, say, 300 - 400 metres away then I was probably doing closer to 110 than 115 and maybe even lower.

I'm usually so careful to keep the speed limits as I just can't afford to be clocking up points. It's really such a bitch!!

Any opinions on this would be welcome. The not knowing is a bit^h!

vectra

Normally it was 10% Plus 2 was allowed
ie.
100kph = 10 +2 = 112 kph allowed
This was with the Garda.
I have no idea what the Vans allow

Daegerty

same thing happened me months ago. not heard anything yet

worst thing about it was the ould molotov cocktail I made him didn't go off. a GoSafe van operator went home with a free litre of petrol.

TouchingVirus

It depends on a few factors such as how accurately your speedometer is calibrated, if you've upgraded/downgraded the wheel size/tyre size and things like that. Phrases such as "if your speedo says 110 you're doing 105" are just generalisations - you'll never know your true speed unless you get it calibrated professionally. Your only guide to how fast you're going is your speedo, so it's a little weird to feel like you're "right on the limit" when your only indicator shows you as being over by a fair bit

The GoSafe vans are operated by people so it depends on what that worker was doing at the time you passed (i.e how quick he got a lock on your car) and some other things like internal policy which you'll never know about really. For example, I hear from several reliable sources that most Gardai will give you 20kph leeway at 80km/h limits or above. It isn't wrote down anywhere though, it's just a "thing". Some will use that discretion, others won't. It's no excuse to drive at 135 in a 120 zone though, because I've no idea how fast my "135" is detected as on a gun :P

In case you didn't get the picture - it all depends on lots of things you have very little control over. Six months is the statute of limitations on speeding offences if I recall correctly but realistically if you don't have points in 2 or 3 months you probably got away with it. Not worth sweating over, unless you've already got yourself enough points to be notifying insurance companies over

TheBunk1

fitness2010 wrote: »

I was driving home this evening and was met by a GoSafe van pulled in on the side of the road. When I looked down at the speedo I was doing somewhere around the 115 mark in 100 zone.

I'm just wondering if speedo says you're doing, say, between 110 - 115 then what speed are you really doing? I'm aware that most speedo's read a little on the high side.

Personally I feel I'm right on the limit with this one and probably over the limit.

Also how far away do they catch you? As I think my speed was actually creeping up before I noticed the van. So if they catch you, say, 300 - 400 metres away then I was probably doing closer to 110 than 115 and maybe even lower.

I'm usually so careful to keep the speed limits as I just can't afford to be clocking up points. It's really such a bitch!!

Any opinions on this would be welcome. The not knowing is a bit^h!

Not sure on the speedometer or distance questions but I got caught doing 116 kph on a 100kph stretch of dual-carriageway last wk ( paid the €80 fine today incidentally) >:-(

I was pretty close before I noticed the van and had a strong feeling I got caught. I was sure I was doing more than 116 though so maybe your 115 will bring you below a limit if there is a few km's of leniency

Wolverine_1999

TheBunk1 wrote: »

I got caught doing 116 kph on a 100kph stretch of dual-carriageway last wk

****in ****, as if a dual carriageway is where all the fatalities and serious collisions are.

If everyone in Ireland said they are not going to pay any more fines for these "catch you out" vans, what could they do?? What was the problem with putting fixed speed cameras like any normal country?

HannahDunne

fitness2010 wrote: »

I was driving home this evening and was met by a GoSafe van pulled in on the side of the road. When I looked down at the speedo I was doing somewhere around the 115 mark in 100 zone.

I'm just wondering if speedo says you're doing, say, between 110 - 115 then what speed are you really doing? I'm aware that most speedo's read a little on the high side.

Personally I feel I'm right on the limit with this one and probably over the limit.

Also how far away do they catch you? As I think my speed was actually creeping up before I noticed the van. So if they catch you, say, 300 - 400 metres away then I was probably doing closer to 110 than 115 and maybe even lower.

I'm usually so careful to keep the speed limits as I just can't afford to be clocking up points. It's really such a bitch!!

Any opinions on this would be welcome. The not knowing is a bit^h!

My husband got the ticket in the post possibly 2 or 3 weeks after he was done.. 81 in a 60 zone, one of those slip roads off the M50. Impossible to slow down but he will be doing the snails pace from now on. He was also afraid he could have been done more than one day in a row, but thankfully not. Thought there was 10% allowance, but dont know for sure

Wolverine_1999

HannahDunne wrote: »

My husband got the ticket in the post possibly 2 or 3 weeks after he was done.. 81 in a 60 zone, one of those slip roads off the M50. Impossible to slow down but he will be doing the snails pace from now on. He was also afraid he could have been done more than one day in a row, but thankfully not. Thought there was 10% allowance, but dont know for sure

No allowance.. I've heard of fines for 64 in a 60, 85 in a 80, 108 in a 100.

Slowing to 60 from a Motorway is also really dangerous..

Mary63

Really sorry but I would say you were caught.I was filmed doing 60 km in a 50 km zone and never even saw the van.What do they look like.I am a law abiding citizen with over 20 years claims free.<snip>. It could be up to a fortnight before you are notified,which is very unfair as you could be careless again in the meantime.I nearly got sick when I opened that envelope.:mad::eek:

fitness2010

I've heard various different stories about people doing 140 on a motorway (120 zone) and not getting caught. On the flip side I've heard stories of people being "done" for 55 in a 50 zone.

To add to the situation it was like 11 at night on a national road as I was completing a 6 hour round trip having left the office at 4 drive to sligo and back home for 11:30.

I heard from someone who used to make the handguns that the Gardai use that the allowance was 10% + 1km. Personally I feel this is a fair allowance. I've no idea how much the GoSafe van may or may not allow you.

I'm not entirely sure how any allowance that may exist interacts with the fact that your speedo is generally giving you a higher speed than you are actually doing.

If you're caught and the notification says 65Km then your speedo was more thank likely telling you something higher at the time. Similiar if the notification says 115 then you're speedo is saying higher than 115. It's just a question of how much more your speedo is saying.

<snip>

Whenever i travel in the west around sligo/donegal/galway i never see the vans on the designated stretches of road which are quite dangerous i admit. Then whenever i am over around dublin i see them all the time parked in ridiculous places like motorway exits.

Graham_B18C

I was done for speeding on the N4 up by Mullingar a few months back, 144 in a 100 zone, I was pulled in and that particular guard was a sound bloke. He said depending on the day (traffic, weather etc) he'd let people go 25kph over the limit before he fines them. But the vans are set to 8kph over the limit.

KingIsabella

Was this in cork? Saw a Van hiding at the side of the road between innashannon and bandon last night on my way to clon, and on the way back he was tucked away nicely in the bush on the straight leading up to the halfway....

....and there was i thinking snakey w%£(!rs in bushes were frownded upon.....

fitness2010

No it was coming back from Sligo.

MugMugs

fitness2010 wrote: »

Also how far away do they catch you? As I think my speed was actually creeping up before I noticed the van. So if they catch you, say, 300 - 400 metres away then I was probably doing closer to 110 than 115 and maybe even lower.

Any opinions on this would be welcome. The not knowing is a bit^h!

I remember reading they can clock you from something like 1k away or something like that. They are obvious but by the time you see them, they have seen you ! :mad:

philiph

I'm also the proud owner of two points from a van , he did me for 120 or so in a 100. I could give out about the fact that the particular stretch of road isnt known for accidents (i travel it very frequently) but it was a fair cop..I was over 100 - in and around the 120 mark (my car is in MPH so takes a few seconds to decipher the tiny kph numbers while standing on the brakes ) What concerns me is not how accurate my speedo is..its how accurate their one is. I got my nice picture of my license plate but how am I to know whether the camera used was accurate? AFAIK the camera in question could have been dropped the day before. I toyed with the idea of asking for the calibration records and assuming they can produce one..evidence that it is the one for the camera used on me. Of course like a good Irish sheep I just paid up...bit the bullet rather than risk doubling the penalty. So question...does anyone know if there is independent validation of the cameras and why there is no camera id on the 'allegation' . After all these cameras are run by private organisations surely there has to be some auditability..or?

MagicSean

vectra wrote: »

Normally it was 10% Plus 2 was allowed
ie.
100kph = 10 +2 = 112 kph allowed
This was with the Garda.
I have no idea what the Vans allow

Only time I've ever heard that was on Top Gear.

BronsonTB

Most gosafe vans will have little or no allowance. The 10% applies to the discretion on the Gaurd. Gosafe operators are not adhearing to this.

You can get done in a 60 zone doing 61 - FACT
51 in 50
81 in 80
101 in 100
etc etc

Yes your speedo calibration will have an influence & when the operator took the reading etc I'm just pointing out these so called allowances are rubbish. Just cause you pass the van you may not get done, takes the operrator time to get it up and running etc, could be finished and turned off equipement getting ready to move off etc...

Loads of factors...

cyclopath2001

Wolverine_1999 wrote: »

No allowance.. I've heard of fines for 64 in a 60, 85 in a 80, 108 in a 100. ...Slowing to 60 from a Motorway is also really dangerous..

not if you slow down safely, and if other drivers observe the limits....which is why we have safety cameras.

Hopefully, in time, persistant law breakers can be weeded out and put off the road so the rest of us can go about our lives in safety.

If in doubt, drive a little under the limit, that will give you more safety margin if you inadvertantly pick up speed for a few seconds.

The more of us who stick to the safety rules, the more likely others will follow our example.

Being a good driver requires discipline.

ofcork

KingIsabella wrote: »

Was this in cork? Saw a Van hiding at the side of the road between innashannon and bandon last night on my way to clon, and on the way back he was tucked away nicely in the bush on the straight leading up to the halfway....

....and there was i thinking snakey w%£(!rs in bushes were frownded upon.....

That van is there constantly im sure,i pass that way every saturday and its normally pulled in where you have two lanes going west.

sleepysniper

philiph wrote: »

the particular stretch of road isnt known for accidents

and is exactly the type of road where you'll find the majority of GoSfe vans parked. Its a joke tbf. Safety my arse:rolleyes:

And parking up where the speed drops from 100kph down to 60/50 will cause more accidents than it will prevent, but sure we know the real reason they choose to park in those kind of locations...like shooting fish in a barrel.

-Chris-

BronsonTB wrote: »

You can get done in a 60 zone doing 61 - FACT
51 in 50
81 in 80
101 in 100
etc etc

FACT?? Any SOURCE or maybe a LINK?

We've heard on here before about getting done for 64 in a 60, but as soon as you ask for a scan of the ticket they invariably go quiet...

JerCotter7

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

not if you slow down safely, and if other drivers observe the limits....which is why we have safety cameras.

Hopefully, in time, persistant law breakers can be weeded out and put off the road so the rest of us can go about our lives in safety.

If in doubt, drive a little under the limit, that will give you more safety margin if you inadvertantly pick up speed for a few seconds.

The more of us who stick to the safety rules, the more likely others will follow our example.

Being a good driver requires discipline.

Nah that's just being a sheep. Lots of roads were changed from 100-80 when we moved on from miles. Why are the roads not safe now just because it is kilometers? You continue to drive under the speed limit, I will continue to overtake you.

-Chris-

The OP's question has been answered as well as possible at this stage, people aren't going to be able to resist taking Cyclopath's bait, we'll have to merge this thread with the Speed Camera Megathread.

To save us all the hassle, thread closed.