Camera vans not where they should be?

Clutchkick

A couple of times now on the daily commute there was a camera van that wasn't in the usual spot.I was fairly sure there was no camera signs around so when i got home i checked the locations on Garda.ie,like the ad says.Sure enough the part of the road he was on wasn't marked in red on the map.I've heard a few people were done by him now and i don't know what to make of it, on one hand you were caught speeding in black and white and on the other the van man shouldn't be there.Anyone have any ideas what would happen if you were caught and appealed it?


The van was on the N24 just outside Mooncoin (near Waterford),the nearest camera zone goes as far as Piltown and the van was nowhere near Piltown, here's the map http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=6497

savagecabbages

The Garda camera vans can set up anywhere in the country, the RSA ones are limited to the zones marked on that map.

The Royal Scam

Clutchkick wrote: »

and on the other the van man shouldn't be there.Anyone have any ideas what would happen if you were caught and appealed it?

This is a wind up thread surely?

Eric Cartman

to be fair the only places ive ever seen speed cameras are the N4 , M1, N7, N3, N11 and on the quays in dublin and anywhere else with a wide safe road and a speed limit thats too low.

I have never once seen a speed camera van anywhere that could even be considered remotely dangerous to be a few km over the limit.

and thats with around 300,000km of driving in 5 years

psychic34

Camera Vans are only a money making racket, they haunt the same places all the time.

barneygumble99

amount of times ive travelled the n7 between dublin and nass and vice versa (100kph limit) doing the limit and been passed out by the majority of cars. id say the cops or speed vans would clean up if they found a good hiding place.

advertsfox

The one on the Dunshaughlin Road is pointing immediately at the driver after leaving an S bend where it's actually quite difficult to speed. What's the point?

K.Flyer

Last Saturday (13/10/12) lunch time there was an unmarked Garda camera van behind the road works bollards on the south bound side of the M1 near the airport.
The section is clearly marked 60kph and I would say 90% of the traffic was over the limit.
They CAN set up wherever they like but if you are driving within the speed limit what have you got to be worrying about.
If you prefer to drive over the speed limit you know your doing something wrong and if you get caught you only have yourself to to blame so suck it up and stop bitching about it.
If you dont want the fine or the points stick to the speed limit, you will still get to where your going.

ironclaw

K.Flyer wrote: »

If you dont want the fine or the points stick to the speed limit, you will still get to where your going.

Exactly! The only place I would disagree is the Quays / City Centre. Keeping to 30km/h is borderline dangerous with faster moving traffic.

OhMyGod123

60 kph on the M1 is a joke - it's actually difficult to drive at that speed on such a road even when taking in to account the road works

Are these vans not meant to be positioned in 'Accident prone' spots? Never seen an accident in my life on the M1 in that location and travel the road everyday

djflawless

i was also in the beliefs that rsa vans were to be at accident blackspots.the n77 between abbeyleix and portlaoise has 2 spots that the vans do be parked.the stretch of road between the towns is maybe 6 miles.
also just outside ballinakill village there does also be a van where there has been no major rta's atall

Reg'stoy

psychic34 wrote: »

Camera Vans are only a money making racket, they haunt the same places all the time.

Brilliantly insightful, did the voices from beyond the grave tell you that psychic.

K.Flyer

OhMyGod123 wrote: »

60 kph on the M1 is a joke - it's actually difficult to drive at that speed on such a road even when taking in to account the road works

I can never understand it when I hear this type of statement!
How difficult is it for someone to drive at 60kph for a short distance because of road works, or at the speed limit on any road for that matter?
Is it because they feel pressurised to travel faster by other road users forming a line behind them?
If someone is not breaking the speed limit and other people are getting agitated by that, then that is their problem, they are not going to pay your fine for you.
I am not saying that I agree with the speed limits on certain roads, but they are what they are, breaking the speed limit is not going to make them change it.

djimi

I love the idea that the Gardai are only able to enforce the law in designated areas, and that if youre caught outside these areas you can somehow appeal :P

djimi

K.Flyer wrote: »

I can never understand it when I hear this type of statement!
How difficult is it for someone to drive at 60kph for a short distance because of road works, or at the speed limit on any road for that matter?
Is it because they feel pressurised to travel faster by other road users forming a line behind them?
If someone is not breaking the speed limit and other people are getting agitated by that, then that is their problem, they are not going to pay your fine for you.
I am not saying that I agree with the speed limits on certain roads, but they are what they are, breaking the speed limit is not going to make them change it.

I find it an effort to drive at 30kmph, or more specifically at that speed I find that Im concentrating too much on not breaking the speed limit and not enough on actually driving safely. However, at 60kmph there is no excuse.

psychic34

Reg'stoy wrote: »

Brilliantly insightful, did the voices from beyond the grave tell you that psychic.

Nice one lol How long did it take you to think that that one up

The Royal Scam

OhMyGod123 wrote: »

60 kph on the M1 is a joke - it's actually difficult to drive at that speed on such a road even when taking in to account the road works

Are these vans not meant to be positioned in 'Accident prone' spots? Never seen an accident in my life on the M1 in that location and travel the road everyday

What an irresponsible post. Are you serious ? 60 is too slow in a place where the road surface is not finished/ off camber and and probably is filled with machinery and what not! On top of that it is a place of work for the lads working there. I'd say if you were standing there working on that road would you be bitching that everyone if going to slow...

I use that road once or twice a month and I've seen 2 accidents not far from there

opti0nal

Eric Cartman wrote: »

to be fair the only places ive ever seen speed cameras are the N4 , M1, N7, N3, N11 and on the quays

I've seen them on the Ashbourne-Swords road where there are dangerous bends if speeding, also on the Malahide road near the Kinsaely service station where there are cars entering and leaving and on the M1 where the limit is 60kph due to major road works, temporary surface, moving construction equipment and valid safety concerns for the workers.

If you don't know why speed cameras are in certain locations, you're not thinking hard enough about the circumstances at those locations.

daenerysstormborn3

The new vans are supposed to be located at places where road fatalities have occurred. There is always one parked a little bit down the road from my house, there has never even been an accident on the road, nevermind a fatality. I don't really care where they put the vans but it does make me wonder, if they are being placed in areas where they are technically not needed, are the areas where they are needed missing out?

Pottler

High horses will disagree, but a section of road I have to drive daily is 6km long, dead straight, smooth and open sight the whole way. It's limited to 60kph the whole way. All the crappy single lane boreens going off it are marked 80kph. The Camera vans are a permanent fixture on this road despite the fact i have never seen a fender bender on it, never mind a fatality. This is a pain in the whole and makes no sense. To me, it is a case of set a daft limit and set up your money machine.

challengemaster

opti0nal wrote: »

If you don't know why speed cameras are in certain locations, you're not thinking hard enough about the circumstances at those locations.

Lol, that's the best one I've heard yet in defense of the stupid things.

You could think about it forever as to under what circumstances would speed cameras be put on large, open, straight roads that pose no risk and have no history of serious accidents, yet have stupidly low speed limits, the only thing that springs to mind is easy money.

Mycroft H

Always under the impression that the garda vans could operate wherever they liked?

opti0nal

challengemaster wrote: »

You could think about it forever as to under what circumstances would speed cameras be put on large, open, straight roads that pose no risk and have no history of serious accidents, yet have stupidly low speed limits, the only thing that springs to mind is easy money.

They put them where people break the law. In the same way as parking wardens give tickets for illegal parkng, irrepective of whether or not anyone's been killed there. It's about social order.

I'm sure there is a valid reason for that 60 kph limit, you just don't understand it. Try harder.

Red Crow

opti0nal wrote: »

They put them where people break the law. In the same way as parking wardens give tickets for illegal parkng, irrepective of whether or not anyone's been killed there. It's about social order.

I'm sure there is a valid reason for that 60 kph limit, you just don't understand it. Try harder.

The N7 between Naas and Newbridge is 80kmph. Speed vans are on that stretch of road at least once a day. Why? Because everybody knows that the speed limit on that road is ridiculous. It's only that low for one reason. I've only saw one crash on that road in using it for over 5 years now and that was a minor collision.

There is nothing to understand as 100kmph would be a better speed limit for that road and the only reason it's that low is due to it being one of the most profitable stretches of road in the country. Yes, if people break it then that's their fault but on no planet should that road be 80kmph.

It's the law but a very draconian one at that.

djimi

Eli Manning wrote: »

The N7 between Naas and Newbridge is 80kmph. Speed vans are on that stretch of road at least once a day. Why? Because everybody knows that the speed limit on that road is ridiculous. It's only that low for one reason. I've only saw one crash on that road in using it for over 5 years now and that was a minor collision.

There is nothing to understand as 100kmph would be a better speed limit for that road and the only reason it's that low is due to it being one of the most profitable stretches of road in the country. Yes, if people break it then that's their fault but on no planet should that road be 80kmph.

It's the law but a very draconian one at that.

You mean the old road, past Toughers? Absolute nonsense speed limit.

Then again, are they any 100kmph roads in Kildare bar the N7? I cant think of a single one. Speed limits around here are absolutely moronic.

Atomic Pineapple

K.Flyer wrote: »

I can never understand it when I hear this type of statement!
How difficult is it for someone to drive at 60kph for a short distance because of road works, or at the speed limit on any road for that matter?
Is it because they feel pressurised to travel faster by other road users forming a line behind them?

I agree with you on roadworks when people are working close to the traffic but outside of that there are many cases when breaking a posted speed limit is not dangerous and should not be punished. Many roads have limits set too low, many have limits set too high. Weather, traffic, light conditions, surface condition, road type, car condition, car type, driver awareness are all variables in an appropriate speed for any given stretch of road and any given period of time therefore a strict limit that is enforced will punish those who drive safely but above a certain limit which can be wrong in certain circumstances.

A much better approach would be to punish excessive speeding by capturing average speeds of a car of a certain distance.

bazzachazza

OhMyGod123 wrote: »

60 kph on the M1 is a joke - it's actually difficult to drive at that speed on such a road even when taking in to account the road works

You find it difficult to drive your car at 60km/h ???

So how do you manage in a 50km/h zone ?

Berty

barneygumble99 wrote: »

if they found a good hiding place.

They DON'T need a hiding place. Most people caught by them didn't even spot them in the first place even though mostly they are fairly easy to spot.

K.Flyer

BX 19 wrote: »

Always under the impression that the garda vans could operate wherever they liked?

They Can and They Do!!

L1011

ironclaw wrote: »

Exactly! The only place I would disagree is the Quays / City Centre. Keeping to 30km/h is borderline dangerous with faster moving traffic.

The general speed camera location on the quays (Victoria Quay, Guinness) is 50km/h. Most drivers don't seem to realise that and slam on to 30 though...