Speed traps at night?

Dr Turk Turkelton

Hi folks

Coming home the other night I spotted a go-safe van and slowed down accordingly.
I then met a few cars driving towards it but obviously been night time I couldn't flash them to warn them of it for fear of blinding them.

Was just wondering what is the best practice in this scenario?
Would a flash of the hazard lights work or would people get the idea from that?

*Also as this is a question I would like an answer to and not a debate don't post if all you have to say is don't speed or warn people.If you want a debate start your own thread.

SV

I'd still give a quick flash, a quick flash isn't going to blind anyone.

celt262

I though the vans could only get you coming towards them, whats the story can they get you both ways?

bitburger

I had a quick flash at 6am or so monday morning, it saved my bacon

@Celt i think they can get cars going both ways, not motorbikes though :P

SV

celt262 wrote: »

I though the vans could only get you coming towards them, whats the story can they get you both ways?

They can indeed.

Nino Brown

OSI wrote: »

I'm not debating the right and wrong of this, but it's worth noting that I know of people getting done by Gards hiding further up the road for flashing on-coming cars to warn of speed cameras.

I heard of that too, and I may be mistaken, but I think it turned out not to be a prosecutable offence, because of freedom of speech laws.

SV

OSI wrote: »

I'm not debating the right and wrong of this, but it's worth noting that I know of people getting done by Gards hiding further up the road for flashing on-coming cars to warn of speed cameras.

Under what law?
Easily avoidable by just saying you thought you seen your friend and were acknowledging them


Either way, aren't these vans out there to get people to slow down? by flashing the lights you're getting them to slow down.

bitburger

ah sure garda i was only saying hello to one of my mates

Dr Turk Turkelton

SV wrote: »

I'd still give a quick flash, a quick flash isn't going to blind anyone.

Fair enough so.
Never used be too bad but with the proliferation of these "safety" vans lately they are cropping up everywhere at all times of day and now night.

Thanks for that.

simx

OSI wrote: »

I'm not debating the right and wrong of this, but it's worth noting that I know of people getting done by Gards hiding further up the road for flashing on-coming cars to warn of speed cameras.

Have seen this first hand,was setup once after guards couldnt do me for anything at checkpoint they had an unmarked just meeting me around the next bend, lucky I didn't flash

jameshayes

simx wrote: »

Have seen this first hand,was setup once after guards couldnt do me for anything at checkpoint they had an unmarked just meeting me around the next bend, lucky I didn't flash

then how do you know it was a set up? :pac:

SV

simx wrote: »

Have seen this first hand,was setup once after guards couldnt do me for anything at checkpoint they had an unmarked just meeting me around the next bend, lucky I didn't flash

So they couldn't do you for anything and managed to radio an unmarked car into place in time to try and set you up? :eek:


Nah, I'd say it's more likely the car was waiting there for people who seen the checkpoint and did a U turn.

tossy

bitburger wrote: »

not motorbikes though :P

Next time you pass one have a look at the little camera peaking out of the top of the roof over the front seating area on some of them

Sesshoumaru

tossy wrote: »

Next time you pass one have a look at the little camera peaking out of the top of the roof over the front seating area on some of them

The information I got is that they have a speed detector out front. Nothing in the front of the van can take your picture. My experience of passing them on the bike is that I've never gotten points.

pa990

tossy wrote: »

Next time you pass one have a look at the little camera peaking out of the top of the roof over the front seating area on some of them

that's cctv ( there's one on the rear roof as well) for the operators safety.
the cctv was installed after the arson attacks

corkgsxr

They can't get motorbikes from any direction. And cars only from the rear

Where To

The Native Americans have a saying ;

'You paddle your canoe, I'll paddle mine.'

ba_barabus

Where To wrote: »

'You paddle your canoe, I'll paddle mine.'

And what country do they own now?

Where To

ba_barabus wrote: »

And what country do they own now?

The same one they've always owned.

ba_barabus

Where To wrote: »

The same one they've always owned.

Didn't the British and Dutch own it and now the Americans (Not the Natives obviously)

LLU

Cuchulainn1. wrote: »

Hi folks

Coming home the other night I spotted a go-safe van and slowed down accordingly.
I then met a few cars driving towards it but obviously been night time I couldn't flash them to warn them of it for fear of blinding them.

Was just wondering what is the best practice in this scenario?
Would a flash of the hazard lights work or would people get the idea from that?

*Also as this is a question I would like an answer to and not a debate don't post if all you have to say is don't speed or warn people.If you want a debate start your own thread.

Just wondering why did you slow down - were you breaking the speed limit beforehand?

And was the oncoming traffic also breaking the speed limit?

tossy

Sesshoumaru wrote: »

The information I got is that they have a speed detector out front. Nothing in the front of the van can take your picture. My experience of passing them on the bike is that I've never gotten points.

pa990 wrote: »

that's cctv ( there's one on the rear roof as well) for the operators safety.
the cctv was installed after the arson attacks

I've been misinformed so apologies.

corkgsxr wrote: »

They can't get motorbikes from any direction. And cars only from the rear

They can definitely get cars from the front i have first hand experience of that and it was at night.

Where To

ba_barabus wrote: »

Didn't the British and Dutch own it and now the Americans (Not the Natives obviously)

They never owned or claimed to own the land they live on.

crazy cat lady

Cuchulainn1. wrote: »

Hi folks

Coming home the other night I spotted a go-safe van and slowed down accordingly.
I then met a few cars driving towards it but obviously been night time I couldn't flash them to warn them of it for fear of blinding them.

I wouldn't worry about the quick flash blinding them, its not something the 'Go-Safe' Vans worry about!

I was caught and was flashed a year or so ago in the pitch darkness by one of these vans. The flash was taken of the front of the car and I had to pull in to give my eyes time to adjust after.

Sure speeding is dangerous, but driving blind is far worse!

I wrote to Garda HQ about it but they weren't too helpful. Why should they care when they are making appx 1 million euro a month in speeding fines!

LLU

crazy cat lady wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about the quick flash blinding them, its not something the 'Go-Safe' Vans worry about!

I was caught and was flashed a year or so ago in the pitch darkness by one of these vans. The flash was taken of the front of the car and I had to pull in to give my eyes time to adjust after.

Sure speeding is dangerous, but driving blind is far worse!

I wrote to Garda HQ about it but they weren't too helpful. Why should they care when they are making appx 1 million euro a month in speeding fines!

Those vans don't actually have a flash which is visible to the human eye, they use an IR flash.

fasttalkerchat

simx wrote: »

Have seen this first hand,was setup once after guards couldnt do me for anything at checkpoint they had an unmarked just meeting me around the next bend, lucky I didn't flash

The unmarked one is looking for cars doing a U-turn.

Dr Turk Turkelton

crazy cat lady wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about the quick flash blinding them, its not something the 'Go-Safe' Vans worry about!

I was caught and was flashed a year or so ago in the pitch darkness by one of these vans. The flash was taken of the front of the car and I had to pull in to give my eyes time to adjust after.

Sure speeding is dangerous, but driving blind is far worse!

I wrote to Garda HQ about it but they weren't too helpful. Why should they care when they are making appx 1 million euro a month in speeding fines!

I think you have me wrong I was worried about blinding the oncoming motorists when trying to warn them about the go safe van.

drunkmonkey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJSU0vStCKM

50 bucks from Hong Kong, Job done, you only need one for the front.

bitburger

tossy wrote: »

Next time you pass one have a look at the little camera peaking out of the top of the roof over the front seating area on some of them

as far as i know there isnt a camera in there, one can be fitted in there but currently they are empty, ive always been able to slow down enough before passing( and them being able to see my reg)

ThreeLineWhip

drunkmonkey wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJSU0vStCKM

50 bucks from Hong Kong, Job done, you only need one for the front.

Very good. Also handy for toll dodging.

sdanseo

OSI wrote: »

I'm not debating the right and wrong of this, but it's worth noting that I know of people getting done by Gards hiding further up the road for flashing on-coming cars to warn of speed cameras.

If it was a Garda Van, they could indeed prosecute you for obstructing a Garda in the course of his or her duty. Same goes for a checkpoint, etc.

These though are vans operated by a private company, by flashing you are breaking no law, certainly no more so that flashing to indicate to another driver of a hazard or to take right of way, and so on.

corkgsxr wrote: »

They can't get motorbikes from any direction. And cars only from the rear

Rubbish.

They can get you once the rear of the van can see your number plate. If the van is parked facing you, then you can go as fast as you like until the point where you pass it. If it's facing the same direction, you can safely floor it after you've passed it. I only wish some of the dawdling bints that use the R107/Malahide Road like I do would realise this - during daylight hours you can be lucky to get anywhere near the speed limit due to morons driving too SLOWLY, through blind fear of the vans. Fair enough, by this they've achieved their objective without even being present on most days; but 50km/h average down a 60km/h limit road where 60-70km/h is perfectly safe is a little silly.

corkgsxr

If they could get motorbikes id be banned 10 times over. One by my house is there most days and iv never got a fine off it

blade1

Is it such a big deal to the guards if you flash your lights at other cars?
If everyone flashed their lights at everyone else, everyone would stay within the speed limit.
So less speed = less accidents
Less accidents = less deaths
Less Deaths = everyone happier, no??

RedorDead

celt262 wrote: »

I though the vans could only get you coming towards them, whats the story can they get you both ways?

Yes they can - 2 points and 80euro was proof to me that they can get you both ways.

Andrewf20

I saw a static speed van there between Leixlip and Maynooth the other evening.

pa990

Andrewf20 wrote: »

I saw a static speed van there between Leixlip and Maynooth the other evening.

great story

Andrewf20

pa990 wrote: »

great story

Great story? Just letting folks know thats a spot to watch out for.

daenerysstormborn3

corkgsxr wrote: »

If they could get motorbikes id be banned 10 times over. One by my house is there most days and iv never got a fine off it

Same as. I pass one regularly on my way home from work and there's one parked a half a mile from my house every couple of weeks and I've never received a fine. Same goes for my boyfriend travelling to and from college, no fines.

stoneill

drunkmonkey wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJSU0vStCKM

50 bucks from Hong Kong, Job done, you only need one for the front.

While this is illegal I have another proposal -

A LCD numberpate alternating top and bottom at 50hz - looks ok to the human eye, but on a photo it will only see either the top or the bottom, (or whatever configuration you may like - left right,

My idea - My patent.

Conmaicne Mara

Could have done with a few vans on the motorway between Athlone and Galway last night. I was sitting on 120kph pretty much all the way down and the speed of some of the cars passing me was unreal.

corkgsxr

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Could have done with a few vans on the motorway between Athlone and Galway last night. I was sitting on 120kph pretty much all the way down and the speed of some of the cars passing me was unreal.

You sitting at speedo 120 was prob 110 in reality. You can go 133 gps without getting tickets. I used to do a fair bit of miles and had all the speeds worked out

corkgsxr

pixiebean22 wrote: »

Same as. I pass one regularly on my way home from work and there's one parked a half a mile from my house every couple of weeks and I've never received a fine. Same goes for my boyfriend travelling to and from college, no fines.

Passed him one day setting up the calibration sign, passed at a fair rate and he nearly jumped into the ditch the fright he got

Conmaicne Mara

corkgsxr wrote: »

You sitting at speedo 120 was prob 110 in reality. You can go 133 gps without getting tickets. I used to do a fair bit of miles and had all the speeds worked out

Possibly, but some of the cars weren't over taking me so much as leaving me for dust.

visual

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Possibly, but some of the cars weren't over taking me so much as leaving me for dust.

did they have to flash you to move over to left lane

Kali_Kalika

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Could have done with a few vans on the motorway between Athlone and Galway last night. I was sitting on 120kph pretty much all the way down and the speed of some of the cars passing me was unreal.

Ah - so that was yourself in my way. :mad::mad:

I joke I joke! Well - maybe maybe not! I was doing a reasonable speed over 120 out it last night around 2am - so few cars why not (only a risk to myself at that point I figure).

Suasdaguna1

N11 at stillorgan, well known for sneaky Garda antics of speed gun hiding behind a bus stop opp the old stillorgan park hotel at night going into Dublin and leaving Dublin hiding in the bushes at the cross roads of where the old Blake's was. All recently, I nearly ran into one on my bike in the cycle lane.....couldn't resist the quip "do you anything better to do?"

Pitch black.

Conmaicne Mara

visual wrote: »

did they have to flash you to move over to left lane

Nope, I was in the left lane unless I was actively over taking :cool:

Kali_Kalika wrote: »

Ah - so that was yourself in my way. :mad::mad:

I joke I joke! Well - maybe maybe not! I was doing a reasonable speed over 120 out it last night around 2am - so few cars why not (only a risk to myself at that point I figure).

Lol, I over took a fair number of cars myself so I wasn't plodding along. The motorway is great, but it's as boring as watching the week in politics so I don't like being on it for longer than I have to be - legally anyway!

LLU

Cuchulainn1. wrote: »

Hi folks

Coming home the other night I spotted a go-safe van and slowed down accordingly.
I then met a few cars driving towards it but obviously been night time I couldn't flash them to warn them of it for fear of blinding them.

Was just wondering what is the best practice in this scenario?
Would a flash of the hazard lights work or would people get the idea from that?

*Also as this is a question I would like an answer to and not a debate don't post if all you have to say is don't speed or warn people.If you want a debate start your own thread.

Well in Limerick at least, the etiquette is apparently to spend the next 10 to 12 miles flashing your headlights and gesticulating vigourously at every oncoming car, van, lorry, tractor and cyclist. And it doesn't matter that they're clearly driving under the speed limit or that you're repeatedly dazzling the driver in front of you.