Speed camera query

topmanamillion

I was driving earlier this evening, doing about 90k in a 100k zone. I spotted a speed camera just before I passed it and my first instinct was to break hard which meant I was doing in and around 80 (unsure if the speedo had caught up due to my breaking).
I'm the type of person that spends 20 mins worrying that I was speeding after passing a camera even when I know I haven't been. I detest speed cameras and I have a fear of being done for being a km or 2 over the limit. My insurance is already high enough with a clean licence and E80 is a lot of money to me.

TLDR; I'm wondering is there anything wrong with breaking hard when you see a speed van?
Also is it wrong to flash other people about said Speed van? (I may or may not have done this!)

Bongalongherb

Don't be jamming on if you know that you are already below the speed limit as that is as dangerous for traffic behind you. Just stick with or below the speed limit and you have nothing to worry about and especially work on that hard breaking as that's just asking for trouble.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

topmanamillion wrote: »

TLDR; I'm wondering is there anything wrong with breaking hard when you see a speed van?
Also is it wrong to flash other people about said Speed van? (I may or may not have done this!)

1. Yes, it's idiotic.

2. Yes, it's illegal.

njs030

Do speed van cameras pick up traffic going in both directions? I thought it was just traffic travelling towards it....no?

Canis Lupus

BRAKING hard when under the speed limit is stupid. If you are in traffic and there's a car behind you it's dangerous.

I believe it's illegal but people do it.

There was a prosecution in the UK over it...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343959/Driver-flashed-headlights-warn-motorists-speed-trap-fined.html

I don't know whether it applies here, particularly with a speed van as opposed to a Garda with a speed gun. But I wouldn't do it.

And braking hard in reaction to anything may of course be dangerous or careless if it affects a car behind you. But you'd probably have a Courts sympathy if it was to avoid an accident. Not to avoid a speeding fine.

L1011

No, its not illegal to jam on, but you're an incredibly bad driver if your first instinct was to jam on regardless of speed. Please stop driving.

Yes, it is illegal to flash.

Jawgap

topmanamillion wrote: »

I was driving earlier this evening, doing about 90k in a 100k zone. I spotted a speed camera just before I passed it and my first instinct was to break hard which meant I was doing in and around 80 (unsure if the speedo had caught up due to my breaking).
I'm the type of person that spends 20 mins worrying that I was speeding after passing a camera even when I know I haven't been. I detest speed cameras and I have a fear of being done for being a km or 2 over the limit. My insurance is already high enough with a clean licence and E80 is a lot of money to me.

TLDR; I'm wondering is there anything wrong with breaking hard when you see a speed van?
Also is it wrong to flash other people about said Speed van? (I may or may not have done this!)

Chances are your were nabbed anyway. Unless you can see it from quite a way away, the van will have got you before you saw it.

......and don't slam on, it's not very good driving, would be my advice.

kneemos

Jawgap wrote: »

Chances are your were nabbed anyway. Unless you can see it from quite a way away, the van will have got you before you saw it.

......and don't slam on, it's not very good driving, would be my advice.

Can't have been nabbed doing ninety.

Esel

kneemos wrote: »

Can't have been nabbed doing ninety.

Must. read. thread.

Must not jam on instinctively.

TG1

I'm missing something here, why jam on if you were already 10 under the limit? If it's a 100k zone then why would you jam on the breaks unless you were doing more than 100? jamming on and going back to eighty is probably more dangerous than just carrying on doing 110.

As for flashing, yes that is illegal, but difficult to catch and prosecute, which is why it keeps happening.

kneemos

Slowing to eighty from ninety is hardly jamming on the breaks in fairness . It's instinctive to slow down.
Slowing when meeting an Ambulance is one that grinds my gears,they more often than not contribute to holding up the bloody thing.

Why do some people get hot and bothered about flashing your lights to warn people of speed van?

Esel

I know this is AH, but it's 'brake' not 'break'; 'braking' not 'breaking'.

Reely grindz my gears, that ,

Strawberry Milkshake

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Why do some people get hot and bothered about flashing your lights to warn people of speed van?

I have never once heard anyone getting hot and bothered about being warned about a speed van. Or anything...cos at the time you are flashed often you don't know if it's for an accident ahead, a cow on the road etc. It's usually meant as a nice gesture. But the OP asked if it's illegal and the general feeling is that it is.

TG1

kneemos wrote: »

Slowing to eighty from ninety is hardly jamming on the breaks in fairness . It's instinctive to slow down.
Slowing when meeting an Ambulance is one that grinds my gears,they more often than not contribute to holding up the bloody thing.

It depends on what type of road, I've had someone needlessly slow in front of me by about 10k in an outside lane and it has caused my blood pressure to skyrocket!

It shouldn't be instinctual, you should know you are not going over the speed limit and be happy enough to keep going. I have one quick glance at my Speedo when I see one and then carry on, no big deal, until I nearly run up the back bumper of some eejit in front who thinks if they are doing above 80 they'll get fined despite being in a 100k zone!

Ambulances are a whole other issue... I commute and in that traffic people just panic and freeze... How that helps anyone I would love to know!

kneemos

Flashing the hazards I thought was the latest alternative to flashing?

Chickarooney

It boils my piss when someone in front of me jams on when going under the speed limit. It's dangerous for absolutely no reason. Stop doing it.

If anyone argues that there should be adequate stopping distance, they're right, there should but jamming on causes a ripple effect and should only be for emergencies and not because you have really bad instinctive tendencies.

Don't flash people coming the other way, you're already causing bother with your own actions, concentrate on sorting those before you cause other people driving under the speed limit to jam on because they don't know why you're flashing them.

Esel

Please flash me, if you are trying to warn me about a hazard ahead.

I promise not to flash back.

Bongalongherb

Esel wrote: »

Please flash me, if you are trying to warn me about a hazard ahead.

I promise not to flash back.

If I drove past a speed van I'd carry on and not flash or hazard anyone, if they are speeding then that's their problem, let them get the points. If there is a hazard that I have just passed then I'll leave the hazard lights on for a short time so folk can be aware.

Speeding folk are on their own and they won't get a flash of my lights, I wouldn't waste a bit of my cars electrical energy on them.

Paulownia

My mother once pulled off the road and got out to see if there was something wrong with her car because people kept flashing her. There was a Garda car there and she asked them if there was something wrong. They just laughed and said no, it's us Ma'am !
Different days then.

Fr_Dougal

You're grand, op. Love story of people brake when they see vans with those sort of markings. Just don't brake so hard that you'll cause an accident.

Regarding the flashing, these go-safe vans are supposed to be placed at accident black spots, really can't see an issue with you flashing to warn other users of a potential hazard. I do it myself, but I know on AH people are divided on the practice.

What you shouldn't do, and it's really frowned upon, is petrol bomb these go-safe vans. It's considered rather rude.

Chickarooney

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Why do some people get hot and bothered about flashing your lights to warn people of speed van?

I don't have any issue with it, I just think the OP needs to sort out his own reactions before worrying about other drivers.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Del2005

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Why do some people get hot and bothered about flashing your lights to warn people of speed van?

There's nothing illegal about flashing for a Go Safe van the illegal act when flashing is obstructing a Garda in their duties, or something along them lines, and the Go Safe operators aren't Gardai.
What is up for debate is whether the job of a Garda is to save lives on our roads, then flashing other drivers approaching dangerous locations should be legal, or catch people exceeding the posted speed limit, then flashing approaching drivers of a speed check on a wide open road is illegal.

Can't stand driver's not paying enough attention to the road that they don't know that they are already well below the limit when they panic brake when seeing any large van parked at the side of the road. But these are usually the drivers who when I eventually manage to get past come flying up behind in towns/villages as they stick to 80km/h no matter if the posted limit is higher or lower.

Turtyturd

I think it's just a natural reaction for most people to slow down when they catch site of them. I thought I was snapped by one of the vans a few months back along the NCR (flash went off) and like the OP I spent ages worrying about it, even tried to recreate the situation anytime I went that route. Nothing ever came of it though so I am guessing they were calibrating the equipment or they snapped a car going in the opposite direction and I blocked the photo.

Like others would also warn people about them, especially when they are parked in questionable spots.

VonLuck

Excuse my ignorance but isn't the idea of these Go Safe vans to reduce people's speed? Flashing your lights does exactly that!

Also, there are normally signposts warning people that there may be speed cameras ahead so I don't see why it would be an issue to flash other drivers.

MadDog76

I like to flash drivers for no reason whatsoever .......... I'm amused at the thought of them slowing down and being extra cautious for the next couple of km's followed by confusion as they think to themselves "Why did he flash me? Did I miss it?? What's going on here?!?!?!"

fryup

it has to be the most boring of jobs stuck inside that van for hours on end ...i almost feel sorry for them, you must be desperate for work to take it

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

TG1

MadDog76 wrote: »

I like to flash drivers for no reason whatsoever .......... I'm amused at the thought of them slowing down and being extra cautious for the next couple of km's followed by confusion as they think to themselves "Why did he flash me? Did I miss it?? What's going on here?!?!?!"

Do you regularly drive the N80? I swear it's a sport on that road!

frozenfrozen

I flash to warn others and expect to be warned back. It's safer, everyone still slows down, and people will be less likely to slam on their brakes with fair warning beforehand. I don't flash for checkpoints or anything else though, no nct / tax / insurance people can go **** themselves

VandC

Tbh these whole go safe van is a pile of sh*te. If they truly are being placed in accident black spots then stick up permanent cameras and eliminate the speeding altogether. Instead they have them in revenue driven spots. Although I am sure they would never ever admit that. I've seen them on roads that have just opened so it can't be because of the large volume of accidents. Big large roads that have stupid limits of 50 instead of even 60 which would be perfectly safe on that type of road, maybe even 80. How often do you see these speed vans on tiny narrow roads with limited driving but often ppl driving over the speed limit. Anyways, sorry, rant over.

OP - if you are not speeding why are you slamming on the brakes? While I appreciate nearly everyone, rightly or wrongly, slows down when they see them if you already knew you were below the limit what were you worried about? Check your speedometer first. If someone was behind you cruising along you could cause an accident (albeit the person behind should be driving a safe enough distance away to react to any situation accordingly).

893bet

How is it dangerous to jam the brakes? How does that make you a bad driver?

It's only dangerous if some **** stick is up your arse and not paying attention in which case there is only one bad driver.

Brake away.

fryup

fryup wrote: »

it has to be the most boring of jobs stuck inside that van for hours on end ...i almost feel sorry for them, you must be desperate for work to take it

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

i am serious, must be a god awful job

VandC

893bet wrote:

How is it dangerous to jam the brakes? How does that make you a bad driver?

893bet wrote:

It's only dangerous if some **** stick is up your arse and not paying attention in which case there is only one bad driver.

893bet wrote:

Brake away.

Fair enough, but what if it was the op that ended up badly or seriously hurt cos of said "**** stick" went in to the back of him? Would it be worth "braking away" then for no good reason? He was already way below the limit.

Lia_lia

Paulownia wrote: »

My mother once pulled off the road and got out to see if there was something wrong with her car because people kept flashing her.

The first time I drove a reasonably long distance alone I kept getting flashed about half way into the journey. Hadn't a clue what was going on, thought something was wrong with my car. Was freaked, could imagine the wheel was about to fall off or something . About a mile up the road there was a speed camera, so then it made sense. I had no idea flashing cars to warn them of speed cameras was a "thing" until that time..

VandC

fryup wrote:

i am serious, must be a god awful job

You would know where the cameras were and speed around in your van all day though. Bonus!

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

VandC

Patww79 wrote:

This post has been deleted.

I thought they put stickers on all the vans now to confirm that there was somebody in them at all times. Wasn't there an incident that someone tried to burn one after getting caught speeding and that's why they put the notice up? Maybe I'm remembering wrong, but I'm sure some will agree/correct me!

GM228

Del2005 wrote: »

There's nothing illegal about flashing for a Go Safe van the illegal act when flashing is obstructing a Garda in their duties, or something along them lines, and the Go Safe operators aren't Gardai.

Whst Gardaí can do somebody who flashes for obstructing a Gardaí in their duties they actually do people who flash for driving without due care and consideration so they could also apply that to GoSafe vans!

arybvtcw0eolkf

When I'm under the speed limit I give the buggers the finger going past.

If I'm going in the opposite direction I give the flash warning to approaching drivers.

If I'm on my motorbike I speed up because they can't catch me

_Kaiser_

OP you were already below the limit so no need to jam on at all. Drive consistently and don't be a danger on the roads (side rant: I hate people who tap the brakes every few seconds for no reason or who can't decelerate without hitting the brakes!)

RE: flashing.. always do it. Most of these vans are situated to the side of wide dual carriageways or places like the N7 inbound (just after the esso garage at exit 8) at 7pm at night.
F&ck all to do with "safety", everything to do with generating stats to justify their existence and revenue for the State.. damn right I'll warn others and I appreciate it when people do the same

Also, for info, these vans can read multiple lanes at once (on both side of the road - unless there's a concrete barrier like on the N7) but the camera is in the back so no it can't catch you if you're approaching on the other side of the road and slow before you pass the back window. I *think* the effective distance is about 150m so no need to panic if you see it well in advance. One other thing to watch out for on motorways is that the Gardai have taken to parking up on the on-ramps at exits so you don't spot them until you've already passed them below. Again another sneaky tactic designed to catch people out rather than promote improved safety and behaviour.

donegaLroad

topmanamillion wrote: »

TLDR; I'm wondering is there anything wrong with breaking hard when you see a speed van?
Also is it wrong to flash other people about said Speed van? (I may or may not have done this!)

I have been told it is not illegal to flash oncoming cars... anyways, how will they ever 1. find out 2. prove it


*Tip: loosen your number plate... the photo will turn out blurred

Pac1Man

It's strange how it is illegal to flash.

There was a radio report on Friday with people ringing in, warning of the locations of speed vans/cameras. Is that illegal too?

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

sdanseo

It's only illegal to flash if it's a Garda conducting the speed check. GoSafe fish-shooters have absolutely no authority to enforce the law whatsoever and therefore flashing to warn of them is not obstructing a Garda. We don't have an offence entitled "perverting the course of justice" like in the UK.

That's my understanding, and could be wrong - although I don't expect it is and don't tend to test it.

kurtainsider

I'm surprised that there are so many people naive enough to think that the Go Safe vans have anything to do with road safety. It's about collecting revenue. It was always about collecting revenue and it will always be about collecting revenue.

The vans are there for road safety? - now that's a good one.

corner of hells

Brooklynn Polite Sliver wrote: »

When I'm under the speed limit I give the buggers the finger going past.

If I'm going in the opposite direction I give the flash warning to approaching drivers.

If I'm on my motorbike I speed up because they can't catch me

can you not drive at them in one of the Mowags ?

brendan86

I was on my way to hospital at 3:30 in the morning, was driving in the speed limit all the way but there was a big long stretch of road for 1km straight as and I was doing 90km in a 80km zone..

The speed van was pitch black and parked just on edge of yellow line quite dangerous I thought for him be so close to road.

Why on earth I'm driving for 1 hour and the speed van is parked of a long straight stretch is ridiculous and at 3:30 in morning of a Thursday night!!

Anyway I suspect since I was 10km over the limit he got one of many easy targets.

Into The Blue

TG1 wrote: »

As for flashing, yes that is illegal, but difficult to catch and prosecute, which is why it keeps happening.

Keeps happening cause people are decent