Speed camera tolerance change?

Avatar MIA · 05-01-2019 12:36PM #1

Advanced warning - this is third hand info.

A friend of my wife got penalty points for doing 52 in a 50 kph zone. She went to a Garda acquaintance and he told her the leeway has been removed from the speed vans and there have been changes to their own equipment (more accurate), and also have less tolerance.

Unless you've got cruise control you're going to be spending a lot of time looking at your speedometer or going 5kph below the relevant speed limit - if true.

colm_mcm · 05-01-2019 12:39PM

Speedometer still over-reads speed.

Damien360 · 05-01-2019 12:43PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Speedometer still over-reads speed.

My skoda is 126 on clock is 120 on GPS. 106 is 100 GPS. 84 on clock is 80 GPS. Haven't done the lower speeds as I tend to drive at or lower than indicated. I suspect they are a lot closer to each other at 60 and 50.

Avatar MIA · 05-01-2019 12:44PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Speedometer still over-reads speed.

She was still done at 52kph actual.

colm_mcm · 05-01-2019 01:03PM

Avatar MIA wrote: »

She was still done at 52kph actual.

I get ya.

Isambard · 05-01-2019 03:00PM

so what you're saying is there is no tolerance at all any more effectively?

TheChizler · 05-01-2019 03:02PM

Isambard wrote: »

so what you're saying is there is no tolerance at all any more effectively?

Was there ever? I don't remember ever hearing it officially.

TheChizler · 05-01-2019 03:03PM

Avatar MIA wrote: »

She was still done at 52kph actual.

With my speedo anyway that would read roughly 57-58.

antodeco · 05-01-2019 03:14PM

Avatar MIA wrote: »

She was still done at 52kph actual.

I reckon she was probably driving quite close to 60KPH on her Speedo.

1 of mine reads 120KPH on the Speedo when you're actually doing closer to 135KPH on reality!

Another I have GPS linked, so 53KPH on the Speedo is 53KPH in reality.

Avatar MIA · 05-01-2019 03:42PM

Isambard wrote: »

so what you're saying is there is no tolerance at all any more effectively?

Apparently. But as said above don't think it was ever official, technically you could be prosecuted for going 121 in a 120 zone and have no defence re speed.

Avatar MIA · 05-01-2019 03:43PM

antodeco wrote: »

I reckon she was probably driving quite close to 60KPH on her Speedo.

1 of mine reads 120KPH on the Speedo when you're actually doing closer to 135KPH on reality!

Another I have GPS linked, so 53KPH on the Speedo is 53KPH in reality.

Everyone should test their Speedo to GPS, but it's a separate issue.

ShadowHearth · 05-01-2019 05:17PM

Didn't Subaru back in the day got in trouble for having very accurate speedo reading to actual speed?

All cars for very long time show higher speed then what you actually travel at. I personally drive 105km/h on 100km roads and 128ish on 120km roads.

Still, going 52 in 50 and being done for it sounds stupid.

On same note, did the new law on speeding already active?

Isambard · 05-01-2019 05:59PM

i checked mine out with the gps and it's about 4% over, so that's what I put into the CC. I don't know if there's an allowance made in Ireland, I know there is in the Uk and it's something like 4 mph plus 10% which is generous. It's a bit galling to think you could get points for doing 52 in a 50

drunkmonkey · 05-01-2019 06:02PM

ShadowHearth wrote: »

On same note, did the new law on speeding already active?

It's only a proposal.

Avatar MIA · 05-01-2019 06:03PM

Isambard wrote: »

I know there is in the Uk and it's something like 4 mph plus 10% which is generous. It's a bit galling to think you could get points for doing 52 in a 50

A tolerance in the UK makes sense as there'd be no drivers on the road such is the propensity of static speed cameras over there.

Avatar MIA · 05-01-2019 06:05PM

drunkmonkey wrote: »

It's only a proposal.

Unlikely to be supported in this Dail I'd say.

thelad95 · 05-01-2019 06:07PM

There was never a tolerance. A speed limit is a speed limit. Mind you, I could see it being overturned if she appealed on the basis that the speedometer said 50.

Avatar MIA · 05-01-2019 06:08PM

thelad95 wrote: »

There was never a tolerance. A speed limit is a speed limit. Mind you, I could see it being overturned if she appealed on the basis that the speedometer said 50.

She's never had points before, so might suggest it to her.

TheChizler · 05-01-2019 06:41PM

Avatar MIA wrote: »

She's never had points before, so might suggest it to her.

That's more of a case to get the speedometer fixed rather than to get the penalty overturned though...

Del2005 · 05-01-2019 06:42PM

ShadowHearth wrote: »

Didn't Subaru back in the day got in trouble for having very accurate speedo reading to actual speed?

All cars for very long time show higher speed then what you actually travel at. I personally drive 105km/h on 100km roads and 128ish on 120km roads.

Still, going 52 in 50 and being done for it sounds stupid.

On same note, did the new law on speeding already active?

It's an EU law that vehicles have to over state the speed by upto 10%. So if your speedo shows 50 you are doing between 45 and 49.

I'd much prefer people to be done for 52 in a 50 than 140 in a 120 zone as the low limit is usually in a built up area so people need to slow down, I often set my cruise control in 50 zones and always have a massive gap ahead and a queue up my arse, while in 80 or 100 zones I'm passing nearly everything when I'm at the limit.

The problem in this country is that they have pushed that speed kills so people travel slowly on the open roads with high limits yet travel too fast in areas where they shouldn't. In the 30 zones I don't think I've seen anyone obey them, even cyclists exceed it not that they have speed limits.

99nsr125 · 05-01-2019 07:35PM

Del2005 wrote: »

It's an EU law that vehicles have to over state the speed by upto 10%. So if your speedo shows 50 you are doing between 45 and 49.

I'd much prefer people to be done for 52 in a 50 than 140 in a 120 zone as the low limit is usually in a built up area so people need to slow down, I often set my cruise control in 50 zones and always have a massive gap ahead and a queue up my arse, while in 80 or 100 zones I'm passing nearly everything when I'm at the limit.

The problem in this country is that they have pushed that speed kills so people travel slowly on the open roads with high limits yet travel too fast in areas where they shouldn't. In the 30 zones I don't think I've seen anyone obey them, even cyclists exceed it not that they have speed limits.

Yeah, built up areas are where people really get hurt

I always do less than posted in municipal areas

On the open road could be doing 250 or 260 but that's the open road

donspeekinglesh · 05-01-2019 07:52PM

Avatar MIA wrote: »

A tolerance in the UK makes sense as there'd be no drivers on the road such is the propensity of static speed cameras over there.

A Black Forest Gatso as I once heard it described.

TheChizler · 05-01-2019 10:04PM

Del2005 wrote: »

It's an EU law that vehicles have to over state the speed by upto 10%. So if your speedo shows 50 you are doing between 45 and 49.

May, not have to. They may also be spot on, which is why this is always a risky comment. "Someone on the Internet told me my speedo was overreading" won't cut it with the judge!

kirving · 05-01-2019 11:59PM

Del2005 wrote: »

I'd much prefer people to be done for 52 in a 50 than 140 in a 120 zone as the low limit is usually in a built up area

2kph in a 50 zone is well within the margin of human error. It's unrealistic to expect humans to be able to maintain a give speed with such accuracy without neglecting other factors such as observation. Even my cruise control can show off by 1-2km/h before reacting and slowing the car. That said, keeping well below the limit is the safest and most recommended of course.

140kph in a 120 zone (where other cars are present) in my opinion is more dangerous.

It takes (relatively) so much longer to go from 140 to 120, that by the time car car doing 120 has stopped, the car that was doing 140 is now doing 60 or so. (Not exact maths, but roughly correct).

Add in the 80kph limit for vehicles towing, 100kph trucks and other eejits that you're required to account for, and I think 140kph is too high, unless of course the limit is raised, and a minimum enforced for all users.

On an empty motorway, I have zero issue with 140kph. In isolation it isn't that fast.

Related-ish side note:
I recently had a car pull out from the hard shoulder, from stopped, in front of me. I couldn't move right as I usually do as there was a car overtaking ever so slowly. Stood on the brakes and avoided them by a few meters. Had I been doing 140kph it would have been a huge accident.

Henry Ford III · 06-01-2019 10:52AM

thelad95 wrote: »

There was never a tolerance. A speed limit is a speed limit. Mind you, I could see it being overturned if she appealed on the basis that the speedometer said 50.

There is. A relative worked for Go Safe and confirmed this.

Isambard · 06-01-2019 11:56AM

Henry Ford III wrote: »

There is. A relative worked for Go Safe and confirmed this.

it's a function of the Gardai to examine the photos and issue the fine. They should have the leeway to ignore trifling infringements. Probably they have, and most of the cases you hear about don't accurately reflect the facts (ie the margin over the limit was in fact bigger)

Del2005 · 06-01-2019 01:00PM

TheChizler wrote: »

May, not have to. They may also be spot on, which is why this is always a risky comment. "Someone on the Internet told me my speedo was overreading" won't cut it with the judge!

Someone posted the law / regulation before and it can never read the correct speed it has to over state the speed. In some cars you can open the diagnostics and see the correct speed, but the speedo will not show it.

All the judge will say is that the limit was x and your speedo was showing more than x so you knew that you were speeding.

Henry Ford III · 06-01-2019 01:01PM

Isambard wrote:

it's a function of the Gardai to examine the photos and issue the fine. They should have the leeway to ignore trifling infringements. Probably they have, and most of the cases you hear about don't accurately reflect the facts (ie the margin over the limit was in fact bigger)

Go Safe. Not Gardai.

i57dwun4yb1pt8 · 06-01-2019 02:23PM

if shw got done for 52 her speedo likely showed 55 or 56

mine shows 53 at 50 actual so it is over reading

really doubt her speedo is under reading actual .

Avatar MIA · 06-01-2019 02:43PM

....

Isambard · 06-01-2019 05:58PM

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Go Safe. Not Gardai.

the gardai issue the fines foe gosafe captures.

Speed camera tolerance change?

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