Speed trap van on the R759

WestWicklow1 · 07-05-2020 9:34pm #1

I know the Wicklow hills like the back of my hand. I have been riding them for a long, long time, sometimes every day in the Summer, certainly 3-4 times every week. I have never seen a speed trap van on the lesser roads EVER.

Today, on the R759 heading from Sally Gap towards Manor Kilbride I came across one. Nobody in the cab so I took it he was working. I took evasive action because I knew I had been 1 or 2 kms over the limit!!

But, tell me, when did this start on such roads?

Here's where it was...

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.1493666,-6.328801,3a,75y,303.51h,79.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqjwXhhFQYsYB9l07I6lEDQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

shaveAbullock · 07-05-2020 9:39pm

I was going to say that there is no way that location is on the gosafe map. But it actually is!

https://www.garda.ie/gosafe.html

WestWicklow1 · 07-05-2020 10:16pm

shaveAbullock wrote: »

I was going to say that there is no way that location is on the gosafe map. But it actually is!

https://www.garda.ie/gosafe.html

I see it now. Thanks for that.

shaveAbullock · 07-05-2020 10:24pm

Is there many people driving up there at the moment?
It's more of a sunday drive or tourist location which isn't possible for people right now.

WestWicklow1 · 07-05-2020 10:34pm

shaveAbullock wrote: »

Is there many people driving up there at the moment?
It's more of a sunday drive or tourist location which isn't possible for people right now.

No very, very few.

shaveAbullock · 07-05-2020 10:40pm

Makes it even more odd to pay some lad to sit in a van then.

enrique66_35 · 08-05-2020 9:11am

A cynic would say they're getting a double whammy - speeding fine and possible Covid-19 restriction fine to follow....

listermint · 08-05-2020 10:51am

well there must be some accident evidence to warrant it being there. I know the road well and can imagine there would be collisions on it

Pkiernan · 08-05-2020 10:52am

WestWicklow1 wrote: »

..

But, tell me, when did this start on such roads?

Here's where it was...

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.1493666,-6.328801,3a,75y,303.51h,79.35t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sqjwXhhFQYsYB9l07I6lEDQ!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

Maybe started when bikers started speeding there?

BronsonTB · 08-05-2020 2:09pm

They have changed gosafe vans locations everywhere. It's good they change it up a bit, everyone got use to where they were.

Might not be high traffic in a given spot but if they do catch more speeders, job done... Not all locations are about the money (even though most are)
Some do actually get people to slow down.

dkd21 · 08-05-2020 2:36pm

If you click on the road on the GoSafe locations map it gives fatal and minor collisions for that stretch of road. What constitutes a ''minor collision ''I am unsure . I do remember the fatal collision there at the Sean Kelly bridge is going back quite a number of years

shaveAbullock · 08-05-2020 3:22pm

enrique66_35 wrote: »

A cynic would say they're getting a double whammy - speeding fine and possible Covid-19 restriction fine to follow....

There is no Covid-19 restriction fixed penaulty. It would take a court case from the Guards with full evidence. A picture from a gosafe van would not be enough.

WestWicklow1 · 08-05-2020 4:40pm

Pkiernan wrote: »

Maybe started when bikers started speeding there?

Nope. There was no such thing as speed traps when road users started speeding there.

castle2012 · 08-05-2020 4:45pm

The go safe vans are certainly not an essential service and should be made come off the road. Set an example

shaveAbullock · 08-05-2020 4:47pm

Pkiernan wrote: »

Maybe started when bikers started speeding there?

It's a tempting place to speed for all kinds of vehicles.
You can see around most corners so this can lead to overconfidence.

BronsonTB · 08-05-2020 4:50pm

castle2012 wrote: »

The go safe vans are certainly not an essential service and should be made come off the road. Set an example

They can adhere to social distancing & work in isolation.

They help maintain the rule of law so would deemed essential service.
(The garda have enough to do without adding this to there role if all these vans were removed from everywhere!)

Panjandrums · 08-05-2020 4:53pm

castle2012 wrote: »

The go safe vans are certainly not an essential service and should be made come off the road. Set an example

How is saving lives not an essential services?

I think the vast majority of people understand what would happen if it was reported that these vans were taken off the road.

shaveAbullock · 08-05-2020 4:55pm

Regardless of what anyone thinks of gosafe vans.
I don't see how it could be claimed that continuing to deploy the vans would lead to any increased spread of hte virus.

castle2012 · 08-05-2020 4:56pm

Panjandrums wrote: »

How is saving lives not an essential services?

I think the vast majority of people understand what would happen if it was reported that these vans were taken off the road.

Really? With so many off work because of coronavirus. So let's all rush out and speed. I would accept garda, emergency services etc. But not a privately operated company.

shaveAbullock · 08-05-2020 5:04pm

castle2012 wrote: »

Really? With so many off work because of coronavirus. So let's all rush out and speed. I would accept garda, emergency services etc. But not a privately operated company.

Look at the garda traffic twitter. There is no shortage of people speeding and it would be even worse if there were no speed checks.

Less traffic on the roads seems to give some the impression that speeding is now safer

blade1 · 08-05-2020 7:47pm

Had to laugh this morning at the one that recently started over the road from me.
Orange flashing lights on top of the van.

shaveAbullock · 08-05-2020 7:49pm

blade1 wrote: »

Had to laugh this morning at the one that recently started over the road from me.
Orange flashing lights on top of the van.

Really? That would probably fool me, I'd expect it to be a maintenance van.

blade1 · 08-05-2020 7:51pm

shaveAbullock wrote: »

Really? That would probably fool me, I'd expect it to be a maintenance van.

Easily fooled so.

Maintaining what?

shaveAbullock · 08-05-2020 7:54pm

blade1 wrote: »

Easily fooled so.

Maintaining what?

Electric, gas, internet ect......
A maintenance van on the side of the road is far more common than a gosafe van.

blade1 · 08-05-2020 7:58pm

shaveAbullock wrote: »

Electric, gas, internet ect......
A maintenance van on the side of the road is far more common than a gosafe van.

Never in my 48 years passing was there a maintenance van there.
At 6:30 where the gosafe van parks.

Oh so he was undercover to catch the easily fooled like yourself. :pac:

martingriff · 08-05-2020 7:59pm

Ya the amount speeding and getting caught with no tax or insurance is nuts. Do people not know checkpoints are all over the shop. If I ever have to go out I find myself going a few km slower and a longer route just so i can spend less time indoors

shaveAbullock · 08-05-2020 8:12pm

blade1 wrote: »

Never in my 48 years passing was there a maintenance van there.
At 6:30 where the gosafe van parks.

Oh so he was undercover to catch the easily fooled like yourself. :pac:

Would most passing cars know about this 48 years of history?

Anyone who drives even semi frequently will encounter far more maintenance vans compared to gosafe vans.
In recent years a van with no amber lights parked on the side of the road is more suspicious than one that has them.

blade1 · 08-05-2020 8:20pm

shaveAbullock wrote: »

Would most passing cars know about this 48 years of history?

Anyone who drives even semi frequently will encounter far more maintenance vans compared to gosafe vans.

Passing cars are mostly ones going to work so they'd have some bit of history yeah.
Anyone that drives this road semi frequently should be fairly sure it was a gosafe van.
I must have super powers, knew it was the go safe van straight away.

PCeeeee · 08-05-2020 9:26pm

martingriff wrote: »

Ya the amount speeding and getting caught with no tax or insurance is nuts. Do people not know checkpoints are all over the shop. If I ever have to go out I find myself going a few km slower and a longer route just so i can spend less time indoors

Them are the boys to whom laws don't apply. They're at it with years, have rakes of convictions and don't give a fk. They're out wholesale now cos lockdown doesn't apply to them and they no longer have the cover afforded by the rest of us going about our business.

shaveAbullock · 08-05-2020 9:33pm

PCeeeee wrote: »

Them are the boys to whom laws don't apply. They're at it with years, have rakes of convictions and don't give a fk. They're out wholesale now cos lockdown doesn't apply to them and they no longer have the cover afforded by the rest of us going about our business.

The annoying thing is that they probably won't pay the fines but may eventually jailed for this. However it's a small non violent crime so most will be processed and out of prison in 6 hours with a free bus ticket home.
They can buy another car for very little money and be driving again the day after being caught.

Even if some of their cars are confiscated, over the years they will save a significant amount of money over anyone who does it by the book.

PCeeeee · 08-05-2020 9:40pm

shaveAbullock wrote: »

The annoying thing is that they probably won't pay the fines but may eventually jailed for this. However it's a small non violent crime so most will be processed and out of prison in 6 hours with a free bus ticket home.
They can buy another car for very little money and be driving again the day after being caught.

Even if some of their cars are confiscated, over the years they will save a significant amount of money over anyone who does it by the book.

Spot on. Fines do not apply either. They're only for people who mind doing a few days inside. Look at the number of serious criminals in the paper who have avoided serious convictions until they're caught for somthing right. Many of them have an extraordinary amount of 'traffic' convictions.

Speed trap van on the R759

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