Speed camera mega-thread Read first post before posting

Owen · 07-04-2011 9:01am

The Go-Safe one's aren't exactly visible either. I've seen a dark red one, covered in dirt parked at the side of the road under a tall overhanging hedge, with dark, dull non reflective signage also covered in dirt.

phill106 · 07-04-2011 9:32am

Isn't there some new ones which are unmarked, but are used just for statistics and no photo taking?
Can't remember where i read that...

2 stroke · 07-04-2011 9:50am

I don't think any of these van can be considered to have high visibility markings. I have good eyesight and generally can spot gardai or ambulances a long distance away, yet i cannot spot these camera vans until I am well within range. I believe these markings are cleverally designed to camoflage the vans until you are well within range, we are dealing with spectra photo here, they know a thing or two about light and colour and what the human eye can see.

vetstu · 07-04-2011 11:50am

The unmarked Garda ones have a tiny Garda logo on the back corner of the side of the van. You don't see it till its too late

Vicxas · 07-04-2011 11:59am

Seen one in navan last night, dark red and the "high reflective" was covered in dirt and mud, luckily a truck driver alerted me to his presence.

RollYerOwn · 07-04-2011 4:47pm

I was caught doing 77km/hr in a 60km/hr zone. It was the one-way three or four lane slip-road to the motorway between the Dublin Airport roundabout and the M1 roundabout. There are no pedestrians on that stretch, no residential or business turn offs. I'm pretty sure this is not an accident blackspot and the stretch of road is not marked on the Garda mobile camera locations web-site (although there is one going south from the Dublin Airport roundabout).

The van was a plain white transit with no markings parked on the verge and I only noticed because I saw a flash out of my passenger window (must have been also getting the people behind me).

Hardly a high-visibility van. Hardly a location worthy of slowing people down (before they get on the motorway!). Evidently an exercise in notching up more statistics that can be manipulated - do these guys work on commission by any chance?

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for the vans and bringing speed down, as long as they are where they should be.

blastman · 07-04-2011 6:39pm

That location is a well-known haunt of the garda van, hence the lack of hi-viz. They should change the monument on the airport roundabout to a giant barrel.

RollYerOwn · 07-04-2011 7:11pm

That took me a minute or so...

Pkiernan · 07-04-2011 10:42pm

RollYerOwn wrote: »

I was caught doing 77km/hr in a 60km/hr zone. It was the one-way three or four lane slip-road to the motorway between the Dublin Airport roundabout and the M1 roundabout. There are no pedestrians on that stretch, no residential or business turn offs. I'm pretty sure this is not an accident blackspot and the stretch of road is not marked on the Garda mobile camera locations web-site (although there is one going south from the Dublin Airport roundabout).

The van was a plain white transit with no markings parked on the verge and I only noticed because I saw a flash out of my passenger window (must have been also getting the people behind me).

Hardly a high-visibility van. Hardly a location worthy of slowing people down (before they get on the motorway!). Evidently an exercise in notching up more statistics that can be manipulated - do these guys work on commission by any chance?

Don't get me wrong - I'm all for the vans and bringing speed down, as long as they are where they should be.

My brother got done in exactly this spot while bringing me to the hospital.

Great to see that the Gardai are clamping down on hard core criminals like tiger kidnappers, real ira dissidents and minor speeders going on to the motorway.

kenmc · 07-04-2011 10:51pm

There was an unmarked one on the ballinteer road between the M50 and the Dundrum Shopping centre on Saturday afternoon (illegally parked on the cycle lane too!). Had a flash and a camera in the back window. Not a sign to be seen on it anywhere. cheating ar$eholes

af_thefragile · 07-04-2011 10:51pm

I've yet to see one of these GoSafe camera vans...

Maybe I've been quite lucky lately... Or I've been very unlucky and have failed to spot any of these vans.

Though I haven't gotten anything in the post so far so fingers crossed!!

Its also one of those times you're glad your car can't really do over 120kmph comfortably!!

rxan90 · 07-04-2011 10:59pm

I've seen them twice, both on the Malahide Road (60 km/h limit), one was near the school in Kinsealy and the other just before Malahide Castle, both were there around 7 or 8 at night ... wasn't over the limit either times luckily! :cool:

Agricola · 07-04-2011 11:11pm

I was driving out the N25 outside Waterford a couple of weeks back at around 9.30 on a quiet Monday night. As I was tootling along in the dark I noticed a lone transit van pulled in. Despite the fact I thought I was going way too slow to be over the limit, I slowed down abit while passing it and was happy to immediately see a sign for 80kph because I was doing 70kph.
So wasnt I delighted to get a fine in the post today for the night in question. Apparently, I was doing 64kph in a "special speed limit zone" of 60kph. :mad:

This is the kind of **** that really pisses me off and is typical of Ireland in general. A speed camera van setup on this runway wide stretch of completely deserted road on a dead monday night is complete bullshít. If Im out at night on an R road, doing 60 or 70 mph in a 50mph speed limit, I deserve everything I get, throw the fúcking book at me. But catching people in a situation like this is just a blatant exercise in extracting money for the sake of it.

Iwannahurl · 08-04-2011 12:00am

Agricola wrote: »

So wasnt I delighted to get a fine in the post today for the night in question. Apparently, I was doing 64kph in a "special speed limit zone" of 60kph. :mad:

I haven't seen one of these speeding tickets. Maybe someone can post a scan or something?

Do they actually state the speed you were clocked at, as well as giving you chapter and verse with regard to the posted limit, location etc?

ART6 · 08-04-2011 8:29am

Agricola wrote: »

I was driving out the N25 outside Waterford a couple of weeks back at around 9.30 on a quiet Monday night. As I was tootling along in the dark I noticed a lone transit van pulled in. Despite the fact I thought I was going way too slow to be over the limit, I slowed down abit while passing it and was happy to immediately see a sign for 80kph because I was doing 70kph.
So wasnt I delighted to get a fine in the post today for the night in question. Apparently, I was doing 64kph in a "special speed limit zone" of 60kph. :mad:
.

That is outrageous -- fined for doing 4 kph (2.5 mph) over an arbitrary limit on an empty road in late evening?? If this sort of petty officialdom and oppression continues then all it will do is create massive public resentment of the whole speed control initiative and seriously devalue it. I suggest you write to or speak strongly to your local TD about it as I intend to do, as this is sheer madness. Soon the devils will be fining us for exceeding some ridiculous b****y limit by 0.001 kph:mad:

Oh, and before the flaming starts, I have never had a speeding fine or any other motoring conviction in nearly fifty years of driving, so I am not defending speeding.

coffee_cake · 08-04-2011 8:55am

Agricola wrote: »

I was driving out the N25 outside Waterford a couple of weeks back at around 9.30 on a quiet Monday night. As I was tootling along in the dark I noticed a lone transit van pulled in. Despite the fact I thought I was going way too slow to be over the limit, I slowed down abit while passing it and was happy to immediately see a sign for 80kph because I was doing 70kph.
So wasnt I delighted to get a fine in the post today for the night in question. Apparently, I was doing 64kph in a "special speed limit zone" of 60kph. :mad:

This is the kind of **** that really pisses me off and is typical of Ireland in general. A speed camera van setup on this runway wide stretch of completely deserted road on a dead monday night is complete bullshít. If Im out at night on an R road, doing 60 or 70 mph in a 50mph speed limit, I deserve everything I get, throw the fúcking book at me. But catching people in a situation like this is just a blatant exercise in extracting money for the sake of it.

Wtf? If they don't have it signposted as 60 tell them to clear off!!
:mad:

R0C · 08-04-2011 9:13am

I'm just wondering if anyone has received a ticket for breaking the trailer-towing speed limit of 80km from one of these speed camera vans.

The case:

Pulling a trailer in a 100km zone in Donegal a few days ago.

Saw the camera van but didn't think anything of it.

Looked at speedo on van which stated we were travelling at 85km/h at the time. Slowed back to 80km but too late.

Received ticket in the post this morning for doing 87km in a 100km zone. Now I've looked it up, the speed limit for towing a trailer is 80km.

Could the camera van have detected the trailer and adjusted the speed limit which applied because of this, or is this a mistake?

Passed a second camera a while later so now expecting a second ticket. :rolleyes:

Any helpful advice appreciated.

CreepingDeath · 08-04-2011 9:16am

I heard (on boards) that trucks were getting done for breaking the HGV limit.
So your story doesn't surprise me.

R0C · 08-04-2011 9:46am

Thanks for your reply.

Thing is, a HGV is down as that on record, so it's speed limit will be tied into its reg.

A van has the same speed limit as anyone else except when towing a trailer, but can they tell/prove that you're pulling a trailer?

I'm pretty surprised by this.

ScouseMouse · 08-04-2011 9:51am

R0C wrote: »

Thanks for your reply.

Thing is, a HGV is down as that on record, so it's speed limit will be tied into its reg.

A van has the same speed limit as anyone else except when towing a trailer, but can they tell/prove that you're pulling a trailer?

I'm pretty surprised by this.

Surely it could be seen in the photo the van takes?

Cute hoors.

Bullseye1 · 08-04-2011 9:53am

Signage is a real problem on many roads and I am betting if people were prepared to appeal the tickets in these circumstances they would have a good chance of having the ticket thrown out.

BTW is there a minimum size for a speed sign? If your driving in some urban areas the 50km/h signs are no bigger than a dinner plate. Surely this is wrong? Why are they not a standardised size.

R0C · 08-04-2011 9:53am

Photo just shows the number plate, wonder do they have a full photo taken that proves a trailer was being towed?

Seems like a very grey area to me...

Anan1 · 08-04-2011 9:53am

I'm a bit surprised myself, although the trailer will presumably be visible in the pic. Sorry for your troubles, but you have to admit it is clever!

R0C · 08-04-2011 9:55am

I'm still wondering if this is an error...

But hopefully this experience can warn others!

Anan1 · 08-04-2011 9:59am

R0C wrote: »

Photo just shows the number plate, wonder do they have a full photo taken that proves a trailer was being towed?

Seems like a very grey area to me...

They'll post you a copy of the full pic if you ring them and ask.

BuzzFish · 08-04-2011 10:00am

Isn't there an operator inside who would have seen the trailer?

Mr. Presentable · 08-04-2011 10:00am

R0C wrote: »

I'm still wondering if this is an error...

But hopefully this experience can warn others!

How could it be an error? You had a trailer. I think they take a full photo and edit to show you the reg as proof. They can id the driver if needs be, so I'd expect they can show anything on tow also.

jameshayes · 08-04-2011 10:03am

There is a reason the speed limit is lower for people towing - take your fine & move on.

Ali Babba · 08-04-2011 10:07am

Is it any wonder they're being set alight.......... That's the thing about this country, the powers that be are so efficient when it comes to any means of generating taxes and when the shoe is on the other foot and they're expected to deliver on something they're absolutely pathetic.

Considering most modern trailers with a brand name have brakes and are well designed, 80kms seems a bit realistic on a motorway tbh.

Anan1 · 08-04-2011 10:12am

Ali Babba wrote: »

Is it any wonder they're being set alight.......... That's the thing about this country, the powers that be are so efficient when it comes to any means of generating taxes and when the shoe is on the other foot and they're expected to deliver on something they're absolutely pathetic.

A bit OT, but I thought we all know that revenue from speeding fines comes nowhere near meeting the cost of enforcement.

Speed camera mega-thread ***Read first post before posting***

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Speed camera mega-thread Read first post before posting