Sneeky speed trap

thornbridge

Today just as it was getting dark around 4 o clock i noticed two police officers erecting a small tripod about knee high. They put a portable speed camera on it then sat in their unmarked car next to it. The camera was pointing down the road which is a dual carriageway with a 30mph speed limit on but what was unusual as i have never seen this is the camera was pointing across the dual carriageway at on coming traffic. If you know what i mean it was not facing the traffic on the side of the road where they were but pointing at on coming traffic across the central grass verge and had a nice view of the traffic on the other side of the road.

They were still there 2 hours later 6 o'clock. I thought and i may be wrong but they had to make themselves visible. If so they certainly was not. Sat in an unmarked car, in the dark, with a knee high tripod camera on board pointing across the verge and at on coming traffic.

Has any one else noticed this in other parts of the country.

I wander how many motorised will be getting a fine dropping through their door for straying just over 30mph in a few days time

Andy_L

Sounds more like an ANPR camera for catching untaxed/uninsured vehicles than a speed trap.

thornbridge

Don't know Andy it looked exactly like a speed camera. I don't know what these ANPR devices look like. I have heard of them but i thought they were on board the police vehicle

Premier_2

They look just like a speed camera to the unknowing

th1982

Whenever I've seen the car tax ones, it's always been a marked police car, viewing the same direction as traffic moving, and the led scroll display int he back of the car flashes DVLA tax check - see it quite a bit on my morning drive to work.

that sounds to me more like a speed check but i may be wrong - I don't think they have to have neon lights or anything to say speed trap watch out, best bet is to search for info - I'm sure on direct.gov or on the local police website it will state their rules for speed traps

Premier_2

Isn't the requirement to make speed/safety cameras clearly visible related to where any revenue goes?

Premier_2

thornbridge wrote: »

...
I wander how many motorised will be getting a fine dropping through their door for straying just over 30mph in a few days time

None that were obeying the law

thornbridge

Oh come on Premier. I stick to the limit but even i somtimes look and think !!!! I'm doing 33 here better slow down. I bet every one has gone over without realising.

xocbc

Funnily enough I saw two Policemen on a motorway bridge with what looked like a small video camera on a tripod about 2 feet high on the M90 at Kinross this evening.

I they seemed to be standing having a chat, so no idea what they were doing

Rolandtheroadie

thornbridge wrote: »

Oh come on Premier. I stick to the limit but even i somtimes look and think !!!! I'm doing 33 here better slow down. I bet every one has gone over without realising.

But if your speedo's saying 33, your probably doing 30.

Chippy_Minton_2

thornbridge wrote: »

I thought and i may be wrong but they had to make themselves visible.

As said you are wrong.

thornbridge wrote: »

I don't know what these ANPR devices look like.

So how do you know it wasn't one?

An anpr camera is simply that a camera. All the cleaver stuff is on the computer.