Having your picture taken in a hired car!!

[morsing]

What to do about it?? Can I deny it?? What's the procudure??

And I was of course not exceeding the speed limit :)

Oh, by the way: What does 90/70 give??

Cheers

[noiseboy]

90/70 = about 3 points and £60! (assuming no previous convictions)

You cant really deny it - the rental company have on record that the car was on hire to you.... unless you hired it under a false name which is an even bigger no no.....

Take the fixed penalty - consider it a reminder to:

a) look out for GATSOs
b) observe the speed limit

(You choose a or b - no one else can choose for you)

Drive Safely.

Phil :)

[morsing]

GATSO??

No points since I'm a newcomer and the last time I got flashed (also in a hired car) I never heard anything about it.

I was kind of wondering about these cameras. I noticed on small roads that they apparently take your picture from the rear but this one got me from the front. (rather unpleasant since it was dark).

It was on the A23 going towards M40.

I had no chance of seeing it.

Cheers

It's when they stick these darn things on the M4 that I object, well any motorway really. Ok, set them at 110 mph or so then, if you need to have them there. Are you seriously telling me that 85 mph is sooo much more dangerous than 70 mph? Well, the usual speed adaption to road circumstances apply of course... I can tell you how much fun it is driving 55 mph in pouring rain in the dark on a full motorway with a BMW stuck up your backside flashing... it's about as much fun as cleaning out my drains... and I do that, alot!

I have no problem with speed cameras in built up areas, near schools, I love speed bumbs, little potted plants and every thing else you can think up to prevent the local boys to race their 20 to Audi 80 diesels outside my house and any house or buidling with children or old people in, on streets in towns and citys, around roundabouts (in built up areas again).

Anyway, GATSO is another name for speed camera and it comes from the company name Gatsometer BV, and it's a Dutch company. In England and Belgium, the camera takes a picture of your back and traces you with the plate number, in Sweden they take a picture of the front and matches the image of the driver with the photogrqaphic driver's licence register, thus eliminating people saying "sorry, I lent it to my mate that day...". They have ways of avoiding that in the UK too. I have never heard of a frontal speed camera in the UK but I suppose it's possible.

George

Anglo-Swede resident near Leuven in Belgium

'87 745 GLE Turbo Diesel Intercooler (D24TIC/M46, 200k)
'88 745 Turbo Intercooler (B230FT/M46, 270k)
'88 745 GL (B200E/M47, 200k)
'89 440 GL (B18K, 90k)

The orginal speed camera's in the uk (2 round lenses) take a picture of the front, but track the car only, the square ones take a picture of the rear, and the new digital ones are also take a picture from the front.

I'm with you with their use though George - why don't they have them around built up estates rahter than on the m'way, where they miss the most dangerous driving. Must admit though I hate speed bumps, potted plants fine, but speed bumps I hate - they knacker your car even when going slow, esp the Spitfire.....

Stu

I can confirm that in the UK they do flash and take a pic from the front. 5 years ago - Jan 2 1998 Beeston A1 Beds - 50mph zone on a slight bend. I nearly crashed when this thing blinded me in my LandRover Discovery. I was doing 58mph (in the wrong then) and it was late at night with no other cars. The steering on a Disco is a bit like a truck and a natural reaction when u are blinded is to hit the brakes (no ABS).I can tell u its extremely frightening when u start swerving in a Disco. Just thought I'd let u know its not new.

If u do find yourself speeding on the motorway keep below 100mph if u want to keep your license. Speeding in built up areas is a no-no. Speed bumps cause more pollution - stop/start etc. Rumble strips much better.

There is this local guy, he's got a Golf TDI with the lowering kit, spoilers, 19' alloys and the tripple exhaust.. It's such fun seeing him crawling at 2 mph over a speedbump with 80 yo OAPs in Micras behind beeping at him....

Ok, I agree, speed bumps are no good but I'd still like to get that idiot who goes past our house in his Porsche Boxter at 80 mph every evening at 7.20 pm. I do know where he lives...

George

Anglo-Swede resident near Leuven in Belgium

'87 745 GLE Turbo Diesel Intercooler (D24TIC/M46, 200k)
'88 745 Turbo Intercooler (B230FT/M46, 270k)
'88 745 GL (B200E/M47, 200k)
'89 440 GL (B18K, 90k)

[sheerwater]

Henrik,
Speeding with a car in the UK is like commiting murder in any other country.
You can beat the hell out of old ladies, break into cars and houses, vandalise anything you want,shoplift openly and nothing will ever be done to you. In fact it may be to your benefit.
I have told this story before.... Lad of 14 steals, does drugs, breaks into houses, sticks 2 fingers up to the law.
At 18 the police get their own back and he is jailed for 2 and a half years. One year later he is out on licence and given a grant to settle back into society on condition he reports weekly to the police. He doesnt and goes into hiding and eventually buys a house!!!!! At 21 the police catch him and find that he has been breaking into houses to fund his mortgage. Does he serve any remaining part of his sentence. NOPE. Is he fined. NOPE. Does he have to repay any money back that he has reinvested in his house. NOPE. He is let off and told to be a good boy. (this was my friends wayward son so I know the case) I cant wait until he gets a car. Then the Government will be able to fine him,slow him down on his way to work , ban him , send him on re-habilitation courses etc,etc.
90 mph Henrik.... Tower of London job Im afraid !!!!!
Cheers Nige

As far as I know from some fairly reliable sources here is the lowdown.

Cameras are usually set for 10% above the limit so on the motorway you will get away with about 75 to 80 mph before setting one of the buggers of. BUT bear in mind most domestic standard speedos are not that accurate which is why a police man following you on a speeding violation will ALSO allow you 10% (here is a handy hint, if the police car has not had its speedo or radar gun calibrated that day you can not be prosecuted if you go to court. It is a minor technicality which on a busy morning or start of shift can be over looked or skipped).
The cameras which flash once have not taken your picture as they have no point of reference to calculate speed
The cameras which flash twice have taken your picture and the road markings (white horizontal stripes) will be used to calculate your speed. EVEN if you are pictured going above the speed limit you will only hear about it if you are in the top percentage they are prosecuting that month in that division.

BUT above all remember if you dont speed you wont get caught and you wont get to your destination late :-)

[morsing]

Well, got the letter yesterday. It says 83mph, so how fast was I really going??

And yes, $60 and 3 points. ANd they last for three(four) years?!? Man this system is tough!!

Cheers