Hi

Think I may have been caught doing 80ish on the A19 (nr Teeside) by a speed camera van parked on the hard shoulder.

The thing is though, how does it capture your number plate at night if it is facing you as you go past? They don't have night vision or infra red do they (or maybe they do)?

The strange thing was that there was a patrol car parked in front of it so I think they may just have been after people doing silly speeds and sending the patrol car after them.

To be honest, if they prosecuted everyone going past doing 80mph then they'd be doing paper work all night!

Finally, there were no speed camera signs on this particular stretch although I thought that there had to be for them to use a speed camera, fixed or mobile?

Thoughts folks?

John

Are you sure it was not an ANPR van, with a marked unit in front ready to stop anything that the ANPR flags up?

Are you sure it was not an ANPR van, with a marked unit in front ready to stop anything that the ANPR flags up?

I have no idea, how would I know the difference?

Should of done a search - just found this:

http://briskoda.net/off-topic-chit-chat/do-speed-camera-vans-work-dark/72348/

TBH, it was probably a ANPR van, I have never seen a Scamera van and then a Police car the other side of it. That set up is nearly always going to be an ANPR trap.

Couple of pointers to ID it are:

*ANPR vans do often say ANPR on them or totally emblem free.

*LASER/Rader doesnt work through glass so if the windows were shut then definatly ANPR

*Most Scamera vans have the speed camera logo on them

*if it had several cameras (or maybe 2 windows on back open) then more likely to be ANPR as the speed cameras need a human operator, ANPR doesnt so can have as many cameras as there is needed for the location.

Steve

TBH, it was probably a ANPR van, I have never seen a Scamera van and then a Police car the other side of it. That set up is nearly always going to be an ANPR trap.

Couple of pointers to ID it are:

*ANPR vans do often say ANPR on them or totally emblem free.

*LASER/Rader doesnt work through glass so if the windows were shut then definatly ANPR

*Most Scamera vans have the speed camera logo on them

*if it had several cameras (or maybe 2 windows on back open) then more likely to be ANPR as the speed cameras need a human operator, ANPR doesnt so can have as many cameras as there is needed for the location.

Steve

I could say with fair certainty that the rear windows / doors were shut.

Thanks for this response.

Never seen a camera van working at night. ANPR on the otherhand can be deployed 24/7 as they use IR cameras

Never seen a camera van working at night. ANPR on the otherhand can be deployed 24/7 as they use IR cameras

I think using camera vans at night just isn't cricket! Sly feckers.

Hopefully it was ANPR then

AFAIK the 'officer' operating the equipemnt must first just his judgement before checking your speed. At night, this isnt easily done.

This is IIRC a pre-requisite of operating a mobile speed camera van. Fixed position cameras are un-manned, so employ radar, road sensors and distance measuring to clock you which allow them to work 24/7.

Also remember that many forces have their own trigger points for speeders on certain roads. ACPO guidelines are just that, and forces dont have to follow them religiously.

The force round here sets cameras etc to 85ish on fast roads, and on urban accident hotspots will stick to ACPO religiously. Over the boarder, they are evil and on main roads I wouldnt dare exceed NSL on my speedo.

ANPR, its too difficult at night to run camera vans, but not impossible, however ANPR can run day and night.

You can check the insurance part of the ARPN check by going to

askMID

James