Just wondering as I was driving home from work this evening and the police were stopped by the side of the road and appeared to be speed checking but I cant really understand how they would be able to get a pic of the number plate without a flash in the dark?

They do work in the dark....handheld ones don't as far as I know take pictures so it's up to them to stop you and issue a ticket...or maybe take your reg number and send it on later

Octygone is correct, it's a spped gun that works just as well at night as it does during the day.

But can it take pics?

All done via Infrared?

Brittish law says you cannot flash an oncoming vehicle from a speed trap device or similar. But that's the bit in the law that doesn't make any sense, what if a vehicle going the other way triggers the camera and it flashes you in the face. So what's the difference.

Back in the day when i used one 80s the only problem was one of safeley stopping the vehicle in the dark as the driver may not see you,so the speed was recorded and

locked into the gun.Then the police officer usualy got into his car and followed the speeding vehicle then executed a normal rolling stop. The offending evidence ws then shown to the driver. This method was usually done through the drivers open window from a parked police vehicle.The system was soon replaced by vascar a much fairer system. Visual aid speed computer and recorder. checked over a distance as opposed to one spot.

Brittish law says you cannot flash an oncoming vehicle from a speed trap device or similar. But that's the bit in the law that doesn't make any sense, what if a vehicle going the other way triggers the camera and it flashes you in the face. So what's the difference.

There is no such law - standard Gatsos running in their unattended mode are only type approved to capture vehicles from the rear even though they have the capability to capture oncoming vehicles (there is a model of Gatso that sits on a tripod and is monitored by an operator which is type approved to catch vehicles in both directions). However that isn't because there is a law preventing oncoming use, that was just a type approval decision. The Truvelo cameras use a flash and are type approved to capture oncoming vehicles, their flash has a magenta filter (not an infrared one) to try and reduce the flash effect although it's still very noticeable. Some of the automated Gatsos which aren't capturing (usually dummy Gatsos which don't have a camera fitted) are set to flash traffic in both directions.

John

Just wondering as I was driving home from work this evening and the police were stopped by the side of the road and appeared to be speed checking but I cant really understand how they would be able to get a pic of the number plate without a flash in the dark?

It's likely there would be another patrol car up the road so when the police officer using the handheld radar/laser speed gun detected someone over the limit they'd radio up the road and get the car pulled over. As above a handheld device on its own simply measures the speed, the ones used in speed vans and similar are usually hooked up to a video recording system so they can capture speeders as they go by and then send out a NIP later.

John

I had a collegue who would park up for a brew and cause great consternation and braking, by pointing a tartan Thermos flask out of his drivers door window at cars going a bit quickly. Pro active policing.

This was definitely The Police but it was a focus estate so not a traffic car. It was an odd place to be parked if not for speeding but I'm not sure. Just going to have to wait a few weeks to see.

But can it take pics?

No, none of the hand held ones do and they don't have too, there's a police officer holding it so there's no point in it taking photos.

So how can they prove anything if it's questioned?

The evidence of the readout on the device shown to you at the time,coroborated by the police officer holding it and checking your speed.The officer will have formed the opinion that you were speeding before checking your speed.Thats two witnesses what else do you need.?

So how can they prove anything if it's questioned?

As already stated, theres a police officer holding the device. The police officers statement is all that is required

I was not stopped at the time so have not been shown any readout.

I was not stopped at the time so have not been shown any readout.

Do you think you we're speeding? They don't need to show you the readout, they just submit their statement and a report file to the courts. If you have been caught then you'll receive a NIP through the post in the next couple of weeks. Odds are you'll be fine.

I would be a bit silly to publicly admit to that if I was! Just wondering