So I was driving down central London and I got a bit pedal happy, started slowing down and then noticed two cops hidden behind some parked cars writing down something. My speed was 26mph when I noticed them and the limit is 30mph as it is an A road. So I am wondering, would they stop me if I was above the limit?
Would cops with a handheld speed gadget stop me on the spot?
- Thread starter Riva811
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Doodle
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That depends on how they're setup. If they've got colleagues a few hundred yards down the road then they'll radio your details for the colleagues to pull you over there and then. Otherwise they're just gathering evidence for the computer to spit out letterbombs later on.
Speaking from professional experience and practice, what Doodle said, lol.
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The ones I saw around London do stop you, either themselves or their colleagues further down the road. This is of course not to say that there aren't other setups where you get the letter in the post.
Regarding the latter, my understanding is that in order to do that they need more than a Laser gun, they actually need a system with a camera that can produce a photo, and these are typically located in vans and not carried by motorcycle cops.
What I would also say is that the fact that they they pointed the Laser gun at you isn't conclusive, i.e. they will often just be calibrating the device, or training a young officer how to use it. Additionally, in order for the reading to be valid they need to be sure it's you, i.e. if there are other cars near you or cutting in front of you then the reading won't be valid. And last, lighting conditions and reflection can also interfere with the reading.
In short, having a copper with a yellow hi-viz leaning on his bike and pointing a Laser gun at you is not a guarantee that you've been nicked.
Regarding the latter, my understanding is that in order to do that they need more than a Laser gun, they actually need a system with a camera that can produce a photo, and these are typically located in vans and not carried by motorcycle cops.
What I would also say is that the fact that they they pointed the Laser gun at you isn't conclusive, i.e. they will often just be calibrating the device, or training a young officer how to use it. Additionally, in order for the reading to be valid they need to be sure it's you, i.e. if there are other cars near you or cutting in front of you then the reading won't be valid. And last, lighting conditions and reflection can also interfere with the reading.
In short, having a copper with a yellow hi-viz leaning on his bike and pointing a Laser gun at you is not a guarantee that you've been nicked.
G7Wagen
Active Member
We're they police? There is a growing trend of 'locals' (civilians) in high viz jackets in urban areas, pointing 'devices' at motorists, to make them slow down, but have no powers to stop / fine you. 
Lazer speed guns have a range of a couple of miles... plenty of time to 'catch' your speed and pop out with a hand up to stop you... so if they didn't I wouldn't overly upset yourself worrying.
Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) has to be sent to the registered owner/driver within 2 weeks if you weren't spoken to at the time of the offence.
The fact they didn't stop you would indicate you are OK.
If you get nothing in 2 weeks you are definitely OK.
Lazer speed guns have a range of a couple of miles... plenty of time to 'catch' your speed and pop out with a hand up to stop you... so if they didn't I wouldn't overly upset yourself worrying.
Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) has to be sent to the registered owner/driver within 2 weeks if you weren't spoken to at the time of the offence.
The fact they didn't stop you would indicate you are OK.
If you get nothing in 2 weeks you are definitely OK.
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Not wanting to increase your anxiety, but just to note that many A roads in central London are now 20mph limits, not 30mph+.
ALFAitalia
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Had held ones have to be stopped at the scene or close.....otherwise they would have no evidence as they cant take pics with handhelds. I was stopped at 34 on 30 just before Xmas.....told me to watch my speed, asked if id been drinking (chance would be a fine thing at 8.30AM!) and I was on my way!
Petrol Pete
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Civilians in high viz jackets do seem to have some clout , a few years back I was zapped by a bunch of them (all elderly wearing hi viz) passing through a local village . An official letter arrived at my house asking me to go easy through the village next time . I can't find the letter , probably went in the bin.
My guess is that they zap enough people they have a good case for a real cop to turn up or a camera to be installed.
It is local to me and an odd spot to use a radar gun due to a slow tight bend followed by a narrow hump back bridge. No one I know around here has heard of any type of RTA there for decades.
My guess is that they zap enough people they have a good case for a real cop to turn up or a camera to be installed.
It is local to me and an odd spot to use a radar gun due to a slow tight bend followed by a narrow hump back bridge. No one I know around here has heard of any type of RTA there for decades.
At 8.30 am, you could still be over the limit from the night before.
ALFAitalia
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The old blokes do that at the end of Bosham straight near my work.....or they did until some bloke in a drop sided tipper decided that they are just do gooder busy bodies and he didn't want a civvy pointing a speed gun at him, so got out to tell them so and a fist fight broke out.....not seen them since!!!!.....they could do with getting a life really.........just my opinion of course. Again an area that I'm not aware of any accidents. Its right at the end of a long straight were people do carry a bit of excess speed past the 30mph sign.....but they were trapping people coming from the other way as they accelerate off the roundabout........very odd.
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Of course and that's what they were after.....but I'm no drinker.....or at least rarely....
Hi,
Not wishing to give you anxiety - but the LTi2020TruCam is type approved in the UK and is a handheld speed gun with a built in camera and recorder.
I stopped and spoke to a really cool traffic cop in Abu Dhabi a few years back who was using one over a bridge on a big motorway.
He told me that in a few hours he can catch over a hundred motorists. Then he goes back to the station - connects the camera to his laptop and it automatically downloads all the data for any motorists who were driving above the speed threshold that he set for that session.
Then their central computer system can send fines automatically to the registered keepers!
www.gov.uk
Cheers
Steve
Not wishing to give you anxiety - but the LTi2020TruCam is type approved in the UK and is a handheld speed gun with a built in camera and recorder.
I stopped and spoke to a really cool traffic cop in Abu Dhabi a few years back who was using one over a bridge on a big motorway.
He told me that in a few hours he can catch over a hundred motorists. Then he goes back to the station - connects the camera to his laptop and it automatically downloads all the data for any motorists who were driving above the speed threshold that he set for that session.
Then their central computer system can send fines automatically to the registered keepers!
LTI camera type approval corroboration
Cheers
Steve
We had a group of volunteers do this in our village. They got fed up after a while and replaced the hand held guns with digital speed signs and smiley face or not as the case may be, I like the speed signs, they were very useful when I had the speedo on my bike in bits to recalibrate it from reading over 10 % high to now reading spot on at 30 mph. I can ride a little faster as a result.
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Of course it is no problem speeding through villages and roads where you don't live, but these busy bodies do live there and are probably fed up with all the entitled driving gods.
I am certain that these gods would not object to other gods speeding along their residential roads and villages.
I am certain that these gods would not object to other gods speeding along their residential roads and villages.
They don't actually need ANY equipment under certain circumstances .
A conviction can be obtained by a bobby standing at the roadside and forming an opinion that a car was exceeding the speed limit ( needs to be two bobbies here in Scotland ) . While it could be challenged if you were doing 32 in a 30 , unless he timed you over a known distance with a stopwatch , if he/they expressed an opinion that you were significantly over the limit , say 60 in a 30 , then it is legally possible for a conviction to result .
No speed awareness option in Scotland - we don't offer them .The wife got cought on the way to Scotland by a gun on a bridge found out 2 weeks later 87mph 1 mph over the speed awareness course parameters
I know you said she was on her way here , so must have still been south of the border .
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