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Conference terri::cars_uk

Title:Cars in the UK
Notice:Please read new conference charter 1.70
Moderator:COMICS::SHELLEYELD
Created:Sun Mar 06 1994
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2584
Total number of notes:63384

1489.0. "LOOK OUT!!" by SEDOAS::TILLING () Thu Jul 04 1991 18:20

    Mr Mod,
    
    Is it OK to mention the location of speed traps in these notes.
    
    If so be warned everybody....
    
    The police have had a speed trap on the A34 between Whitchurch and
    Bullington cross in Hampshire every morning this week.
    
    If not ..please don't read this note.
    
    Simon
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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1489.1VULCAN::SMITHP1This note chequed by Cap'n GrammarThu Jul 04 1991 19:052
	What note ??
1489.2SHIPS::ALFORD_Jan elephant is a mouse with an oper. sys.Thu Jul 04 1991 19:1212


Re: .0

The Hampshire police are having an awareness period...


There is a police car lurking on both sides of the road (one on each side for 
RAWSON's benefit) on slip roads to the A34 at "Silk Mill" junction.  Been there
every morning so far this week.... 

1489.3CRATE::RAWSONFnarr! Fnarr!Thu Jul 04 1991 19:218
re .2

	As you know Jane, I live in Brighton (A27) , so your last reply is of 
	as much benefit to me as knowing that your car can go faster than mine.
	Mind you, what car can't !

	Alex :^)

1489.4nik nik nik nik niSEDOAS::TILLINGThu Jul 04 1991 19:443
    The very same one!!
    
    
1489.5I think you're breaking the law...SAC::DELANY_SThu Jul 04 1991 20:2216
    Re .0
    
    Couldn't work out whether this was a wind-up or not......
    
    BUT...
    
    I believe that technically you are committing an offence by alerting
    other drivers to the presence of law-enforcement officers, so if I were
    you, I should re-submit the base note from an anonymous account!
    
    Seriously..... if, for example, you were to flash oncoming drivers to
    warn them of a speed trap that you've just passed through, then the
    police can 'do' you.
    
    
    Stephen
1489.6Tick?BRUMMY::BELLMartin Bell, TCC, Birmingham UKThu Jul 04 1991 20:259
    Yup,
    
    you are interfering with the Police performing their lawful duties!
    
    At the same time, however, you are actively encouraging drivers to obey
    the law (which is exactly what the Police are _trying_ to do), so i
    personally think that that is good and wholesome!
    
    mb
1489.7More A34 blues!BLKPUD::WARNESGVitamin Junkie.Thu Jul 04 1991 20:259
    
    ... and there's always the unmarked white Opel Senator police car
    lurking on the A34 near it's intersection with the M4.  Seen it
    twice, got stopped by it once ... 32 quid worse off, thanks a bunch!
    
    
    
    
    Graham
1489.8Your allowed to encourage law obeying!TIMMII::RDAVIESI can't tryp for notsFri Jul 05 1991 12:1012
    It's goes something like the new adverts for radar detectors:
    
    "You all know that the police set up radar traps at the point where
    speed limits change, so why don't you get one of these super-wizz-bang
    thingies so that you are alerted to changes in the speed of the road,
    and saved from INADVERTANTLY breaking the law..."
    
    So, any replies that alert drivers to places where the road speed
    changes, and stops them inadvertantly speeding are allowable. After
    all, your encouraging obeying the lawe aren't you?.
    
    Richard (moderating loosely)
1489.9"Hello, hello, hello!" "All three of us, officer?"TRUCKS::SMARTTaste and try before you buyFri Jul 05 1991 15:2611
1489.10It varies...HUGS::AND_KISSESScott MarshallFri Jul 05 1991 15:439
>> the inside story

The action the police will take varies from force to force.

Thames Valley Police won't nick you for 85mph if you're being sensible.
Hertforshire Police are much stricter and have been known to prosecutre people
doing 71mph...

Scott
1489.1170 mph or v. slowKERNEL::SHELLEYRRS with the RSFri Jul 05 1991 15:489
1489.12And YOU are paying their salariesBRUMMY::BELLMartin Bell, TCC, Birmingham UKFri Jul 05 1991 18:117
    If this stretch of A34 is where i think it is, long sweeping open dual
    carriageway, then i think that it is ridiculous that the Police should
    even bother to stop people "making progress".
    
    What a waste of time!
    
    mb
1489.13A public service?SEDOAS::TILLINGFri Jul 05 1991 18:2820
    Perhaps it would be good idea to post any info about radar traps
    cameras in this note, thus giving us all a chance to obey the law.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    if only for a few hundred yards
    
    Registation numbers of plain clothed police cars might also be usefull?
    
    Simon.
1489.14Call me pedantic, but....WOTVAX::HARRISCNot very nice at allFri Jul 05 1991 18:587
    >Police are much stricter and have been known to prosecutre people
    >doing 71mph...
    
    As I understand it you are allowed a 10% grace for speedo error,
    therefore technically you can do upto 77MPH without being prosecuted!
    
    ..Craig
1489.15This has been discussed in another topic... goodness knows which one though!HUGS::AND_KISSESScott MarshallFri Jul 05 1991 19:0310
re .14

That's what I thought, and I agree with you entirely, but that's what I was told
by a representative of the police force...

I thought that legally, speedos are not allowed to "underread", so maybe the 10%
error must always be an overreading.  ie if your speedo says "70" then your
real speed is somehwere from 63 to 70...

Scott
1489.16Old wives tales ...BRUMMY::BELLMartin Bell, TCC, Birmingham UKFri Jul 05 1991 19:0612
    Re: .14
    
    Nope, i don't think so.
    
    Speeding is an absolute offence and 70.0001mph is illegal, but a court
    would look awfully silly if it tried to prosecute you unless you were
    doing something else that was even sillier.
    
    It is surprising how many people "take it up to 77mph" because they
    believe this 10% story.
    
    mb
1489.17A few helping points..NEWOA::BOSLEYWhat time to go, Nah cant be...Sat Jul 06 1991 11:1445
    Hi,
    	
    	Since I have moved to Newbury in the last couple of years - I have
    noticed strange cars around.. New H, G reg cars but with the OLD form
    of No. Plates. Letters screwed onto plate. instead of the more common
    pespex. THESE cars are the ones to pay attention to... as my Dads a
    retired Trafic Cop.. I should no.. They have strange unusual things
    about them.. ie.              
                   
    1) Red Ford Serria  4x4 - Where front fog lamps are - Blue light can 
       be seen.. Plus arieals .. Ford have them in the rear window normall...
    2) Grey Renault 5 GTX - Same as above with the fog lamps changed to
       blue.          
    3) Lastly the Open/Vaxhall Senneter  This one nearly had me a couple
       of days ago. (I clocked him as he was clocking me.. We parted on
       equal terms..) The only main difference is the arieals. You can see
       from the back on the parcel shelf a black box where POLICE STOP
       appears.. Plus I have seen White flashing lights behind the front
       grill in action..
    
    With regards to speed traps. Well Tuf if you get caught. (I have so I
    ant blasay..) But look out for a Burgendy Coloured Escort Estate. 1.8 D.
    G reg I think. This also has more than one arieal.. It normal carries
    in the back all the Speeding equipment. It gives a more acurate
    reading than the Gun.. You go past him, he clocks you. Fast = radio
    message to Police further down the road who pull you over.... 
    There is also an Astra Estate red I belive. I clocked him once, 
    when he didnt want to be seen....
    
    With the Newbury Office on the A4 we often get the Road check outside 
    so we can if lucky see one or two of the above veichles... 
    
    Oh my Dad was not from Berkshire so I ant saying anthing that he told
    me!! So its only paying attention on the road that I know most of
    this..
     
    Re back a few. I also thought that you were given a 10% allowance
    facter in your speed. Although saying that I was stopped for doing 43
    in a 30 area Yep this is more that 10%  but the 30 sign was behind a
    set of traffic lights, it was late I was tried (Just finished from
    here) yea yea all the usual rubbish... The officer just said Its cold I 
    cant be bothered to take my hands out of my pockets, so Drive Slower 
    Eh....  Lucky me....
    
    Stu.
1489.18PLAYER::BROWNLShot to bits.Mon Jul 08 1991 12:075
    RE: -1
    
    Good God.
    
    Capt. Grammar.
1489.19JUNO::WOODPooh didn't use a blindfoldMon Jul 08 1991 12:398
 I always thought that the 10% was supposed to be due to inaccuracies in the
radar gun. Could have been wrong though. But if this is right, then if you are
clocked by a more accurate method, then the 10% goes right out the window !!!


		 Alan
		~~~~~~
1489.20I read it three timesAYOV27::ISMITHOff to Severance CityMon Jul 08 1991 13:259
1489.21C 'n' U loop hole...70=63 to 77ODDONE::BELL_A1Mon Jul 08 1991 13:2812
    
    
    not too sure, but I do believe that the construction and use
    regulations state that motor vehicle speed-o-meters have to be within a
    tolerence of 10%. Therefore if you get stopped for 75 mph and you say
    that your speedo read 70 you stand a good chance of getting a caution*
    
    Al.
    
    *  the Police have the authority to inpound your vehicle for
    tests..just to prove that your an honest citizen :-)
    
1489.22PLAYER::BROWNLShot to bits.Mon Jul 08 1991 14:0712
    re: -1
    
    Good God (again).
    
    RE: -2
    
    Frankly, I'm speechless. I'm also bored to death hearing people try to
    justify it and/or tell me there's nothing wrong with it. I think I'll
    keep it as an example of what happens when all they espouse comes to
    fruition. I can hear them all winding the record-players up now.....
    
    Laurie.
1489.23JANUS::BARKERJeremy Barker - T&N/CBN Diag. Eng. - Reading, UKTue Jul 09 1991 17:3712
REe: .15

The legal requirement for a speedometer (C&U Regs) is reading accurate to
+/- 10%.  Therefore a reading of between 63 and 77 at an actual speed of 70
is OK.

That said, the law is exact about when an offence is committed.  It is when
the vehicle goes any faster then the limit.  However it is unusual for a 
prosecution to be made for less than 10% over the limit.  This is to avoid 
the possible need to prove that the speedometer was reading over the limit.

jb
1489.24radargunsRTOEU::TRAYNERWed Jul 10 1991 18:076
1489.25O-level physics?BRUMMY::BELLMartin Bell, TCC, Birmingham UKWed Jul 10 1991 18:2118
1489.26CRATE::RAWSONFnarr! Fnarr!Wed Jul 10 1991 18:246
>    But i always though that mass increased to infinity as you approached
>    the speed of light, thus Police using radar must be very strong and it

	Pure theory ! QED etc

	Alex
1489.27Missed Me..CHEST::HARRISNNRH.....Stormin'......Wed Jul 17 1991 18:575
    ....and I thought that the whole idea was to dirve within the speed
    limit ( or around 10% of it ).. You dont get caught then ...
    
    
    NRH
1489.29NEWOA::SAXBYWed Jul 17 1991 19:207
    
    Can't be...
    
    Look at all the Reliant Robins around!
    
    Mark
    
1489.30Two + wing mirror ?CRATE::WATSONBlood on the RooftopsWed Jul 17 1991 19:251
    Three wheels, you 'ain't going fast enough :-)
1489.32beat that!SHAWB1::HARRISCNot very nice at allThu Jul 18 1991 12:461
    I've managed short bursts with only one wheel on the ground!
1489.33SHIPS::ALFORD_Jan elephant is a mouse with an oper. sys.Thu Jul 18 1991 12:524
>    I've managed short bursts with only one wheel on the ground!

So have most people who have ever ridden a motorbike/bicycle !
1489.34I can fly...HUGS::AND_KISSESScott MarshallThu Jul 18 1991 13:226
Well I went over a hump-back bridge last week very fast, just to see what would
happen... no wheels on the ground.  Beat that...

:-)

Scott
1489.35A whole 1 wheel on the ground eh !CRATE::LEECHBrussels is a long way for a beer !!!Thu Jul 18 1991 13:388
    I've managed a LONG burst with NO wheels on the ground ( in a CAR! ).
    
    
    
    The car was on axle stands though ;^)
    
    
    Shaun.
1489.36inverted flight....COMICS::COOMBEREndurance racers do it all nightThu Jul 18 1991 13:549
    I've managed gymnastic's with 4 wheels , no style but lots of speed.
    
    	Thats all 4 wheels off the ground with my head nearer the ground
    	than the wheels.
    
    			Beat that
    
    
    	
1489.37VANGA::KERRELLDave Kerrell @RDL 899-5279Thu Jul 18 1991 15:585
re.36:

Yea, been there. Spoilt it a bit though, roof hit the ground first.

/Dave.
1489.38inverted flight with full rollCOMICS::COOMBEREndurance racers do it all nightThu Jul 18 1991 16:526
    I had no roof, but at least I completed the manover. Recked a new race
    helmet but finished with all 4 wheels on the ground. Shaken but not
    stirred.
    
    
     Garry
1489.39IEDUX::jonThu Jul 18 1991 17:278
I've done a somersault in a Cortina Estate - No wheels on the ground
but various bits touched a crash barrier at times and I ended up with
one roof on the ground.  

It was only a couple of months after I'd passed my driving test too -
I'm obviously a natural!

Jon
1489.41HohohoHUGS::AND_KISSESScott MarshallThu Jul 18 1991 20:083
... the other two were on top of a Westfield, perhaps? :-)

Scott
1489.42variationsOASS::BURDEN_DHe's no fun, he fell right overFri Jul 19 1991 20:517
3 wheels, lots of time (inside rear on Rabbit and inside front on 911)
2 wheels, once for over 6 seconds, nice balancing act
0 wheels, once in a while

Fortunately all have up with the roof still up....

Dave