Anyone know if mobile (in car) speed cameras work at night without having to pull you over? Can they get pictures of your plates without a flash? Just wondering if I've been done.... The scenario was -

Speed - somewhat too fast after passing some lorries, dropping to OK by about 200 yards before police car parked at corner
Road - straight 3-lanes wide (2 lanes up, one lane down, me travelling up hill in inside lane), ending in an easy right hand bend, no junctions until corner at top, no houses etc (ie a nice safe bit of road )
Traffic - one car 500+ yards ahead of me apparently doing 70+, 2 lorries in inside lane 200+ yards behind me which I had just passed, no on-coming traffic
Time - Friday night, 8pm-ish
Conditions - dry and very clear

Car was a marked Saab 900, my wife saw a "red light" inside (I didn't notice it). Car didn't pull out after me. This was in North Yorkshire and I don't think this was one of their traffic cars but I could be wrong.

Anyone know enough to stop me worrying?

Cheers,

Steve

 

That would not have been a speed camera from inside a car.

Laser gun maybe in which case no problem with light.....however if they were doing speed enforcement I would have expected them to pull you over. But these are not usually operated from 'in car'.

 

Cheers, hope you're right Danbo!

 

AFAIK your speed can be checked using a laser gun at night, say by police in a patrol car, but they will then have to pull you over as the camera systems will not be able to register your number plate at night, especially from the front with the headlights on.

I know of a number of people caught this way, ie lasered and then pulled, but don't know of anyone caught using the familiar "safety vans" at night.

I may be wrong, but I hope that helps - perhaps someone "in authority" could give a definative answer

 

On the Wales rally in November, went past what appeared to be an operating picture van at 5.15am in the dark. Van was parked in a well lit section of a dual carriageway. Wasnt speeding luckily. Either there was sufficient light from the streetlights to capture an image, or it was parked to act as a deterrant.

 

I hope the "definitive answer" doesn't come through the post in the next fortnight!

Sounding positive so far...cheers guys

 

I am "in authority".

I know of no infra red camera's operating at this time, and certainly none that are 'in car'.

Not of the Gatso-esque variety anyway.

Hope the 2 weeks passes uneventfully!!

 

i noticed the red lights one night from inside a parked up police escort cossie

kept thinking, wtf is that red light for
i was pulled over asap and given 3 points
unlucky for me i was 17 and doing about 1mph over the limit
what a deterrent lol

 

I understand that the camera partnership vans have infa red, so no problem recording reg numbers. Certainly Leicesters SS work their vans at night in the pitch black!
STEVE...............

 

Bugger, that's not so good news.

However it wasn't a camera van, so the kit would def. have to be hand-held and not on a tripod (drivers side was facing me) so I'm still hoping I'm OK. I guess only time will tell now...

Cheers anyway,

Steve