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[Diamond Black Geezer]

Ok, skipping to the punchline - short answer is - wait 14 days + a couple for the fine/ticket to be posted, and you'll know if you've been done or not.

So, for the story behind the punchline... coming home from visiting my girlfriend's brother, and I'm going down a wide road about to emerge from a town and slowly accelerating, along with the flow of traffic - I'm two seconds behind the car in front, and likewise the cars behind me. I see a 40mph sign ahead, this provokes me to think 'hang on, is this a 30 or a 40mph?' with that my girlfriend says 'cameravan' - bugger! The cameravan is parked on the other side of the road, rear end facing me, big black window staring at me blankly and coldly like a Cyberman. I think I was doing indicated 38mph (though she disagrees and says more like 32mph, so I may well have been slower than 38) By the time either of us saw it I'd say if my speed had been read it was a couple of dozen yards back - so in theory I wasn't going as fast then.

Knowing the definition of 'speeding' is ... your speed + 10% + 2mph, that means in theory you can do 35mph - but taking into account my speedo definitely over-reads, by about 2-3 mph at 30mph, that means at an indicated 38mph I could be doing 35mph. So borderline. 

I've no points, NCD, trying for a clean licence, and really can't afford my insurance doubling  (I've already done an online quotation with a theoretical 3 points and it made me wince)

So my question is - are they...
a) trying to get people coming out of town, like me accelerating up to 40mph, in a 30, only about 20 yards shy of a 40mph sign... or
b) are they trying to get Sunday bikers etc... who are barrelling along the country roads doing 50mph+ in a 40, who then enter town, still doing 50-ish mph?
Are they there trying to act as deterrent, or get people who are literally 1mph above the threshhold?

Slightly worried, and it's praying on my mind, especially as I really am trying to be a good boy on the roads, and touch wood hope I am, for the most part.

[zirk]

Depends on the Van, was it marked up Plod, DVLA (or something similar) or Local Council?

Could have been for Speeders, Tax, Insurance or Mot or mixture of any, normally back of the Van points to oncoming traffic which is what its trying to target if that helps.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

I'm sure it was le gendarmerie, yes.

If they the people they're trying to catch are those coming toward the camera, so towards the rear of the van, that would seem a little odd. (not disagreeing/criticising yourself, but the Peelers) as I mention - where's the sense in doing someone for doing nearly 40, about 20 yards away from entering a 40 zone  . I'd be happy, and indeed fully support a camera/policing service that try and catch people speeding as they enter a town. I always make sure I crawl through villages, it's annoying to be merrily going along at 60, to then slow for all of one minute, to then have to speed back up, but the way I think about it, the village was there before the car was invented... Also I live on a road with a 20mph limit (20 yards from my old infants/junior school) and you should see the people that fly past there at 40mph+  it's not only the dangerous speed, but the noise from engines and tyre roar it's really annoying. So again, I do try to be a good boy and adhere to the speed limits best I can.

Never considered they were there simply checking reg numbers, for tax/insurance etc.. just assumed speeding.

[aaronjb]

where's the sense in doing someone for doing nearly 40, about 20 yards away from entering a 40 zone

ker-ching?

[Diamond Black Geezer]

where's the sense in doing someone for doing nearly 40, about 20 yards away from entering a 40 zone

ker-ching?

I know...  hence I chose the words 'where's the sense', as opposed to 'where's the point'... we all know the point, but there's no sense in it, sadly.

[Crazycarzowner]

It will probably have been a speed detection van, DVLA don't use vans much these days due to everything being computerised. You'll just have to wait & see. A lot of forces will send 1st time offenders on a NDAC for being just over the ACPO guidelines limits.

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Pardon my ignorance - what's an NDAC? Thanks  is that the 'don't speed it's naughty' course? I know it's a way of avoiding points on your licence, but does that still affect insurance? 

[Crazycarzowner]

Yep - National Driver Awareness Course is what it stands for and you still have to tell your insurance company about them.

[zirk]

I'm sure it was le gendarmerie, yes.

If they the people they're trying to catch are those coming toward the camera, so towards the rear of the van, that would seem a little odd. (not disagreeing/criticising yourself, but the Peelers) as I mention - where's the sense in doing someone for doing nearly 40, about 20 yards away from entering a 40 zone  . I'd be happy, and indeed fully support a camera/policing service that try and catch people speeding as they enter a town. I always make sure I crawl through villages, it's annoying to be merrily going along at 60, to then slow for all of one minute, to then have to speed back up, but the way I think about it, the village was there before the car was invented... Also I live on a road with a 20mph limit (20 yards from my old infants/junior school) and you should see the people that fly past there at 40mph+  it's not only the dangerous speed, but the noise from engines and tyre roar it's really annoying. So again, I do try to be a good boy and adhere to the speed limits best I can.

Never considered they were there simply checking reg numbers, for tax/insurance etc.. just assumed speeding.

All depends on what the brief is for the day (or night) and the Force, where I live is literally on the Essex, Herts, Middlesex Borders, there always at it, the speeding bit is there normally parked up on a Black Spot or changes in Speed Limits, the Insurance Check, Drinking etc is normally on a Main Route in or out of the Town where theres nowhere else to run.

Normally on big binge's there tons of back up parked further down the road, on a heavy session the Essex Boys bring down the Evo interceptors from Chelmsford and a couple of Car Transporters (well prepared  ).

the Herts Boys just down the road tend to just blitz a Main Roads driving up and down in Unmarked Vectra's, BM's and Volvo's, sometimes on the warpath other times just seems for awareness 

As you say, these days, just need to keep your nose clean, be legal and stick to the limits. 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

HURRAYY!!!!

Guess what? Got myself a lovely free piece of paper from the Lincolnshire Lady bitssabulary... would we all like to hear what speed I was doing?

35mph.

Yes. Thirty-five miles per hour. On a dead straight, wide road, in broad daylight, twenty yards from a 40mph zone, with nothing but trees and fields either side of the road.

So that's my premium up for next year (well, a couple of months time, actually) On a fat old barge that does 22mpg, and I can barely afford to run as it is,  let alone with a doubled insurance cost. But I do because I love Omegas. 

[Crazycarzowner]

Bloody hell!!! That were quick!!!! How'd you get the letter so soon?

[Diamond Black Geezer]

I know.  I reckon they're in need of the cash. They must be if they're actually prosecuting people going in a consistent flow of traffic, at a constant, steady speed.

I, of course, considered braking sharply, the instant I saw the detector van - but that would have been dangerous, wouldn't it, Mr Policeman!?!?!?! 

[Crazycarzowner]

I reckon they're in need of the cash.

Don't get any of it, all goes to central government.

[pscocoa]

Have they offered speed awareness course? Not all insurance companies specify that you tell them of attendance at these courses

[YZ250]

HURRAYY!!!!

Guess what? Got myself a lovely free piece of paper from the Lincolnshire Lady bitssabulary... would we all like to hear what speed I was doing?

35mph.

Yes. Thirty-five miles per hour. On a dead straight, wide road, in broad daylight, twenty yards from a 40mph zone, with nothing but trees and fields either side of the road.
.............

That's how I got done, in an extended 30mph, after behaving myself and doing 28mph up until the very last minute. I got caught accelerating up to 38mph, on a wide road, no houses anywhere near, within metres of the national speed limit sign.    I was offered, and I accepted, the course. Since that day I have not broken the speed limit.   

It's a good job they weren't there the day before.