Sneaky mobile speed camera van - do you warn people?

[Tangled Metal]

Driving home tonight I saw a speed camera van aiming at the road on the other side. It was parked in a layby carpark for the canal on the inside of a bend. It's raised up slightly from the direction cars would get caught from and between them and it was a large car / small van that almost hides the van. Basically it was hidden and unlikely to be spotted before speeding cars would get caught.

Now I thought that was sneaky but I didn't have a problem because if you speed then you have to accept the punishment if caught. I don't believe hardship appeals should exist personally.

The thing that got me annoyed was the car immediately ahead of me who had his arm out and waving up and down to tell people driving the other way to slow down. Some drivers were nonplussed like they didn't understand him. Some, about half, waved back in thanks and they slowed down to b the speed limit this slowing others behind them.

So what's your view on this situation. Do you think the camera van's sneakiness was right or wrong? Do you think the driver warning other drivers was right or wrong? Which was worst? I'm just curious.

[Paulatic]

Had something very similar last week down your way. Camera van well hidden oncoming car flashing at me. I was well within the limit and I had also seen the camera. I gave the flashing driver a V sign to thank him.

[Mike Sales]

Driving home tonight I saw a speed camera van aiming at the road on the other side. It was parked in a layby carpark for the canal on the inside of a bend. It's raised up slightly from the direction cars would get caught from and between them and it was a large car / small van that almost hides the van. Basically it was hidden and unlikely to be spotted before speeding cars would get caught.

Now I thought that was sneaky but I didn't have a problem because if you speed then you have to accept the punishment if caught. I don't believe hardship appeals should exist personally.

The thing that got me annoyed was the car immediately ahead of me who had his arm out and waving up and down to tell people driving the other way to slow down. Some drivers were nonplussed like they didn't understand him. Some, about half, waved back in thanks and they slowed down to b the speed limit this slowing others behind them.

So what's your view on this situation. Do you think the camera van's sneakiness was right or wrong? Do you think the driver warning other drivers was right or wrong? Which was worst? I'm just curious.

Most lawbreakers do not have the chutzpah to demand that police targeting them should be forced to be conspicuous.
No doubt they warn each other of police activity though.
Speed policing is obviously inadequate. Most drivers speed and do not expect to get caught unless they are careless. It is plain there should be more police effort to stamp out this danger.

Warning others is a criminal offence.

https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/warning-drivers-police-speed-trap-2794146

Warning other drivers about a police speed trap is a criminal offence - as one man in Cornwall discovered today.
The driver was “waving frantically” at other motorists after passing a mobile speed camera on the A30 near Launceston.

But, unfortunately for him, one of the drivers he ‘warned’ happened to be a police officer in an unmarked car.

The officer told Cornwall Live that the driver was reported for obstructing the police, which carries a maximum penalty of one month's imprisonment and/or a fine of up to £1,000.

[pwa]

So long as the camera is at a site where the speed limit has a reason and makes sense (usually the case) I see no reason why it should be conspicuous. If you think you may not see the camera / van, the deterrent will be greater, and it is the deterrent that matters.

But as a cyclist, speeding vehicles are not particularly high on my list of concerns. Dopey drivers pulling out at the wrong time, or pulling in before they have properly passed, are more of a problem. Very often the most worrying drivers are not gong very fast.

[fastpedaller]

I sometimes 'warn' drivers speeding into our village by flashing my car lights, and this usually has the desired effect of slowing them to a safer speed. I've never seen a speed camera though I guess I'm not breaking the law

[Tangled Metal]

Not completely sure speeding is an issue there. It's a bendy road following a canal. Double white lines and the bends mean traffic is generally close to the speed limit but not usually over it. Cyclists use the road and are treated well. At least that's my experience of it as it's my commuting route.

So I'm not sure speed warrants the attention. I can think of more places and better times to try and catch speeders. Personally I think there's a need to limit trucks on that road more than speeding. It's too narrow for them and they're only using it as a rat run that's not really any quicker.

In the whole of Lancashire there's a lot of dangerous roads where speeding is commonplace. Where speeding kills and has killed. Not the case here.

Then you've got Cumbria just a bit north of us. I once got told by an ex copper that Cumbria had 4 mobile camera units in the whole of Cumbria. Preston, a small city, had 4 mobile camera vans just for use in the Preston and nearby areas.

[Cyril Haearn]

Preston is a big city!
..
Sneaky, crafty against terror, Plus One!

When walking I often warn speeding criminals of non-existent cameras by miming a camera with my fingers

Speeding crime is committed almost everywhere, camera sites should be chosen at random

-We love life, we love safety cameras-

[jezer]

I never warn a law breaking driver of a speed camera van. I do often flash my lights or make a slow down gesture if they are clearly over the limit and there is no camera ahead.

[Paulatic]

I’m loving this idea of flashing speeding motorists when there is no camera. Every day's a school day.

[Mike Sales]

I’m loving this idea of flashing speeding motorists when there is no camera. Every day's a school day.

Does this only work when it is a driver doing the warning? I fear making patting motions at a speeder whilst on a bike would be regarded as impudent.

[Oldjohnw]

Contrary to the claims of some, speed limits are not usually imposed on the perverse whim of some pen pusher in County Hall. They are there for a good reason. We almost always aware of the limit so we should take the consequences.

[Paulatic]

I’m loving this idea of flashing speeding motorists when there is no camera. Every day's a school day.

Does this only work when it is a driver doing the warning? I fear making patting motions at a speeder whilst on a bike would be regarded as impudent.

do what you like on a bike they reckon they never see you anyway.

[pwa]

Contrary to the claims of some, speed limits are not usually imposed on the perverse whim of some pen pusher in County Hall. They are there for a good reason. We almost always aware of the limit so we should take the consequences.

Just plucking a figure out of thin air, I'd say 95% of speed limits on roads around here are either just right or too high. But there are a small number of roads with a lower limit than makes any sense. If I were given the job of going around adjusting speed limits I would adjust a few upwards, but many more downwards. For the most part "those in authority" seem to sit on their hands and do nothing about inappropriate limits.

[Oldjohnw]

Contrary to the clad of some, speed limits are not usually imposed on the perverse whim of some pen pusher in County Hall. They are there for a good reason. We almost always aware of the limit so we should take the consequences.

Just plucking a figure out of thin air, I'd say 95% of speed limits on roads around here are either just right or too high. But there are a small number of roads with a lower limit than makes any sense. If I were given the job of going around adjusting speed limits I would adjust a few upwards, but many more downwards. For the most part "those in authority" seem to sit on their hands and do nothing about inappropriate limits.

Clad = claims!

I'm not saying they are always set right, just that they are there for a reason.

[pwa]

Contrary to the clad of some, speed limits are not usually imposed on the perverse whim of some pen pusher in County Hall. They are there for a good reason. We almost always aware of the limit so we should take the consequences.

Just plucking a figure out of thin air, I'd say 95% of speed limits on roads around here are either just right or too high. But there are a small number of roads with a lower limit than makes any sense. If I were given the job of going around adjusting speed limits I would adjust a few upwards, but many more downwards. For the most part "those in authority" seem to sit on their hands and do nothing about inappropriate limits.

Clad = claims!

I'm not saying they are always set right, just that they are there for a reason.

I'm sure that is correct, but I wish they were adjusted more frequently and not just left, fossilised, because some numpty with a clipboard made an error of judgement a couple of decades ago. Around here we have a few instances of roads going from 30 to NSL where they should be doing the opposite.