Police Speed trap Etiquette

[gerbrox]

Just wandering whats the correct jesture to fellow bikers if there's a speed trap upa head?

Cars generaly flashing lights seems to do the trick, but with every bike being so friendly waving, nodding heads and flashing lights etc (not all at the same time mind), how does someone tell you whats up ahead?

[simesb]

Opening and closing your fist above your helmet like a flashing light seems to work!

[Jabba]

Opening and closing your fist above your helmet like a flashing light seems to work!

Yup - the Jim Davidson "Nick Nick" approach has a lot to commend it :)

[MR UKI (1)]

The old thumbs down for me :D

[Skip]

The old thumbs down for me :D
Yup thumbs down for me too :)

[chasey]

Thumbs down.

Can you be 'done' if you are seen warning others?

[gerbrox]

how do you even see or gesture a thumbs down at 100 mph on an A road, not that I've done that of course, a friend of a friend's cousin kind a thing.

[Dave20046]

never seen the thumbsdown but I usually put my hand out flat and lower it (and repeat) as in 'keep it down!'. I usually get a thumbsup in return so I think this portrays the message pretty well.

The best one I've seen was when I was on a bikesafe day (with a police bike) and a poweranger coming the otherway going crazy trying his best to gesticulate 'He's behind you!' as we blazed through the country side at break-neck.

[Dave20046]

tbh I thought this (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7378695.stm) was the correct speed trap etiquette...
bit more challenging on a bike :)

[Luckypants]

Thumbs down from me.

I do believe you can be done for warning other motorists, they can do you for obstruction of a constable in the course of his duty.

[Dave20046]

Thumbs down from me.

I do believe you can be done for warning other motorists, they can do you for obstruction of a constable in the course of his duty.
I've heard this before. Defeats the object doesn't it, you could counter claim you were spreading the 'speed camera intention' (or what they claim it to be :money:) by letting as mnay motorists know as possible thus reducing speed on the stretch. The desired effect eh? ;)
Guess not. Suppose this stops you from parking your van infront of their hidey hole or putting up a sign 500 yeards down the road.:|

[plowsie]

I tend to flash my lights like buggery and make the slow down gesture.

I really don't understand why you can get into trouble for warning people, there are plenty of places you can find out local hotspots for mobile cameras and often lots of sensors like road angel that can tell you...They should be illegal if you can get into trouble for warning others...

[Luckypants]

Suppose this stops you from parking your van infront of their hidey hole or putting up a sign 500 yeards down the road.:|
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3340963/Motorist-is-banned-over-speed-trap-alert.html

Old but probably still relevant.

[Dave20046]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/3340963/Motorist-is-banned-over-speed-trap-alert.html

Old but probably still relevant.
That does read as extremely unfair!

[Bluewolf]

.

[gruntygiggles]

That poor old guy in the Telegraph article......I guess age doesn't always bring wisdom, but I think they were a little harsh!

Anyway, I tend to, as a pillion just put my hand out flat, palm down and move it up and down slowly as I was taught that this is the signal to slow down when doing my riding and road safety (horse) as a child and it always gets a thank you, so is clearly acknowledged.

As for getting in trouble for warning other motorists, waving to slow people down could never stand up in court, " I just thought it was a friend who has the same bike so waved to say hello"......nothing they can or will do and that's from the mouth of a traffic officer I know.

As for obstructing a speed trap.....well....depends where it is. Now....if the police set up a trap or park their camera van on private land or a lay by for that specific use, you can and will be done for obstruction. However.......most often, you will see police set themselves up in laybys alongside the road. If you see this, you can literally go and park your car/van/lorry/bike right in front of the camera and totally ignore any pleas for you to move. You are parking in a legal place and the police have no powers to move you on unless they have to for emergency or safety purposes. Moving you for the sake of moving an obstruction is not sufficient. That again from the mouth of a traffic officer. My brother in law used to do this.....park his Land Rover right behind them cop vans in lay bys, open his paper and sit there to read it until they moved on. Of course they always tried to move him, but his response was, "I felt tired, so it was unsafe for me to carry on, it's a legal parking area and a layby so I'm not doing anything wrong". He was absolutely right....nothing they could do. If you ever try this, they may try to bully you or threaten to charge you with something, but they can't!

[gruntygiggles]

That tickled me for some reason... :smt043:smt043:smt043

Yeah...lol. Not, thrown in the bin or disposed of, but DESTROYED. What was it going to do........hop out of court and warn even more motorists????

Damn that sign!!!!

:smt046

[keith_d]

Yeah...lol. Not, thrown in the bin or disposed of, but DESTROYED. What was it going to do........hop out of court and warn even more motorists????

Damn that sign!!!!

:smt046


It's an accessory !!

[Luckypants]

It's an accessory !!

:smt043

[keith_d]

I wonder if this thread counts as 'conspiring to pervert the course of justice'?? (Shh...don't tell the mods)

[454697819]

a fantastic demonstration of blunded **** witted police officers...


Sir.. were you trying to slow traffic down...

yes...

well asking them to drive safer is against the law...

wtf...!

ur nicked

i dont understandf how they can ban him for driving when it wasnt a motoring offence?

[Quedos]

we normally have the gesture that looks like a rotating flashing light. the thumbs down up here normally means rider down.
road angel and the like are illegal in scotland - i think. doesn't stop anybody tho

[Spiderman]

"It seems to be more about raising revenue than road safety. I'm just so angry and upset about the driving ban. It was totally uncalled for because this wasn't a motoring offence," he said.

hes not wrong of course, getting a ban for a non motoring offence is just not on. And as for raising revenue...
After the case he said that he had been told that fines collected from speeding motorists on that stretch of the road had netted £12,000 in one morning alone.

And look who was one of the team of camera operators..
Sgt Sarah Cashman told the court that when she cautioned Harding and confiscated the sign he told her: "I stop people speeding down here. I am only doing what I think is right".

You couldn't make this stuff up could you.

[Woz]

they can do you for obstruction of a constable in the course of his duty.

I wonder how they would enforce this when its a van operated by a 'Safety Camera Partnership'. They're civilians, are they not?

[G]

Thumbs down for me

[RichT]

Hand gesture over tank or open and close fist ontop of lid for me.

[gerbrox]

Okay, so far I think the general consensus is that thumbs down or nee naw wavy hand above the lid are the clear favourites.

[Luckypants]

I wonder how they would enforce this when its a van operated by a 'Safety Camera Partnership'. They're civilians, are they not?
Most vans are crewed by police officers as far as I'm aware, to provide 'expert' witness of a number plate etc. I think the van and maybe the officer's time is paid for by the 'safety' partnership.

[Owenski]

For me:
Thumbs down = Poor Road/Not Good take it easy
Flat palm up and down (like bouncing a basket ball) = KILL YOUR SPEED ASAP
any movement of hand up by helmet = That was nuts!

[gruntygiggles]

For me:
Thumbs down = Poor Road/Not Good take it easy
Flat palm up and down (like bouncing a basket ball) = KILL YOUR SPEED ASAP
any movement of hand up by helmet = That was nuts!

+1

[vardypeeps]

For me:
Thumbs down = Poor Road/Not Good take it easy
Flat palm up and down (like bouncing a basket ball) = KILL YOUR SPEED ASAP
any movement of hand up by helmet = That was nuts!

+1
I always use the up down flat hand it seems to work

[Spiderman]

Flat "basket ball bouncing" hand for me too. Had to use it the other day on a few bikers and they all seemed to get it as they slowed and gave me a thumbs up.
I was suprised at the number of cars who were flashing me to let me know of the hidden camera van up ahead. Nice to know some cagers care, eh?

Sneaky police fund raising...the thing that unites all road users :lol:

[JamesMio]

I was suprised at the number of cars who were flashing me to let me know of the hidden camera van up ahead. Nice to know some cagers care, eh?

I always give bikes in the car a flash if they're heading towards a Scamera Van, I hate the things, utterly utterly despise them in fact.:smt098

[Spiderman]

I get on parking up less than 30 feet from my front door from time to time. Joke of it is that there are plenty of accidents right where he parks, not cos of speed cos of peeps pulling out of a side road without looking both ways first :roll: But the local cops obviously use this to justify the van being there.

All it needs is a speed bump at the end of that road and problem solved really but oh no, that would mean spending money and not having an excuse to send the van out to rob passing motorists.
I'm no fan of speed bumps but i like "revenue generation" even less.

[gerbrox]

I always give bikes in the car a flash if they're heading towards a Scamera Van, I hate the things, utterly utterly despise them in fact.:smt098

This is the rreason I ask, I go to work up on the M80 / M876 stirlingshire area and there there even at 05.45 yes that's in the morning,

So in the past two weeks they have been on various bridges at least three times and I might have been caught slightly excessive speed nothing to write home about, so I'm not sure if they got me or they were facing the worng way / didn't get my plates.

So I might be disqualified by next week as I've already got 3points.

[gerbrox]

So when going down the road, I'm not really traveling that much above the speed limit fellow bikers flash lights etc and wave etc, I slow down, obviously not sure if anything is there or not but better to be on the safe side, 98% of the time it's just to say "hi".

[Messie]

Flat "basket ball bouncing" hand for me too. Had to use it the other day on a few bikers and they all seemed to get it as they slowed and gave me a thumbs up.
I was suprised at the number of cars who were flashing me to let me know of the hidden camera van up ahead. Nice to know some cagers care, eh?

Sneaky police fund raising...the thing that unites all road users :lol:

LOL Some of the cagers are bikers too you know!

Just get a few strange looks when I nod at bikes whilst sitting in my car :smt104

[Von Teese]

I always give bikes in the car a flash if they're heading towards a Scamera Van, I hate the things, utterly utterly despise them in fact.:smt098

Well then you might just find this amusing...

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article949837.ece

[Spiderman]

LOL Some of the cagers are bikers too you know!

lol, i know that. I was just suprised by the sheer numbers that were flashing at me that day as i was approaching the van they just passed. Funny thing was that i was under the speed limit on that road that day anyway, very unusual for me on that road.

As for the twonk asleep in his van and blocking traffic... i'd have let his tyres down :lol:

[metalangel]

I would always do thumbs down as that's just a general 'things aren't good' gesture and if things aren't good, wouldn't you slow down?

[Paul the 6th]

think any kind of thumbs down or gesture from another road user is enough to make me take it steady. It could be a police speed trap or a traffic accident but either way you know there's something to take extra care for.

[vannus]

I am new to biking but surely camera vans don't matter as they take a photo from the front and only on the side of the road they are parked on. As such cant really do much to bikers or am I completely wrong and a complete twonk.

[Paul the 6th]

On the A64 near where I live in York, they sometimes park the camera van on the eastbound side but with cameras facing to catch westbound traffic, they also have patrol cars & bikes waiting to come after you... But i've rarely seen that setup anywhere else so hey go :)

[Lissa]

Pete and I will both give the thumbs down as a warning.

We were bimbling through a local village a couple of weeks ago and first an oncoming car flashed us, then in the next car an old chap stuck his hand out of the window with a clear thumbs down gesture. We were doing 30, but took heed of the warning and as we went round the next bend there was a camera van parked up, just by the NSL sign. Obviously meant to catch those who knew the 30mph limit ended just round the corner and may have speeded up a little!

[Paul the 6th]

Sounds like an accident blackspot to me lissa :rolleyes: b'stards

[Jamiebridges123]

I am new to biking but surely camera vans don't matter as they take a photo from the front and only on the side of the road they are parked on. As such cant really do much to bikers or am I completely wrong and a complete twonk.

It wouldn't surprise me if they right down your number plate when you drive past. If they spot you on a red Suzuki, and your plate happens to be a red Gsxr600, they can prosecute you, AFAIK.

[Von Teese]

On the A64 near where I live in York, they sometimes park the camera van on the eastbound side but with cameras facing to catch westbound traffic, they also have patrol cars & bikes waiting to come after you... But i've rarely seen that setup anywhere else so hey go :)

That sounds like an ANPR setup to me rather than speed trapping.

[keith_d]

I've seen a scamera van with two bikes and a traffic car a few times in the Bucks area.

From the van's location I suspect they are running a speed trap (loops in the road) and ANPR (bikes and car to pull over the uninsured) from the same vehicle.

Fortunately, I'm usually going the other way.

Keith.

[vannus]

It wouldn't surprise me if they right down your number plate when you drive past. If they spot you on a red Suzuki, and your plate happens to be a red Gsxr600, they can prosecute you, AFAIK.

That they cant do need to be able to prove it, cant do that without photo of plate on vehicle and speed at time of photo.

[Spiderman]

I am new to biking but surely camera vans don't matter as they take a photo from the front and only on the side of the road they are parked on. As such cant really do much to bikers or am I completely wrong and a complete twonk.

It wouldn't surprise me if they right down your number plate when you drive past. If they spot you on a red Suzuki, and your plate happens to be a red Gsxr600, they can prosecute you, AFAIK.

Nearly right there James.

if the camera operator sees you do an excess speed he is more than entitled to watch you pass and write down you reg no in order to send you the ticket.
Nothing to do with red suzuki/green kwak plates.

[Jamiebridges123]

That they cant do need to be able to prove it, cant do that without photo of plate on vehicle and speed at time of photo.

Ahh, odd. My old man said he's heard of coppers getting the speed of a vehicle and a description, then a photograph (or a copper on a bit of paper) of the plate, so does this mean I can speed through forward facing mobile scameras without fear of losing my licence? :smt066

[Spiderman]

ah too many posts at once...read my one above.

[Jamiebridges123]

Ahh right, yeah cheers Spidey. :)

[vannus]

So how do they prove who it was and indeed if they have the correct bike

[Spiderman]

Sadly their word in these situations is the truth as far as the authorities are concerened.

in the same way ANY police officer can see you ride down the road at a silly speed and on his say so alone issue you with a ticket for speeding. No gun or other evidence required. Perverse innit?

[Luckypants]

Ahh, odd. My old man said he's heard of coppers getting the speed of a vehicle and a description, then a photograph (or a copper on a bit of paper) of the plate, so does this mean I can speed through forward facing mobile scameras without fear of losing my licence? :smt066

see post #28 in this thread.

[Grant66]

ANY police officer can see you ride down the road at a silly speed and on his say so alone issue you with a ticket

The basic premise on which the the law is based is that the police officer's "expert opinion" of excess speed is enough to convict you of "speeding", and any equipment that's used to measure your speed is merely to corroborate that opinion.

If there's no speed-measurement equipment at all then there must be two police officers; the second has to corroborate the opinion of the first as to the "excess speed".

[Owenski]

The basic premise on which the the law is based is that the police officer's "expert opinion" of excess speed is enough to convict you of "speeding", and any equipment that's used to measure your speed is merely to corroborate that opinion.

If there's no speed-measurement equipment at all then there must be two police officers; the second has to corroborate the opinion of the first as to the "excess speed".

+1

(worth remembering if you get pulled and admit to having been speeding they can still do you even if it is an officer on thier own with no evedence. NEVER admit to it until they prove you've done it!

If its 2 officers or 1 with speed detection equipment then sad to say your going down mo-fo!

[Spiderman]

Gajjii...thats good to know re: 2 officers. I'll remember that :)

[Red Herring]

As a general rule never admit to any speed. Don't argue with them, listen to what they have to say and answer their questions (unless it's "how fast do you think you were going then") and above all else don't try and challenge them. Humble pie often works wonders, especially if you have an otherwise clean past. If you've got loads of previous, especially for GBH on coppers forget it.....

[Spiderman]

I sometimes get away with just being plain cheeky and friendly. Sometimes.

Stop by an armed cop on duty outside US ambassadors house as i was flying by. He stood in road at last minute and pointed at me and then the kerb. Another cop i may have gone by and stpped further down the road. This guy had an MP5 so none of that nonsense but my best emergency stop instead.
Cop: Do you know the speed limit in a Royal Park Sir?
Me: Yes of course, its 40. (lying thru my teeth btw)
C: Haha, everyone thinks that. Its actually 30.
M: Really???? And here is me whizzing past you every morning at about 50 or 60 thinkig "ah i'm close enough, he wont mind"
C: *Bemused look* You sure you wanna tell me that sir?
M: Well you seem like a clued up guy so whats the point in saying i do 31 everyday?

Few minutes of nice chat about how he likes the sound of my bike and how he heard me coming over the speed bumps 1/4 mile away and though to himself that if i came by he'd stop me to see what i was riding.
He was just very bored and admitted to it, lol.

Following mornings, me at 50/60mph past him, giving him a freindly wave - he giving me a sneaky thumbs up :lol:

[Red Herring]

Following mornings, me at 50/60mph past him, giving him a freindly wave - he giving me a sneaky thumbs up :lol:

Only cos he's arranged for his mate with a speed gun to be waiting down the road.....

[ethariel]

When i lived up North, the house i bought had a nice big wide long drive which was about 1/2 down a nice straight with a couple of lovely corners at each end.

Came home one day to find plod parked in my drive, using the grass bank for cover with lasers pointed at the corner, one even mumbled something like 'a wee bit faster and we would hae had you' as i went to park up.

They were very put out when i told them to pi55 off stop using my drive, bloody cheek!