Residents doing speed checks - Clarification

[BoltonSte]

One for the boys in blue...after Pete mentioned PCSO's can't do you for speeding.

It was reported in the paper recently that up near us...in Darwen... they are going to be giving the residents speed guns to monitor the road, it is a bit of a blackspot with speeders since they dropped the national to a 50, then moved the 40/30 limits.

The paper stated that you'd get the usual 'please don't speed through our village' letter if they ping you, but also that if you are caught twice you could be prosecuted. Now I always thought these schemes were a way of keeping complaining residents quiet (proactive), whilst also highlighting if regular speed checks needed to be done by the professionals, but only a copper/camera/real partnership folk could do you for speeding. Am I miinformed or are the paper misquoting?

Ste

Scaremongering this is. For one speed guns have been proven useless on bikes, also, if the “residents” taking down your number plate are then given your address details to send you this condescending letter it is invasion of privacy.

Just because they have got speed guns doesn’t mean a thing, they are not trained and not allowed to prosecute anyone for anything. Just because they see your bike and it might be speeding the police still have to prove it was you riding it and without photographic evidence the case would fall on its face.

Stupid local rags…

[BoltonSte]

Well you see that's what I thought...I only read it now and again when at my parents...and forgot to get this checked out, otherwise I would have pulled them up on it. Then again, someone may already have.

Just to clarify, I wasn't stating that I had been misinformed by Pete, rather that my previous understanding may have been incorrect (although it looks like it isn't).

[Sir Trev]

Our residents association had one of these SID devices for a week a few years ago. They asked for volunteers to man it and I kept well away! The details of speeders were passed to the Police - the locals do not have any access to personal info and are not the ones taking any further action (assuming it works the same in your area).

Oh goody. Big Brother needs some help - let's all pretend to be policemen and wave speedguns about.

It's only a short step away from mobs burning witches...

There was a great one in Corwall in about 2003/2004. Someone had a scarecrow in high-viz and what not with what looked like a speed gun, was 40 through the village, but, someone always did 30 and I got stuck behind them!

In Italy we use to have speed camera at the entrance and exit of ALL the small towns in the mountains (30km/h) that calculate the avg speed so that you're definitely forced to slow down (148 Euros and -2 points for an excess speed of less that 40km/h of the limit...).... in some others the villagers got so ****ed off that use to put SAND or DIESEL (yes u got it right) right in the ideal line on blind corners...more than one friends ended up bad for that (check how's the road in VAL TREBBIA...amazing! but u're riding on a cliff 99% of the time)... so.... you're lucky to have the people with just a speed gun down there!!

ps in some amazing towns in the mountains bike are not allowed anymore.......
people are just that stupid that don't want to spend few quid and go riding on tracks instead of on roads....

[BoltonSte]

Originally Posted by Cymraeg_Atodeg

There was a great one in Corwall in about 2003/2004. Someone had a scarecrow in high-viz and what not with what looked like a speed gun, was 40 through the village, but, someone always did 30 and I got stuck behind them!

There's one in N.Yorks with a supersoaker as a speed gun...it works, at first glance you slow thinking it's a copper and double check your speed. A second look you slow because you are laughing so much...well it always makes me chuckle...good show of initiative