I was flashed today by speeding camera when I was not over the limit, very confused please help!?

Question

Today I was driving to get my kids from school, down a 50mph road that I drive down twice a day.
I know exactly where the camera is so was not caught out or anything. As I approached the camera I checked my speedometer, the dial was on 50mph, so I drove past happily and got a big flash from the camera in my face! It is a camera that faces you. There were no other cars around, it is a pretty empty dual carriageway.
I am a safe driver, passed my test 7.5 yrs ago, never had any fines or points, and had a 3 month old baby in the car and have 3 other children. I am really confused about this.
The signs state clearly 50mph. I was not in a hurry or anything, in fact I was quite early for getting my kids. Please don't answer that I should be walking to school as it is a rural area and way too far to walk.
I don't know what the fine or points penalty will be or how I can contest this. If I was actually speeding , fair enough I would take my punishment. But I was not - any help please?

Answer 1

Hello there,

A number of points are raised here, so if you were within the speed limit as you say, then firstly you have nothing at all to worry about.

1) If your speedo is out, it's very unlikely that it's 7mph out. The lowest speed this GATSO could have been set at is 57mph. Police guidelines state that to book someone up, the speed they do it at must be 10% of the speed limit + 2mph. So, 30mph limit, they can do you at 35mph, 40mph limit, you can be caught at 46mph. However generally it's much higher than this, for example, a 30mph limit GATSO will be set for people doing 42mph and above. This is to allow for people's speedos being out of calibration.

2) Normally a camera will activate only when a speeding car drives past it and it takes a picture from behind. Sometimes, the camera gets confused and it takes a picture if someone is speeding towards it, and it takes the picture (you normally get to see one flash and the other flashes as you pass the camera itself). This will not get you into trouble as there won't be the extra measurement road markings on your side of the road, and in fact the picture won't have been taken at the right angle anyway, so it won't catch your number plate, and will probably take a picture of the side of your car.

3) Maybe the person who clears the camera set it at the wrong speed?

4) Was the camera in the correct position - ie I take it it wasn't near ground level where the operator was changing the film?

5) The penalty, if you were caught speeding is generally £60 and 3 points on your licence, providing it wasn't some ridiculously fast speed. If you were within the speed limit and you get an NIP (notice of intended prosecution - which must arrive on your doorstep within 14 days of the day of the offence otherwise it's not valid), then refuse to pay the fine and opt to go to court instead - it's all outlined on the forms. If you're that sure you weren't speeding, they will be able to pull a copy of the picture of your car for court (they won't let you look at it before the court date I'm afraid). The camera normally takes two pictures. These are set to go off with a set time between the two. Your speed is calculated by dividing the distance you travelled between the measured white lines on the road, by the time (between the two pictures) it took you to travel that distance (hope that makes sense). Then, this will prove your innocence.

Like I said at the start... if you're innocent, you have nothing to worry about.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

You can drive at 57mph before a speed camera flashes you on a 50mph road. You seem like a careful driver. You would not be asking the question if you knew you was going too fast. Faulty camera ? 70% of the time the film is full and it just flashes without recording anything. But if you did get caught speeding its 3pts on the license and a £60 fine. Money grabbing ******* greedy camera bastards. Hope all goes well.
Mr X has a good point. They can't flash you in the face !!!! its illegal. That camera was monitoring the traffic in the opposite direction.
Fingers crossed

Answer 3

you probably were over the 50MPH limit if you relied on your speedo these are far from accurate and the old adage about giving you a 10% speedo error allowance is no longer true also some police force are doing a zero tollerace on the speed so even 51 will trip the camera

That's business as they say as every one is a winner Coucils get some police get some and the Camera Partnership get some so it's in all their intersts to catch you out and should you ever get them to believe the camera may be faulty guess who will get the job of checking it
I wish they would float the Police on the stock exchange I would love shares in Police.com

£ points and 30 to 60 pound fine is the norm
Having said that not all camera sites are actually fitted with a camera so you may be lucky and it is a first for me to hear of being clocked driving at the camera

Good luck but as Dixons said the digital camera is a real money maker

Answer 4

Don't worry about it - this happens all the time. You probably won't get a ticket anyway but, even if you do, you can contest it because the calibration markings on the road will prove you wern't speeding.

Also, it's VERY unusual to have a front facing camera because the flash could cause an accident. Are you sure it was even angled at your side of the road? I would guess probably not.

Answer 5

The camera did not flash you, it flashed a car going in the opposite direction.
They are not allowed to flash directly at you in case they distract and cause you to have an accident.
If were not over the limit then you still have nothing to worry about.
Where I live there are cameras that face you but they use infrared, which does no affect your vision, and conveniently the police get a picture of the driver as well as the vehicle.

Answer 6

It is common for some cameras to flash when you are under the limit. i.e. I have been flashed twice while under the limit and had no ticket, so have most other people I know.
Its because the camera flash sensor in inaccurate and tries to estimate/guess your speed prior to the flash and real/actual speed test, sometimes it can flash a false alarm, which should prove on photo you were doing a slower speed and hopefully you will not get a ticket.

Answer 7

if by any chance ,you are right. and what you have said is correct,as in you were under the speed limit,there were no other cars around,and you get a fine through. don't panic,ask for a calibration of the camera,these should be updated regularly,if they are not,and they don't provide you with a calibration report within 30 days ,i think it is, you are in the clear.either way contest it. i think you will find I'm right,as in the calibration of the camera,there's been umpteen cases where people have received fines,and payed up,but it was the cameras fault all along. do not be afraid to contest,if anything comes through.

Answer 8

It was most likely flashing someone on the other side of the road. Cameras that flash a visible light photograph the rear number plates. The Truvelo ones that photograph the front and the driver are usually infra red. It is dangerous to flash a bright light in the drivers eyes. And in my understanding it is illegal. You can question that if you hear any more about it.

Answer 9

sometimes they flash for nothing or if theres a speeding car on the other carriageway. If you werent speeding theyll know that when they look at the markings on the road so youve little if anything to worry about

Answer 10

Cameras dont flash you in the face as its dangerous. It must have been flashing someone on the other side of the road who was speeding.
Phone the local police to complain that the flash upset your sight when it went off and then check if it was possible it caught you.