Can i be prosicuted if caught speeding by radar/laser, even if not pulled over?

Question

Right, so i'll cut a long story short.

Was driving a friend home this afternoon, going along a fairly quiet road in which the speed limit was 30mph. I know this road very well and is quite plainly, straight, with set back house one side and open fields the other.

So i was doing around 40mph along this road, when from behind a silver astra pops out PC Plod with his radar/laser gun pointing at my car. By the time i had realised he was taking my speed, i had passed thus not being able to slow down in time.

Now my question is, can i be prosecuted? The thing is other cars coming the opposite way (the side of the copper) seemed to be getting waved to pull over if speeding, where as PC Plod just pointed the radar gun at me and gave me a wierd looks as i 'sped' by.

Now, i'm not saying i'm in the right and that he wasn't just doing his job, but can a i be prosicuted even though i wasn't pulled over... seeing as there was no camera to capture a picture of my car/registration?

Answer 1

Yes. You may receive a ticket in the mail. From what you describe, however, it seems that you were lucky in that the police were working the other side of the street and the one timing you probably was just checking your speed to make you slow down. You never know what they are really up to. sometimes they set up a such a speed trap and use it as an excuse to pull people over for other reasons such as a registration and insurance check. In such cases, unless you were way over the speed limit they will just warn you if all your paper work checks out.

Sometimes it is because of complaints about speeding in the area by residents. Police will make a big flashy show of pulling a lot of people over so they can appease the locals, and slow everyone down who sees them.

They certainly can just use the speed check gun and video camera to send mail out tickets. That is pretty rare, though.

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Answer 2

Yes you can, although depend on the camera depends on the likely hood.

Since the speed gun was handheld, not vehicle or tripod based, gives you a good chance that it wasn't linked to a memory store. Unless the camera was a ANPR then they wouldn't usually use police stoppers and just issue a ticket through the post, this also goes in your favour.

There are several types of radar guns used by the police (list of all approved http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/news-and-publications/publication/operational-policing/approved-speed-meters/speed-meters-index?view=Binary)

Depending on the type of camera depends on the way they can read the speed. To get an accurate measurement you must measure the speed between to fixed places, a simple doppler radar gun will give the speed but not accurately enough to force prosecution. Typically a normal hand held camera would simply give you a read of the speed and then you would be either pulled over and issued a speeding fine or your number taken and issued one through the post.

Answer 3

If it was a lasar, they can pinpoint your car. Where as the old nonlasar detectors couldn't detect speeds of different cars that were all traveling together. Not as well anyway.

And, yes, they can "prosecute" you....I'm not sure about the camera thing. I know that some cities have implented camera's at their intersections that are high traffic areas...and where there are more accidents. They snap pics of tags from cars that run the lights. In the mail, comes your ticket.

They do that with nonpayers at some tollbooths as well.

I wouldn't be surprised if they started snapping shots of speeders. Who knows. Anything is possible.

Answer 4

Yes, a program on Illinois highways has been in operation for a year.

A van is parked in a work zone and it automatically takes a photograph of speeding vehicles in the work zone. First time fines are $340!! The ticket goes to the registered owner of the vehicle and not the driver!! So if you lend your car to a buddy, and he speeds, you are responsible for the ticket and not the driver!

They have also implemented auto speed cameras in non work areas of the expressway.

Big Brother is here!