# Setting off a speed camera.



## Jefferson Meriwether (19 Oct 2013)

At the end of September, having set off a speed camera, I wrote to Dorset police asking them if they could confirm how fast I'd been going; I was intrigued to know and also wanted to know what kind of punishment, if any, I would be given. I got a reply through the post yesterday.

" I write with reference to your recent letter regarding the activation of the speed camera in Chideock.

I can advise that if a cyclist activates a speed camera the offence is not processed. Our procedures require identification of a vehicle via the registration number in order for the Notice of Intended Prosecution to be served on their registered keeper of that vehicle. As a bicycle does not have an identification registration number there would be no further action taken in relation to any potential speeding offence."


One of the chef's at work kept telling me I was a plonker for writing to the rozzer's; he was adamant I'd be given some kind of hefty fine and possibly points on my licence. He seemed a bit miffed when I told him today that no action is being taken.

I know breaking the speed limit is wrong but sometimes, circumstances permitting, I can't resist going down Chideock hill as fast as I can.


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## oiljam (19 Oct 2013)

Often wondered. Thanks for letting us know. Brave of you to write in


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## Supersuperleeds (19 Oct 2013)

I'd love to set a speed camera off, unfortunately I don't think there is one on a steep enough hill around here, as I certainly am not capable of setting one off on the flat.


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (19 Oct 2013)

What speed limit?


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## Peteaud (19 Oct 2013)

I know that one and i bet you could get a fair lick of speed up past it.


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## Jefferson Meriwether (19 Oct 2013)

I will admit, after I'd sent the letter off I did start to wonder if I'd done the right thing. At least now my curiosity has been satisfied.

I'm not capable of setting off a camera on the flat either supersuperleeds.


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## Jefferson Meriwether (19 Oct 2013)

It's a 30 limit so nothing too fancy. I've set off one of those ones that show your recorded speed; I was coming in to Lyme & clocked 37.

It was the camera going in the Bridport direction Peteaud; I can get a lick of speed past it in the right circumstances. The camera in the Lyme direction is on a bit of a flat so I can't quite get the same kind of speed past it.


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## Jefferson Meriwether (19 Oct 2013)

[QUOTE 2719433, member: 45"]Tell your mate at work that they couldn't fine you as you have not committed any offence.[/quote]

I did tell him cyclists can't be done like what motorist can.


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## Peteaud (19 Oct 2013)

Jefferson Meriwether said:


> I did tell him cyclists can't be done like what motorist can.



And we don't pay road tax


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## Joey Shabadoo (19 Oct 2013)

First time I did the Pedal for Scotland I set off one of those smiley face things saying I was going over 30mph. I was so pleased I punched the air and whooped, only for the pensioner behind me to swish by at a rate of knots saying "I think it was meeeee son!!!"


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## Matthew_T (19 Oct 2013)

Its perfectly legal to disobey speed limits on a bicycle. Many cyclists can often travel above 30/40mph. If I did set one off, I too would probably write in just to get the picture and confirmed speed. I would then staple the picture to my wall because I am that anal.


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## glenn forger (19 Oct 2013)

Jefferson Meriwether said:


> One of the chef's at work kept telling me I was a plonker for writing to the rozzer's; he was adamant I'd be given some kind of hefty fine and possibly points on my licence.



He's kind of right. Bikes have no speedo so you can't be done for speeding, but you may be guilty of Furious Cycling which entails fines and, to my amazement, potentially points on your driving licence. I thought that was barmy cos it means a cyclist could quite legitimately have no driving licence so receive a lesser punishment than a cyclist with one! Barmy. Anyway, they'd have to actually catch you- if it was a copper in a car I'd be , like "Where we're going, we don't need roads" and if it was a copper on a bike there is realistically no chance of the doughnut muncher catching me.


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## simon the viking (19 Oct 2013)

You mean they aren't prosecuting you "pedaling furiously".....


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## Saluki (19 Oct 2013)

We have one of those speed camera things that tells you your speed. Sadly its at the crest a long hill and the best I have ever managed is 8mph past it. A policeman, in his car, said something about jotting down my frame number. Cheeky sod.


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## Cycling Dan (19 Oct 2013)

Should have asked for the picture so you can make it your new avatar.


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## Peteaud (19 Oct 2013)

glenn forger said:


> doughnut muncher .


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## Dan B (19 Oct 2013)

glenn forger said:


> He's kind of right. Bikes have no speedo so you can't be done for speeding


Not this one again ... my car has no breathalyser, so I can't be done for drunk driving.

Cyclists can't be done for speeding because (almost all of) the laws which impose speed limits only apply to motor vehicles, and bicycles are not motor vehicles. It has bothing to do with whether the bike is or could be fitted with a speedometer

Conversely, there are (or at least were) speed limits in some Royal Parks which _do_ (did?) apply to bicycles, and cyclists have been done for exceeding those limits irrespective of whether their bikes had speedos


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## Joey Shabadoo (19 Oct 2013)

There's a speed limit of 15mph for the cycle lane on the Forth Road Bridge.


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## Richard A Thackeray (20 Oct 2013)

On one of our winter club runs (ie; actual running) there's one of those speed actuated *SLOW DOWN! * panels on one of the steady downhills (A628, from Pontefract, dropping down from the Water-Tower, into High Ackworth)

It's alway amusing & astounds any newcomers we have when a passing car iactivates it, the nearest runner to it invariably raises hands & shouts 'Yes!!', whilst we applaud 

Only works with the gullible, or newbies though!!


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## snorri (20 Oct 2013)

Jefferson Meriwether said:


> I know breaking the speed limit is wrong but sometimes, circumstances permitting, I can't resist going down Chideock hill as fast as I can.


Many on CC will not have a clue where Chideock hill is, but will share your feelings when faced with such a gift.


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## Archie_tect (20 Oct 2013)

Dan B said:


> ... my car has no breathalyser, so I can't be done for drunk driving.



I didn't know this Dan.


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## PeteXXX (20 Oct 2013)

Chideock Hill
http://goo.gl/maps/brdVq


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## Jefferson Meriwether (20 Oct 2013)

simon the viking said:


> You mean they aren't prosecuting you "pedaling furiously".....



I was half expecting them to charge me with that & give me some kind of fine; I was slightly, and pleasantly, surprised to find out they're doing naff all.


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## Dan B (21 Oct 2013)

User said:


> Abolished last year.


I was thinking of you when I wrote that.


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## byegad (21 Oct 2013)

My faired trike will occasionally set of the 'Your Speed' signs at the start of speed limits in some of our local villages. There's a few where I'm going down hill fairly fast and they will trigger if I'm over 30mph. I've yet to find a Gatso with a decent down hill run to get that to go off, but the local force only use mobile Speed Cameras so one day I may be lucky.


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## HLaB (21 Oct 2013)

I've dont think I've come accross a 30mph camera at the bottom of a good hill. I often go over the 35mph (110%+2mph) required for driver prosecution but I only do that on a long hill without the possibility of things pulling out, etc; a cyclist can't be done for speeding but I'd rarther not be dead


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## 152l2 (22 Oct 2013)

Good work fella. I hope you had time to slow down for those pesky bypass protestors at the bottom of the hill.


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## Nigel-YZ1 (22 Oct 2013)

There's one place I used to set off a panel at, which was fun. Then I discovered Strava


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## MarkF (22 Oct 2013)

Happens lots here, it's *the* West Riding sport, a Yorkshire thing, probably a lack of manliness in other regions. I set them off on the A657 regularly, on my hybrid.................with shopping..............uphill if I'm feeling jaunty.


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## Supersuperleeds (14 Dec 2013)

Eventually found a speed camera in Leicester that I think I can trip. Went out today and attacked it, I hit 30.2mph before I had to slow for the car in front of me. Pretty sure it didn't flash me, but at least I broke the limit


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## gavgav (14 Dec 2013)

I always like dropping down the bank into hawkshead in the lakes, as they have one of those electronic gadgets that tells you the speed you are doing. I know I have a speedo on the bike, but it's just fun to me


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## Jefferson Meriwether (15 Dec 2013)

152l2 said:


> Good work fella. I hope you had time to slow down for those pesky bypass protestors at the bottom of the hill.



I haven't seen any of those protesters in quite a while now; they seem to have disappeared for the moment


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## jdtate101 (15 Dec 2013)

On one of our local TT's the course runs through a small 30mph section (mostly 50mph limits) which is ever so slightly downhill. The club photographer was stationed there taking shots and said the speed camera there went off about 40 times during the race, so I'm sure the local plod was wondering WTF was going on.


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## HLaB (15 Dec 2013)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Eventually found a speed camera in Leicester that I think I can trip. Went out today and attacked it, I hit 30.2mph before I had to slow for the car in front of me. Pretty sure it didn't flash me, but at least I broke the limit


You had a few mph before that, they are set @ 110% + 2mph (35mph in a 30zone).


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## Jefferson Meriwether (17 Jan 2014)

The other Thursday morning I had my GoPro recording as I went down into Chideock and recorded the speed camera going off. The first minute or so of the video is pretty much blackness due to no street lighting; jump to about 1m15s for the more interesting bit.

I've hopefully managed to upload the video properly; first time I've tried posting a video on CC.


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## Peteaud (17 Jan 2014)

Jefferson Meriwether said:


> The other Thursday morning I had my GoPro recording as I went down into Chideock and recorded the speed camera going off. The first minute or so of the video is pretty much blackness due to no street lighting; jump to about 1m15s for the more interesting bit.
> 
> I've hopefully managed to upload the video properly; first time I've tried posting a video on CC.




Can't see it.


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## Jefferson Meriwether (17 Jan 2014)

Peteaud said:


> Can't see it.



Can't see what? The video or the camera flashing? The camera flashing is actually about the 1m22s mark; just watched the video again to double check the timing. If it's the vid that's not playing for you I'm not sure what the answer is; the vid's playing for me.


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## Peteaud (17 Jan 2014)

The video, 


Video unavailable
This video has either been removed from Facebook or is not visible due to privacy settings.


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## Frood42 (17 Jan 2014)

Jefferson Meriwether said:


> Can't see what? The video or the camera flashing? The camera flashing is actually about the 1m22s mark; just watched the video again to double check the timing. If it's the vid that's not playing for you I'm not sure what the answer is; the vid's playing for me.




privacy settings.


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## Jefferson Meriwether (17 Jan 2014)

Ah, I hadn't thought of that. Rather than try to fathom out how to change the privacy settings on FB for just that vid I'll copy across the youtube vid; I know that one is on public setting.


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## DCLane (17 Jan 2014)

My 9 yo's pleased with himself at setting off a speed camera close to 40mph downhill here

I was just behind him with a speedo playing the scared (irresponsible) parent.


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## classic33 (18 Jan 2014)

DCLane said:


> My 9 yo's pleased with himself at setting off a speed camera close to 40mph downhill here
> 
> I was just behind him with a speedo playing the scared (irresponsible) parent.


Nice stretch of road.


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## perplexed (18 Jan 2014)

I got radar gunned by the rozzers on the road bike on the way to work a couple of years back.

Made my day that did.


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## Firestorm (18 Jan 2014)

Thought that the speed limits applied to the road and was not dependant on the road user.
And that they were just unable to enforce them on cyclists on cyclists due to the identification issue.
Given that there are an increasing number of 20 mile an hour limits and this is a speed easily attainable on a bike ,Ignoring it will just add fuel to the anti cyclists fire.
Any half decent driver should know roughly his speed without having to resort to his speedo.
So should a cyclist...
We are all road users lets all do as we should, not what we can get away with


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## Cycleops (18 Jan 2014)

Badge of honour for cyclists I guess.


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## PK99 (18 Jan 2014)

Matthew_T said:


> Its perfectly legal to disobey speed limits on a bicycle. Many cyclists can often travel above 30/40mph. If I did set one off, I too would probably write in just to get the picture and confirmed speed. I would then staple the picture to my wall because I am that anal.



What would be your view of a motorist who did something perfectly legal but which you considered dangerous?


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## Dragonwight (18 Jan 2014)

Had a couple of run ins with the law over the years one was 20 years ago when a copper stopped and told me you know we cant do you for speeding but we can for furious cycling and another when a PCSO jumped out from behind a 30mph sign that lit up and told me its 30mph you know. I just smiled and was gone. As i recall the only cyclist to get done for furious cycling on the grounds of speeding was in 1879 under the Locomotive Act when the speed limit was 4mph and you needed a red flag and all that gubbins.


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## Dan B (18 Jan 2014)

Firestorm said:


> Thought that the speed limits applied to the road and was not dependant on the road user.
> And that they were just unable to enforce them on cyclists on cyclists due to the identification issue.


Well, now you know different.


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## Svendo (18 Jan 2014)

Firestorm said:


> Thought that the speed limits applied to the road and was not dependant on the road user.
> And that they were just unable to enforce them on cyclists on cyclists due to the identification issue.



Just for information the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984 Part VI which defines speed limits and offences only refers to mechanically propelled vehicles (I.e.not bikes) if you're so inclined you can read it here.


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## glasgowcyclist (18 Jan 2014)

PK99 said:


> What would be your view of a motorist who did something perfectly legal but which you considered dangerous?



What driving could a motorist do that was both dangerous and perfectly legal?

GC


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## Matthew_T (18 Jan 2014)

PK99 said:


> What would be your view of a motorist who did something perfectly legal but which you considered dangerous?


What, like passing me with half a metre of room? My view would be that laws are boundaries. Cyclists are exempt from some laws but do have to take responsibility for their own actions. Some laws are very tight and thats why some people break them, others allow leniency. 
E.g. Speed limits for a car are 30mph +10% +1mph. Thats why speed cameras are set to 34mph. So even though the speed limit is listed at 30mph, you can actually do 34mph and the camera wont flash and the police wont come after you. 
In a 70mph limit on a motorway. You can go up to 78mph. Police will only pull you over if you are doing over 80 in most circumstances because it has been said that they cannot enforce the 70 limit because most people do 80. 
More 20 limits are trying to be introduced, but they have been badly criticised by politicians and the police because they are unenforcable due to the amount of people who would ignore them. 

A new method of tracking the speeds of vehicles is to have cameras at the start and end of a road, timing how long it takes for the car to go along it. You can then work out the average speed of the car and if it has sped up along the road. This method of tracking I can imagine is likely to be put in place at some point. It does seem like a feasible solution to vehicles speeding.


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## Berties (18 Jan 2014)

PeteXXX said:


> Chideock Hill
> http://goo.gl/maps/brdVq


That view gives the hill no kudos,the gravel to the side of the picture is a vehicle run off point,it is a mega hill,the camera in view at the base of the hill is a Dorset police cash cow,gets many a grockle on the way home


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