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I've seen 'Camera Partnership' vans operating from a petrol station parking area in my parents' home town at 10pm on a Friday night (a short section of 30mph dual carriageway from the A1 onto local town roads [was 40mph in the past]).
A nice 'cash cow' in my view, as its all through an industrial area, almost devoid of cars and pedestrians (save the odd bus passenger once an hour, if that). Never heard of an accident there to justify them being there, yet near my home town, 5-10 people are killed annually of a 10mile single lane A-road through reckless overtaking and speeding (often vehicles turning onto the road from unseen side roads are hit), and yet no fixed speed cameras, and rarely any van-based ones. No traffic cars, no council mods to the road (save one) to improve visibility and awareness around hidden junctions.
I can understand why police cameras etc are deployed at night, especially on known routes that pub-goers tec take on the way home. Some people think that an empty town road at night is a licence to use it as their own personal race track. A big difference from motorways where there's mostly much less chance in coming across pedestrians and other sudden obstructions to have to take avoiding action if going faster than the speed limit.
A shame variable speed limits upping them on motorways at night (if safe to do so) aren't on the table, same goes for reducing them around schools only when they are in use. I would say that most people would welcome sensible policies like those, but unfortunately its (IMO) lobby groups like BRAKE and left-wing councillors/council staff who seem to run the show without any regard for the public.
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