hello all , I was reading a magazine today which stated that under the road safety act 2006 it will be illegal 'soon' to use units that detect gatso,radar or laser based detctors.
Having spent several hundred pounds recently buying a Road angel device I now find i can't use it!
Has anyone else obtained any info on this? Thanks
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Doesn't apply to GPS units.
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As midlife crisis says. (providing of course that your GPS device has a removable radar/laser detection module)
www.speedcamerasuk.com/camera-detector-law.htm
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As far as I know, it's illegal to exceed speed limits.
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As far as I know, it's illegal to exceed speed limits.
It is, but noone has mentioned exceeding the limit.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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But if you don't exceed speed limits why would you need a Road Angel or similar?
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Because cameras are only placed at known accident black spots and one would want to be aware of these wouldn't one?
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Hi Armitage and all. " Only placed at accident black spots" is total rubbish as we all know.Cheers all.
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But if you don't exceed speed limits why would you need a Road Angel or similar?
Please spare us the sanctimonious carp. Can you say hand on heart that you have never ever broken a motoring law?
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>> But if you don't exceed speed limits why would you need a Road Angel or similar? Please spare us the sanctimonious carp. Can you say hand on heart that you have never ever broken a motoring law?
Hark at him Caveman. Perhaps he broke a Finger nail!
y**......MD
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Y**......MD
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Yours in Despair, DD
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So apart from the predictable knee-jerk comments (bit like the global warming discussions!) - is it actually illegal to own/use a non GPS device like this?
I had one in my car for a while, not becaused I flout the law, but because on the one day my attention wanders from the speedometer and I drive at 32mph, you can guarantee plod will be hiding in a van pointing a camera at me.
We're all only human, but thats not allowed as speeding is an 'absolute offence',so I wanted to make damn sure I was doing 20mph in a 30mph if there was a camera around, otherwise I would drive at 30 at normal.
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Well, I don't know who the 'sanctimony' arrow was aimed at, but it seems to me that these speed trap detectors have just one function.
They notify the user that speed limits are about to be enforced, with the relevant punishment for the compliant........... Good.
As I understand things, It's illegal for a motorist to inform another motorist (headlamp flashing, arm waving etc) about a speed trap. Why should a detector be exempt from the law ? I think I'm right in saying that the AA was formed mainly to prevent speeding motorists to avoid prosecution, if you displayed an AA badge on the front of your car, an oncoming patrol would salute you if the road behind him, and in front of you, was clear of speed traps. If he didn't salute - slow down, the thinking being that you can't be prosecuted for doing nothing.
Maybe a Road Angel detector could be programmed to show nothing on it's display unless the owner was traveling at less than the speed limit, and then a 'smiley' would appear.
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............ I wanted to make damn sure I was doing 20mph in a 30mph
Yep, we've all ended up behind someone like you at some time or other! ;-)
--
L\'escargot.
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Please spare us the sanctimonious carp. Can you say hand on heart that you have never ever broken a motoring law?
I wasn't being sanctimonius, just accurate. And yes I speed all the time....
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I've got the pocketgps speed camera database on my Tom Tom satnav. Not because I'm a speeder - I try to keep to speed limits as much as possible - but because sometimes the limits aren't always clear.
That's especially the case on rural roads where the limit can change rapidly, and isn't always adequately signed. It can be easy to miss the change from a 40 to 30, especially because the lack of repeaters is often the only reminder that you're now in a 30 zone. The camera alerts are a good way to remind me what the limit is for that stretch of road.
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If you are caught using one then it and the car will be confiscated by the thought police and you will be given a ten year sentence 50 points on your licence and if you kill somebody while driving dangerously to fast and under the influence without insurance and licence then expect another £40 pound fine on top.
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I have TomTom with the camera locations but to be honest it is a bit superfluous as:
a} most (not all) cameras are easy to see
b} I have trained my 3 year old daughter to shout "yellow box" when she see's one. A great game!
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A way to keep to limits when it safe to do so is to use the cruise control. On those long dual carrigeways when there isn't much about and it'sa 50mph zone its useful. in the 30mph zones it becomes a bit more difficult as there is often alot of stop start.
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Dear all, a quick update for you all...I emailed Road Angel direct with my concern and they stated the following:
Customer Update on Road Safety Act 2006 - Change of Legislation
This is currently a common question with recent press coverage on the Road Safety Act 2006, having recently passed through parliament. Some media groups have incorrectly and rather prematurely reported changes in the legality of Laser Detection and this is further compounded by misleading marketing by some interested parties.
The reality is that the bill was passed in November 2006 becoming the Road Safety Act 2006. This act highlighted a number of changes to road laws, one of the best publicised being the use of mobile phones while driving. The confusion centres on the dates that each part of the Act coming into place. Some elements such as using mobile phones while driving go live in February 2007, whilst other sections including that looking at speed measurement detection products, are yet to have dates defined. We are advised that after consultation, those devices which are declared illegal will be outlawed late in 2007 at the earliest.
The primary focus of the act was to ban the use of Laser Jammers which prevent the police obtaining a speed on a given vehicle. This is totally different to the laser detection feature integrated into some Road Angel products.
It is also likely that Radar detectors which are active detection systems, again very different to the Road Angel, will be banned. The government believe that a radar detector can differentiate between some camera units being live or not and therefore would allow a user to speed past a camera in the knowledge that prosecution is not possible. They deem that as this works against the implementation of safety cameras as a deterrent, they should be banned.
It is possible that passive laser detection, which some Road Angel products utilise, may also fall under this ban. On the New Road Angel and Road Angel Plus, the laser alert is built in, but can be disabled in many cases on the unit by the owner using the menus. If the customer wants a more permanent fix, a firmware upgrade can be sent via e-mail to remove that functionality, again making the unit 100% legal in either instance. For Road Angels with external Laser Detection, these can simply be removed to make the unit comply with the new laws as they come into force.
The Road Safety act stated clearly that GPS based safety alert systems such as the Road Angel have considerable safety advantages and will not be banned as part of this Act. The effect of being made aware of Speed Cameras and Accident Blackspots in advance, serves to support the intended use of Safety Camera?s in reducing speed in inappropriate areas and raising driver awareness.
I hope this clarifies the position, but rest assured the Road Angel will be fully legal to use in the UK, regardless of the changes proposed.
I wait with baited breath................................
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It is possible that passive laser detection, which some Road Angel products utilise, may also fall under this ban. On the New Road Angel and Road Angel Plus, the laser alert is built in, but can be disabled in many cases on the unit by the owner using the menus. If the customer wants a more permanent fix, a firmware upgrade can be sent via e-mail to remove that functionality, again making the unit 100% legal in either instance. For Road Angels with external Laser Detection, these can simply be removed to make the unit comply with the new laws as they come into force.
If you can disable it by the menus then it'll be an interesting court case trying to prove or disprove whether the illegal detection feature was active at the time of the alleged offence being committed. Sounds to me like yet another barely enforcible law which will result in heavy handed policing tactics for the first 6 months as the forces will be under pressure to get results.
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If you can disable it by the menus then it'll be an interesting court case trying to prove or disprove whether the illegal detection feature was active at the time of the alleged offence being committed. Sounds to me like yet another barely enforcible law which will result in heavy handed policing tactics for the first 6 months as the forces will be under pressure to get results.
Exactly!! bar the odd one or two cases when the law comes into effect, I honestly can't see how this will be enforced properly? I'll continue using my tomtom one with speed camera locations/warning tones. I don't condone speeding, but we all do it sometimes, and I want to keep my license clean, Tomtom has helped me significantly with this in the last 15 months, especially in other cities in the UK, Nottingham being the main one, SPECS cameras galore!
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None. Your quote
"It's illegal for a motorist to inform another motorist (headlamp flashing, arm waving etc) about a speed trap"
is incorrect and there is case law to prove it. A lorry driver was charged with the actions you describe and was acquitted on appeal as the CPS could not adduce evidence to show that
a. The motorists to whom he signalled were speeding at the time.
b. That, if they were, they slowed down as a result of his actions.
Quite right too - what happened to the cameradie of motorists etc?
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Then again there was that case of the old man who held a sign telling people to slow down because of a speed camera, and got banned from driving for a month, and fined over £300!
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004...l
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Ravenger - obviously it depends on where you come up in court. Aldershot is probably a centre of middle class bigotry where they regret the end of hanging and the birch and the magistrates doubtless reflect these views!
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