The Daily Mail speed gun test

[Scoboblio]

If you get a chance to read the daily mail today, do it.

 

There's an article on the LTI 20.20 laser gun which most police forces use for mobile speed traps. Apparantly they tested it independently with an expert in laser technology. Some bad results: A parked car clocked at 22mph, a push bike clocked at 66mph and a brick wall at 44mph. This is all because of "slippage" where the laser beams bounce off of stationary objects or other cars. Still, the government and police forces simply refuse to listen. Why? Because the CPS's often used "expert witness" (an ex-policeman) for the speed gun is a millionare.... because he sells them.

 

Like I say, makes interesting reading.

[Branners]

they had an article about this on a local programme for London on the BBC. They pointed the gun at a van and the first few times it was okay, then it errored and then they got it to misread many times. They say that as much as a 4mm move in the laser equipment is enough to make it misread. However, to get slippage you have to be pointing at the side of a car or van, I believe the police training tells them to point at the front number plate as that is nice and flat and will reflect the laser properly.

 

Just a matter of time until somebody tries it on through the courts.

 

JB

[Scoboblio]

I think a lot of people have already used it to good effect.... the cases have a habit of being dropped as soon as serious questions are asked (not going on personal experience, just what I've read).

[Lazarus]

I think a lot of people have already used it to good effect.... the cases have a habit of being dropped as soon as serious questions are asked (not going on personal experience, just what I've read).

 

Thats exactly what I did, got an expected ban knocked down to 3 points and a fixed penalty by telling the Majestrates if they didn't make allowances for the error (that was clearly shown in the evidence photo's by an error message in the black block at the bottom where all the info is) I would persue the matter through to the Crown Court instead of just "taking it up the arse" at the local Majestrates Court.

 

I know loads of people are now gonna say that I should have persued it to Crown Court, but to be honest I was being "incredibly naughty" when they caught me (well over 100 and something:innocent: ) so I took the 3 points and penalty and saved me the hassle of going to the Crown.