Go safe camera van - Do you flash other road users as a warning?

[RonanC]

but the contract has a minimum performance clause that states the number of fixed penalty notices they must issue.

Where does it say this? Have you seen the contract?

From the Garda website

How many detections do you anticipate GoSafe to make during the first month / year of operation?

We’re hoping for none. The objective is to reduce speed and save lives.

 

[shnaek]

If the objective of speed cameras is to get people to slow down, and the flashing of lights causes cars to slow down, then - objective achieved!

 

[RonanC]

If the objective of speed cameras is to get people to slow down, and the flashing of lights causes cars to slow down, then - objective achieved!

No, not really. They will slow down until they pass the van, and then speed up again.

Now the same can be said for everyone who spots the vans in the distance, they can slow down and then speed up again, but the object is to catch people speeding, not helping them avoid detection and prosecution.

 

[csirl]

On a serious note as a driver who covers over 100k a year and having witnessed the carnage that is caused when a speeding vehicle crashes or hits a child no i dont flash people never will and make no apologies for it

+1

Never flash - its against the rules of the road to do so. I want dangerous drivers to be caught not warned.

 

[RonanC]

+1

Never flash - its against the rules of the road to do so. I want dangerous drivers to be caught not warned.

Flashing your lights isn't against the rules of the road, in fact it is promoted and advised by most driving instructors to be used in certain circumstances.

However, I'd imagine the Gardaí would have an issue with you if you did flash your lights warning other drivers of their presence and could maybe charge you with obstructing them in their duties.

UK example

 

[roker]

I find this hard to believe. Any experienced road engineer should be well able to assess at least a few roads within a morning. He'd have a county well covered within a few weeks.

Is this the same engineers who put overtaking markings on bends and such short lengths that you need a ferrari to accelerate fast enough, and put Stop signs where there should be Yield signs?

 

[ajapale]

Topic reminder: Go safe camera van - Do you flash other road users as a warning?

If posters want to discuss how long it would take a roads engineer to assess all the roads in her area or the competence or other wise of those engineers when designing/installing road markings then feel free to start a new thead about that topic.

 

[Vanilla]

My dad was caught by the gardai flashing a warning to an oncoming car about a check point ( he got caught by the traffic squad) years ago and was summonsed for dangerous driving. Think he pleaded to driving without due care and attention or careless driving. Twas a fair cop( hur hur).

 

[RMCF]

Anyone know if these vans can read your number plate in the dark?

I have yet to see them out during dark hours, but with the dark mornings/evenings now coming in, I was just wondering.

 

[RonanC]

Anyone know if these vans can read your number plate in the dark?

I have yet to see them out during dark hours, but with the dark mornings/evenings now coming in, I was just wondering.

They can operate 24hours a day

 

[liaconn]

If your child have been killed or seriously injured by a speeding driver how would you feel if you knew Garda attempts to catch such drivers were being impeded by people helping them out by giving them warnings?

 

[RMCF]

I have received plenty of flashes to warn me, even though I am not a fast driver.

I have not yet flashed a single person to warn them.

I think it all stems from the anti-Police/anti-establishment gene the vast majority of us have.
But I have seen far too many bad car accidents up here in the NW to warn idiotic drivers that they might be about to get points on their licence.

 

[Mpsox]

Anyone know what the range of the vans are, how close to them do you need to be before they get a reading

Actually one thing that does annoy me about is that when a lot of drivers see a van(or a garda speedcheck), especially on the motorway, they slow right down until they are way below the speed limit. That's dangerous. Car in front of me this morning slowed to around 70kph on the motorway, I had to slow down as well and the guy behind me nearly went into the back of me

 

[T McGibney]

As for the positioning of the van it means sense to have it before the motorists reach the accident spot and not right on top of it. It has been my experience that the kind of location you describe is a magnet for accidents as motorists tend to speed up so they can overtake slow drivers before entering the narrow section.

But this isn't the case in the area I am talking about. The speed camera van is habitually situated in a certain spot where drivers start to speed up and overtake after exiting the blackspot area. I think this is ludicrous. If road safety was the prime motivation, they would situate the camera van on the other side of the road, nearer the blackspot, so as to capture speeding drivers as they approach the blackspot.

 

[Ciaraella]

I wouldn't flash, if you're speeding then imo you should be done for it!

 

[AlastairSC]

I flash to alert other drivers to hazards, obstruction around bend they're about to come to, pedestrians on rural roads etc. I consider this to be courteous and maybe it might save a life.

I don't flash to warn of speed checks or Gardai checks as I think this makes me complicit in other drivers' illegality. It's a hangover from the old anti-authority days - they are acting on our behalf to improve road behaviour/catch criminals. We should support positive sensible initiatives when our state implements them. Gardai get enough stick from the public without my undermining their efforts, which is what flashing does, I think.

 

[Niallman]

I just think its so risky to flash the lights at anyone in any circumstance. How is the person being flashed supposed to guess what it means? Does it mean "I'm letting you out", "Stay back, I'm not letting you out", "slow down", "theres someone on your roof", "the woman beside you is hot"!!
What if you were to make a maneuver based on someone flashing their lights at you and you crashed?

Totally agree with AlastairSC and others in terms of warning other drivers about speeding. Alerting a speeding driver to a speed camera and helping them avoid it only means that an opportunity for their behaviour to be highlighted to them has been missed. I know a few drivers who have changed their driving habits significantly after getting points and a fine.

 

[T McGibney]

I just think its so risky to flash the lights at anyone in any circumstance.

One evening recently, I was driving on a narrow, tree-lined road by the entrance of Cavan Golf Club and I witnessed on the other side of the road, an adult walking with a child. I then noticed the child was walking on rollerskates. Both adult and child were wearing dark clothes so neither would have been fully visible to oncoming traffic.

I met 5 or 6 cars in the next mile or so, all travelling the same side of the road as the unlit, rollerskated child and their companion. I flashed each of these oncoming cars to warn them of the hazard ahead. Are you saying that I shouldn't have done so?

 

[ajapale]

If you are diriving on rural (or semi rural roads) I think the "de facto" couresy is to flash oncoming motorists to alert them about hazards ahead. I flash for ice, trees/branches, silage contractors, lifestock, dogs, deer, phesants, floods, power lines sparking, vunerable pedestrians, charity collectors, refuse trucks, building site exits (heavy traffic exiting),etc. I ususllay flash the first four or five cars.

In relation to the Go-Safe vans my understanding is that the authorities want to highlight their presence (signs and bright livery on vans). I have notice a marked improvement in driving standards on stretches of road where they operate. Accordingly I flash for the presence of a Go Safe van.

I dont flash for Gardai check points or Customs check points.

 

[net64]

If people are speeding, they are putting lives at risk. Why on earth wouldn't you want such people caught? We all hear about deaths on Irish roads, about how nobody does anything about it, and then when something like this is done, people here seem to be suggesting that they don't want the speeders caught, and that it is a money racket! There aren't enough speed vans on the roads as far as I am concerned.

agree!

I never flash to alert about speed vans,check points etc.If people are on the road speeding or no tax/insurance etc, they deserve to be caught.
The only times that I will alert drivers is if there are animals in the road,accident etc.

net64