Darn it.......

[Anonymous]

Quick question. Was driving along the A11 this morning. Was doing probably no more than any other driver, max. 82mph. Was trying to get past a Transit which had slowed me to about 65mph. Accelerated to probably about 85mph to get past then started to slow down again to a cruise as I got past. But, as I came out from the side of the Transit, I noticed in a layby a white van with cameras set up behind it. BUGGER! Must have caught me over 80mph, although I was actually slowing down.

But, my confusion is this. The van had the little turquoise triangle with the "DVLA" label in the middle of it and I don't think it had any lights on top or anything. Is this a speed camera van or are they checking tax discs? If it was speed cameras, what would that be? A police van?

Basically, am I going to be done for speeding, baring in mind that at no point did I go over 85mph and was slowing down when I spotted the van and can't decide whether or not it was speed cameras or tax disc checks (or whatever they do with these vans at the DVLA.....).

Am I going to be done? The tax was renewed just last week............so it can't be that........

Was I going fast enough for them to be bothered?

Help!!!  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:    s:? :? s:?

[GSB]

Dont worry about it. The DVLA dont check for speeders, but they do love a nice random roadside check on taxdiscs...

For a further check, log on to your local councils website, or your local police force site, where you will be able to see where they are putting their camera vans this week.

[Anonymous]

Phew!!!! I don't usually speed, but ths once caught me. Thought I was a gonner there!

Will check the council site. Interesting to know you can do that.........

[Anonymous]

i thought the DVLA didnt need to scan for tax discs anymore as they have a database which automatically issues you a fine if you dont have any, or so they say anyway!

[SteveJ]

Thats if you haven't declared SORN on the vehicle.

What the vans are looking for is vehicles that have either been declared scrapped or the owner has declared them as off the road (SORN)

[Anonymous]

I reckon you're in the clear as a similar thing happened to me a couple of months back. The van i saw was quite a high white van with what appeared to be two cameras mounted close together,high up at the back facing the oncoming traffic.  I havn't received anything nasty in the post yet. These vans i'm told, are used to catch road fund licence dodgers.

Geoff.

[Anonymous]

WAs that on the dual carriageway outside Asda mate?

[Anonymous]

Thats if you haven't declared SORN on the vehicle.

What the vans are looking for is vehicles that have either been declared scrapped or the owner has declared them as off the road (SORN)

Yes, this sounds like what you saw, or it could be a van I watched a program on TV about the other day.
They automatically read number plates, and instantly cross-reference them on the DVLA/police database - usually accompanied by a few police bikes just up the road to pull you over ,if your car is flagged as stolen or you're a tax dodger!

Tim

[Anonymous]

Thats if you haven't declared SORN on the vehicle.

What the vans are looking for is vehicles that have either been declared scrapped or the owner has declared them as off the road (SORN)

Yes, this sounds like what you saw, or it could be a van I watched a program on TV about the other day.
They automatically read number plates, and instantly cross-reference them on the DVLA/police database - usually accompanied by a few police bikes just up the road to pull you over ,if your car is flagged as stolen or you're a tax dodger!

Tim

They did this in Christchurch not so long ago - about 200 yards past a Gatso! - caused alsorts of mayhem and consternation amongst the locals!

[Anonymous]

If your car is flagged as stolen or you're a tax dodger!

Round these parts we could do with cameras looking for coffin dodgers   s:!: :!: s:!:  

40m.p.h in a 70 zone followed by 40m.p.h in a 60, finishing off with 40m.p.h. in the 30 & 20 zones   s:!: :!: s:!:  

They just sit there staring out of the steering wheel with complete terror on their faces    s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

<rant off>

[Anonymous]

WAs that on the dual carriageway outside Asda mate?

No James, it was on the dual carriageway from the roundabout just past Gardner Books, the one with the new health/fitness club on the left and i was heading up towards the Polegate and Pevensey byepasses (spelling ? )

Geoff

[Darth Paul]

If your car is flagged as stolen or you're a tax dodger!

Round these parts we could do with cameras looking for coffin dodgers   s:!: :!: s:!:  

40m.p.h in a 70 zone followed by 40m.p.h in a 60, finishing off with 40m.p.h. in the 30 & 20 zones   s:!: :!: s:!:  

They just sit there staring out of the steering wheel with complete terror on their faces    s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

<rant off>

Yeah, but you have to get out sometimes. We'll just give you lots of room.  s:wink: :wink: s:wink:

[Anonymous]

Yeah, coffin dodgers are one of my pet hates..  I'm on flexi-time here at work, and whilst it's great to get up late in the mornings if I feel like it, I dread the drive to work at around 9:30am!

They all come out in force just after the rush hour. I don't mind them obeying the speed limit to the letter, but when they do exactly as described, and have no concept of the limits.. 40 in a national, then just carry on into the 30 at the same speed all the way.. really gets my goat!

I've been thinking that after age 65 there should be a mandatory government sponsored "reflex" test, repeated every 5 years. Not like a full on driving exam, but more like driving round cones in a car-park, with cardboard cutouts of children popping out in front of you, reversing manoeuvres, sight test, etc. I reckon at least half of the codgers on the road would fail miserably...

Tim