Anyone Been Caught Speeding?

[Slimbo 0]

Have a read:

 

SPEED GUN FAULT RAISES DOUBT OVER MANY CASES

 

SUE RESTAN

 

09:00 - 16 February 2005

 

Thousands of motoring convictions throughout Scotland could be unsafe after a speed gun was found to be inaccurate, a solicitor has warned.

 

Campaigners have called for speed guns to be withdrawn from use after a Highland motorist clocked at 132mph in a 70mph speed limit was cleared when it was shown his car was incapable of travelling faster than 107mph.

 

His solicitor last night claimed the verdict showed the hand-held ProLaser III device, previously thought to be one of the most effective ways of measuring vehicle speed, could not be trusted.

 

James MacGregor, 34, a pipe-layer, of Cruachan, Dalcross, Inverness, was charged with driving dangerously at 132mph in the 70mph limit on the A9 at Daviot on August 6 last year.

 

Mr MacGregor pleaded not guilty and the matter went to trial at Inverness Sheriff Court.

 

Two experienced traffic officers told the court Mr MacGregor was stopped after being clocked from a distance of almost 2,000ft at around 9.45pm. They said the road was dry and it had been getting dark.

 

They said the ProLaser III had been operated correctly and confirmed Mr MacGregor's car had been the only vehicle travelling north on the dual carriageway at the time.

 

But the court heard that Mr MacGregor's Subaru Impreza WRX was a "grey import" from Japan and was therefore fitted with an electronic speed limiter - a legal requirement in its country of origin.

 

The court was told that although cars of this type were usually capable of high speeds and were often used for rallying, this one was not because it had been built for the Japanese market.

 

Gavin Wallace, of Wallace Per4mance, Murcar Commercial Park, Bridge of Don, Aberdeen, said he had tested the car on a rolling road and found it had a maximum speed of 107mph.

 

Asked whether the limiter could have been tampered with after Mr MacGregor was stopped and before the vehicle was tested by him, he said no.

 

Sheriff Alexander Pollock found the case not proven.

 

David Hingston, who represented Mr MacGregor, yesterday said: "This is a machine which is used throughout the UK. This laser gun is considered to be better than radar in that it is supposed to be much more accurate, much faster and capable of being used at much greater distances.

 

"It is not only used as a hand-held device, it is also fitted in some of the mobile units."

 

He said the laser gun used on his client's car had been proved to be inaccurate.

 

"This has huge implications throughout Scotland and the whole of the UK," said Mr Hingston. "In this case, we had a reading of 132mph from a vehicle that is not capable of doing 132mph. We have proved that this so-called 100% accurate machine is unreliable.

 

"Everybody being stopped as a result of a ProLaser reading should now be pleading not guilty."

 

He added that he thought it unlikely previous cases based on the device would be reviewed, but said the convictions could be unsafe.

 

Paul Smith, of the web-based Safe Speed road safety campaign at http://www.safespeed.org.uk, said: "We have long been worried about the quality of evidence gathered by both the ProLaser III and the LTI 20/20 laser speed meters.

 

"This case proves beyond doubt that a laser speed meter gathered faulty evidence. We must cease all use of these devices to prosecute motorists until such time as the errors can be fully explained and confidence restored.

 

"It is a very serious matter and we cannot assume that this case represents a single isolated incident. Not only are livelihoods at stake, but the public must be able to have absolute confidence in the police and their equipment."

 

Neil Greig, head of policy for the AA Motoring Trust in Scotland, said: "We would seek urgent reassurance from the police that they have tested this equipment and that they are 100% satisfied that it is accurate. We need to know if this was a one-off."

 

He said it did not automatically negate any other conviction. "It is up to any court to accept evidence put before it," said Mr Greig.

 

Road policing inspector for Northern Constabulary John Smith said: "The ProLaser is a type approved device, which is tested on a regular basis on calibrated speedometers in police vehicles.

 

"Any variance in the speeds recorded would be reported to the manufacturer immediately."

 

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos) and the Crown Office were not available for comment last night.

 

In a similar case in August last year at Pontefract Magistrates Court in West Yorkshire, Steve Lucas, 20, of St Helens, Merseyside, was charged with driving his 1.2-litre Fiat Punto at 115mph on the M62. The charge was dropped after expert evidence showed that the car had a top speed of 104mph.

[willwoll100 0]

107 on a rolling road with no air resistance and the limiter is supposed to be set at 112 (I think) in Japan which I'm assuming it's from.

[Jim 2]

Hm.

 

How about - was doing 132MPH on his derestricted WRX, and then bricked it, and took it back to his local specialist to refit the electronic limiter so he could go back to the police with a BS story...?

 

If it has been a 1.2 Clio I might have agreed but an Impreza WRX which the owner went to the trouble of importing from Japan.. you telling me he wouldn't have had the limiter removed?

[willwoll100 0]

Hm.

 

How about - was doing 132MPH on his derestricted WRX, and then bricked it, and took it back to his local specialist to refit the electronic limiter?

 

If it has been a 1.2 Clio I might have agreed but an Impreza WRX which the owner went to the trouble of importing from Japan.. you telling me he wouldn't have had the limited removed?

 

Ha Ha so true

[Slimbo 0]

Still, if anyone else manages to use the case to get off a speeding charge then it can only be a good thing.

[Guest]

is it not a simple case of revo ecu maps? or something simlar to get around the restrictions?

[Guest]

He so was doing the speed lol I remember hearing about someone being clocked along the a90 @ 160 ish? that was just south of stonehaven

 

crazy!

[roo 0]

Have a looksie on these sites, theres some really good information for the more cynically minded drivers amongst us :)

 

http://www.speedlimit.org.uk/

http://www.abd.org.uk/

[Tempest 0]

What I want to know is how a pipe-layer can afford such a car? :lol:

 

A90 just down south of Stonehaven? Oh, remember it well, as I got flashed on my journey back home just having bought my US-G60 Rado nr. Aberdeen. I was doing about a 100 mph, but the camera proved to be empty :-)

 

Tempest

[Slimbo 0]

Aye, that road's bad for speed cameras, although it's completely clear between Dundee and Perth if you want to let rip.

[chubbybrown 0]

The site the cops use at daviot is situated on a hill thats about 2-3 miles long,Not braggin but I've had transits doing more than that down that hill,thats why the cops sit there.

Its the place you see somone go up the arse of the plain traffic car on police camera action ( blue volvo ) escorting the caravan.

David hingston is the old Procurator Fiscal ( defending solicitor )

 

There isnt a specialist up here for at least 100 miles and Imports are very popular up here because of the need for 4*4's on the cheap

[chris CORRADO 0]

i was done at 120mph... OPPPSSSS

[bcstudent 0]

i was done at 120mph... OPPPSSSS

 

.....but your speedo probably read 237mph.... :lol:

 

Sorry, hard to resist after that extensive thread from before.