speed camera range

[Kos]

Does the range of a fixed-speed camera end after the dashed road-markings?

Like a lot of people, once I was clear of these markings I accelerated to a respectable speed but caught a double-flash in the rear-view mirror.

I'm convinced that I was clear of the markings and hope that it was the car behind me.

Any info?  

[fo3nix]

It would only flash if you were breaking the speed limit. To stop the flash, I suggest you don't break the speed limit.

[Kos]

Duh I know that!. My question was about the range of the cameras with regard to the dashed lines on the road

[robski]

The lines are purely to calibrate your speed, i.e if you were pictured on 1 line with the first flash and another on the second, its a way of double checking 'manually' that the speed registered is the correct speed

The camera uses technology that 'follows' fast moving shapes, focuses on them and takes 2 pictures to compare and results in a speed and recognition of your number plate.

I doubt if you got away with it unfortunately

[Kos]

Thanks Robski, but as I had passed the lines I am thinking that it wasn't me but the car behind? I.e Do you have to be within the lines?

[Hamish]

I would suggest that you just drive at a repectable speed, the speed limit!

[Mortartube]

I would suggest that you have probably got away with it, if there is no photograph of you driving in the lined section, as the police will have no way of accurately fixing your speed, something you could question if they tried to bring a prosecution (i.e what exact speed was I travelling at officer?). It would also be obvious that you weren't breaking the speed limit when you first passed the camera, or it would have caught you driving by the calibration lines. Having said that I must say, drive within the speed limit bit like everyone else, not always easy to do, and I doubt that most drivers giving you that advice have ALWAYS stayed within the limit. I know I've broken it many times, unintentionally.

[Kos]

Thanks Mortartube for a good answer and for being a 'bluddy good egg' and realising that not everyone is 'Holier than thou'

[Marc J]

And if you think you may "unintentionally" break the speed limit now and then, invest in some Photoblocker Spray (google it). Legal in the UK, apparently. But don't quote me on that!

As a side note, if you're ever stopped at a hand-held speed trap because you were closely following a car that WAS clocked for speeding, don't admit to anything. The law only applies to the car that was clocked by the gun. To make a visual judgement for speed, the police have to follow you for something like 3 miles or do a distance / time calculation over the same distance, apparently.

[fo3nix]

the gun can actually calculate your speed without anyone having to look at the lines. I believe these are for a double check only; pretty pointless really.

Not sure where this stands in the law though; perhaps to get you for speeding they need both proofs?