[Mike]

I was exiting leopardstown race course this evening when I noticed a Garda car pulled in. I first thought there might be a tax/insurance checkpoint but no he was standing at gates with a speed gun in hand checking traffic coming up the leopardstown road. It's a well lit road but it was dark at this stage. So are these guns now a common thing at night? Never noticed them before. Or are they as effective at night in well lit areas?
I'd imagine he would be shooting fish in a barrel on that road anyway lol

 

[A.Zdriver]

Passed one 2 days ago coming from conagh cross heading to willams street in Limerick Garda car parked on a bus line no lights no nothing. THANK GOD some driver flashed his lights at me and I had some time to reduce my speed.

 

[Jimmy Diesel Junior]

Saw thew a few times on the Paulstown to Gowran road at night with the gun out. I noticed a little red light as it was pointed in my direction.

 

[Mike]

So are they night vision enabled or are they same as the normal ones you see during the day?

 

[T J Hooker]

Night vision I think mike. I spot them a few times a week in Galway on my way home, could be 10pm or as late as 2am.

 

[KevC]

Those guns always worked at night Mike, I was caught by one at 1.00am on the Naas Road about 5 years ago. If the guard had written the correct reg of my car on the summons I'd have got 2 points!!

 

[draycottgirlz]

they have been there quite a bit lately Mike, fish in a barrel as you say...

 

[Quagmire]

Mike, I was pulled over in 2005 in the dark 2 days after picking up my brand new Focus around the Blackrock area. The Gard showed me the speed gun which had a red back-lit display in which was my speed. I was of the same opinion of you up until that point (they only work in the light of day) but that changed my mind instantly.

Oh, and the Gard let me off with a warning (50mph in a 30mph zone) which was nice of him! I learned my lesson! He was a gent now that I think of it!

Stu

 

[Mo Ryan]

I always thought that the guns worked by radar?

As in they send out a signal and depending on how fast a series of signals come back, they can measure the speed of the car?

That way they work, regardless of the visability?

 

[Mike]

Sounds like they are around a while so.

@mo, yes they are radar but the user needs to be able to see to lock onto an oncoming moving object so at night they must have some assist to enable them to do that.

 

[Mo Ryan]

I see!

Headlights?

 

[Smithy]

QUOTE (Mo Ryan @ Apr 22 2011, 10:42 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I always thought that the guns worked by radar?

All Garda speed guns are laser only now.

 

[steovts]

They are there a fair bit man.

 

[wagen fan]

lads the speed guns the garda have now definitly work in the dark!

i got caught heading out from kilkenny city to the motorway the other night at 12 o clock in the pitch blackness. i only copped the brake disks of the dark grey unmarked squad hunkered down in the grass verge shining in my headlights when it was too late.

i was speeding so i deserved it, no excuse.

its just a bit of a sickener when you hear and see people bursting vtec out of it all the time on the ring roads around kilkenny and woodies in particular and never seeing them being reprimanded and i get done for it on a deserted slip road away from build up areas and busy traffic!

But one reason i was going that bit faster was i got frustrated and put my foot down to pass an L plated car crawling along heading for the motorway on the same road just before the garda ambush which i can only assume was a learner driver heading for the motor way, seems i wasnt the only one braking the law that night, i was just the one who got caught!
lesson learned