Here's a puzzle. How do (UK) camera vans work with motorcycles that have no front number plate? Somebody[1] might well be doing an alleged 40 towards them in the 30 limit or 85 in the 60 limit. But by the time the bike has passed them and they can get a readout of the speed superimposed on the picture of the rear number plate, the bike is doing 27 and 57 respectively. So there's no record of the speed that would stand up in court. Is that how it works? Or if you're seriously taking the piss do they have a signed judgement call that the bike in the two pictures is the same one? Or is it all fully automatic and the intention is not to catch anyone (except the very stupid) but to get the public to pay more attention and stop playing silly buggers?
So that's St Neots - Higham Ferrers, Mkt Harboro- Melton Mowbray and Melton Mowbray - Kegworth roads where not only have they got loads of signs that say "MOTORCYCLE DEATH ROUTE" and "BIKER ACCIDENT HERE" along with long stretches of 50mph limit, but also camera vans out on a Bank Holiday Sunday evening. This modern world, eh?
[1]Somebody else I was following. Not me. Obviously.
The point though was about dealing with motorbikes. If it's likely you'll see the van and you slow immediately, you're pretty much guaranteed to be ok. But the roads where it happened are favourites for the Subaru Impreza brigade as well and of course they have front number plates and so have to be lucky.
On the A10 in N London there's a 40mph dual carriageway with a swivelling GATSO. Everyone knows where it is, everyone speeds, and you can see form a long way off which way it's facing today. Every once in a while they have a single policemen with a Laser. He waves 4 fingers at the bikers who were obviously speeding when he saw them first.