A264 East Grinstead - Tunbridge Wells - WARNING
 

Now I know some of you (stand up Ian) have discovered MY road, so you should know this:

Yesterday morning en route to work, I came across a camera van parked in the parking area on the outside of the first bend (left hand) after the long straight once you get out of East Grinstead heading for Tunbridge Wells on the A264. It seemed such a stupid place to put one I just assumed he'd stopped for a cuppa, but he was still there when I headed home 10 hours later and he's still there this morning (maybe he's broken down!).

It's a national speed limit road and he's parked on the outside of the bend, without a view down the previous straight. For those who know the road well, the bend can easily and safely be taken at a speed somewhat in excess of the limit, except that it's quite a busy road and the vast majority of cars will be doing significantly less, so you'd need a clear run. If you don't know the road, the bend is well signposted and you'd be daft to be doing much more than 60. I'd be very surprised if more than 1 in 50 vehicles were doing greater than 60 + 10% + 2 mph (as confirmed by the camera man at Brands on Sunday).

Now this is a dangerous road and there are lots of accidents, though there seem to have been fewer than usual over the last year or so (I've commuted along here for eight years now). The vast majority of the injury accidents/deaths happen either opposite the Holtye Golf Club clubhouse or at the staggered junction to Cowden a couple of miles further on, invariably because some myopic cretin has pulled out from the side roads in front of someone on the A264. The other main factor is the appalling state of the roads, although some of the worst bits have been patched over the last few weeks. Speed does not generally seem to be a cause although obviously it makes the result worse. It is, however, a famous biker road in this part of the world. I still can't see any reason for where the camera van is positioned though, particularly as the stated aim is to reduce pedestrian injuries and I don't think I have ever seen a pedestrian in the area.

Anyway, I had a look at the Sussex camera van website apparently announcing the positioning of their van and - surprise, surprise - no mention of it being there yesterday or today.

So - take care out there :(

Good info, thank you. I use that road quite a lot for it's enjoyment and grin factor. :D

Can't see the point of putting the van there mind you :ninja:

Ade.

Possibly time to apologise....
 

Well after putting up the above post, I sent a stroppy email to the "Sussex Satety Camera Partnership" along the lines of what is the point of publicising mobile camera sites if you don't stick to them etc etc. When I sent it off it came up with a kind message saying thanks for my comments; whilst we will not reply we will consider what you say and your comments are important to us blah blah blah.

Anyway, I did get a reply, an extract of which is:

"The van parked in East Grinstead was not a camera van.
We only visit the sites published on the website and in the media.
I am assuming you saw an ANPR van - this is a Sussex Police Automatic Number Plate Recognition vehicle.
They work on identifying vehicle number plates to stop those uninsured, evading tax and so on. They will also immediately be able to tell if a vehicle is stolen or cloned."

So you can breathe more easily - unless the ANPR van would frighten you more (in which case, no sympathy from me!). Still I can't see the point of an ANPR van unless there is a police car waiting round the corner to catch those vehicles the van identifies - and I didn't see one.