Interesting GATSO (speed camera) news

[TransAm]

This might be of great interest to anyone in the UK, or caught by our wonderful cameras on a visit to the UK

http://www.pistonheads.com/speed/default.asp?storyId=9689

Edit: read the comments posted as there is a great deal of discussion on the subject and an 'insider' view

[BADMIHAI]

Oh my! He will not win. There is just too much money involved there. :|

[paulrudz]

holy crap.. if thats true then its a total disgrace

[jon_s]

holy crap.. if thats true then its a total disgrace

I agree, I will be keeping a close eye on this, thanks for flagging it up.

My only concerns are over his evidence; how do we know that his evidence is accurate e.t.c the courts will also ask this. I would not be surprised if an independent expert was appointed. That is speculation though, the courts are an unpredictable creature at the best of times!

If this case gets reported (i.e all the facts, evidence and judgments are published) then I will reproduce them here (I can't just copy and past as my firm pays a stupid amount of money to have access to the information).

[topgeartom]

not only are the pickpocketing bastards springing up everywhere they are no completely inacuratte - ahh god i cant wait to get my license.

Did you know that legislation was recently passed (surprisingly not very well publicised) that states that camers now no longer have to be placed in accident blackspots - so it is considered perfectly legal and moral to place a speed camer on an open country road with fields either side where no one has so much has bumped each other.

Its a fucking disgrace

[ZfrkS62]

hahaha, funny dan :P i'm thinking i should stop being lazy and take that warning down since it was supposed to be for the previous pic. :? :lol:

[Wutputt]

I didn't even know, that the speed is measured that way.
Well, there are different methods to measure the speed with different speed cameras. One is as described above(*), you also have the classic electromagnetic/radio waves reflection out of which the speed can be calculated thanks to the doppler effect. 'New' on the market are speed cameras with induction loops in the ground. And some governments also use (hand held) laser guns. And another method are anonymous road cars which follow you for a time and register an average speed with a calibrated speedo.


I know in Belgium static speed cameras use radio waves or induction loops. And if I'm not mistaken they also take 2 photos because Belgium legislation dictates the detected speed has to be verified. They lay a transparent grid on top of the photographs so they can verify the speed, in the same way it's done with those unreliable UK speed cameras in the article above.


(*) of course those speed cams have to be triggered when a speeding car passes. This can be done via many ways.

[Wutputt]

In some traffic lights those loops don't detect motorcycles, not enough metal. Then you just wait there until a car comes behind you or run a red light :D
I know that problem. I own a two-wheeled motordriven vehicle. And it's always a pain in the ass those damn lights won't turn green. You can wait for ages. Luckily the same loops won't always detect you speeding passed those speed camera's :)