Gatso Cameras

[jaba]

Lo peoples, Im having a terrific couple of weeks has to be said..first off car into hedge and now tonight I was snapped by a gatso camera. The camera is on a stretch of road I drive down every day to get to work so I know exactly where it is and have no reason to speed down this stretch of road. I am *positive* I was doing 30, in this 30 zone however the thing still flashed. I did notice however a large white van going rather fast in the opposite direction (the ide without the camera). I have been doing some research and it seems that Gatso cameras, operating on radar return the strongest signal which they receive, the van being larger than I and going faster should return a stronger signal or disrupt mine....heres to hoping I dont get done!
Anyone now anything more about these things, ive done some reading on them and im hoping nothing happens about it, just wondering if you lot have similar experiences? Also, do you lot agree with them? good saftey feature or gordon browns money making ho's?

 

[tris-]

well if you get a fine, you can always goto the ticket office and dispute it. they also show you the photo.

 

[Tom]

They can double check your speed by looking at the distance you have travelled over the white lines. Also bear in mind that most car speedometers are out by about 4mph. I can pass a 30mph camera with my speedo reading 38mph, and not get flashed Not that I do mind, I tend to drive around 31-32.

 

[Trem]

Theres shitloads of photos taken and not THAT many get fined, it has to be a clear cut thing. Also if the camera is facing you, you can see the lenses as you drive towards it, that doesn't record your speed if you set it off. They have put lines both sides of the road my way trying to fool you, it don't get you a ticket as long as you are driving AT the lenses and not the back of the Gatso.

Wankers tbh.

HOOORAY FOR MR BLAIR ONCE MORE!!

 

[jaba]

trem, sadly thats not true, gatso's are capable of recording speeds in either direction, it just depends on how the camera itself is configured, they can switch it to which way they want it to measure speeds with or without the lense pointing at you personally i think they are an absolute waste of time and only there to make the government money.

Tom, speedos are apparently manufactured to over read the speed of the vehicle to within some margin, but they cannot under read the speed, that said if I was doing thirty on my speedo my actual speed must have been less...still flashed though!

 

[Deadmanwalking]

They can double check your speed by looking at the distance you have travelled over the white lines. Also bear in mind that most car speedometers are out by about 4mph. I can pass a 30mph camera with my speedo reading 38mph, and not get flashed Not that I do mind, I tend to drive around 31-32.

And you know this how? If your speedometer is so badly screwed?

 

[GDW]

And you know this how? If your speedometer is so badly screwed?

I presume he knows this because at 38 mph the camera doesnt flash him as he passes it. Assuming it flashes each vehicle passing at a speed greater than 30mph, then Tom will have ascertained up to what speed he can get away with, probably at 1mph increments. Assuming this he may have passed it one day at 39mph when ....pooff.... suddenly it flashed at him

 

[Tom]

And you know this how? If your speedometer is so badly screwed?

I know this because I have a GPS satnav system in my car, and its reading of my speed is much more accurate than a cable wired to a sensor on my front wheel.

If people find this hard to believe, do a bit of research on the subject, you'll find that the regulations for the accuracy of speedometers in this county are quite generous.

 

[GDW]

.....or that too

 

[Tom]

trem, sadly thats not true, gatso's are capable of recording speeds in either direction, it just depends on how the camera itself is configured, they can switch it to which way they want it to measure speeds with or without the lense pointing at you personally i think they are an absolute waste of time and only there to make the government money.

I don't think they'd allow forward facing Gatso's in this country, unless the flash unit was disabled? Have a look at this site, its quite interesting:

http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/

 

[Deadmanwalking]

I know this because I have a GPS satnav system in my car, and its reading of my speed is much more accurate than a cable wired to a sensor on my front wheel.

If people find this hard to believe, do a bit of research on the subject, you'll find that the regulations for the accuracy of speedometers in this county are quite generous.

Erm, what make/model GPS system?

 

[Xavier]

And you know this how? If your speedometer is so badly screwed?

No, it's common knowledge, and the reason that even now the police can concede up to 10% on speed limits, depending on the age of vehicle.

Xav

 

[Deadmanwalking]

No, it's common knowledge, and the reason that even now the police can concede up to 10% on speed limits, depending on the age of vehicle.

Xav

I was on about how he knew he was doing 31-32.....

 

[Tom]

Erm, what make/model GPS system?

Why would that matter?

 

[Tom]

I was on about how he knew he was doing 31-32.....

Believe it or not, my friend has a Mitsibushi, and his speedo is absolutely spot on at all speeds. I know this because I took my GPS from my car, and installed it in his, just to see.

GPS says 30mph. Mitsu says 30mph. Audi says 34mph.

Car manufacturers don't adjust the speedo setup like they should when different wheel sizes are used (AFAIK)

 

[GekuL]

Also, do you lot agree with them? good saftey feature or gordon browns money making ho's?

If the cameras are working properly then the only people losing money are those going faster than they should be (breaking the law in other words), something those against them conveniently forget.

 

[Yaka]

ive got nowt aghainst having the things out side schools, parks and town/city centers but having them on dual carriage ways is a total bitch

 

[Tom]

If the cameras are working properly then the only people losing money are those going faster than they should be (breaking the law in other words), something those against them conveniently forget.

The stated aim for installing speed cameras is to reduce the number of accidents on our roads. Its strange we have the same number of deaths on our roads now as we did 10 years ago, when cameras were only just starting to appear?

Its a money making scheme, pure and simple. The government should use more mobile cameras, and alert drivers on the local news/radio as to their rough whereabouts. Similar schemes operate in Germany with great success.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

Funny this should be mentioned. Have the radio on and some bird phoned in saying she was working for national safety cameras company thingy.

Tells you rough idea where cameras are.

http://www.nationalsafetycameras.co.uk/

 

[Tom]

heh they don't show Greater Manchester, probably because they're the only police force that still prosecute drivers for doing 85mph on empty motorways. The tarts.

Shame really, because I live about 200 yards from the border with Cheshire. Anyway, its a useful site, cheers.

 

[Xavier]

Plenty of GPS plugins out there to tell you where the cameras are.

As to Toms comment about GPS, while position is scrambled, speed can't be - if you think about it .

Xav

 

[Deadmanwalking]

heh they don't show Greater Manchester, probably because they're the only police force that still prosecute drivers for doing 85mph on empty motorways. The tarts.

Shame really, because I live about 200 yards from the border with Cheshire. Anyway, its a useful site, cheers.

Aye, pity the woman also mentioned that it is funded by revenue from speed cameras

 

[xane]

The stated aim for installing speed cameras is to reduce the number of accidents on our roads. Its strange we have the same number of deaths on our roads now as we did 10 years ago, when cameras were only just starting to appear?

And the number of cars and the mileage of journeys has remained the same since 10 years ago ?

I can often see the problems people have with speed cameras in "silly" places, people always look at the immediate surroundings, unaware that often you have to slow traffic down way before a potential blackspot, so the cameras are not necessarily positioned where the accidents occur.

Also some dual carriageways run through built up areas, so speed controls are normally to keep the noise down.

 

[GekuL]

I really don't see what the problem is. Like I said, only people losing money are those driving faster than they should be. The stated aim is really irrelevant - if you're caught, you're going faster than you should be. I don't see why they should have to tell people where they are either - why not just drive within the limit all the time? People get so upset when the police actually get good at something

 

[Xavier]

The point is, that if they just result in fines, rather than a lowering in the average speed, or speeds at which 'danger groups' drive, then the cameras amount to nothing more than a stealth tax, rather than traffic calming.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

The point is, that if they just result in fines, rather than a lowering in the average speed, or speeds at which 'danger groups' drive, then the cameras amount to nothing more than a stealth tax, rather than traffic calming.

But it pays for the NHS!!

*runs*

 

[GekuL]

The point is, that if they just result in fines, rather than a lowering in the average speed, or speeds at which 'danger groups' drive, then the cameras amount to nothing more than a stealth tax, rather than traffic calming.

Just removing the cameras wouldn't help them implement more traffic calming though. Infact, the money they get from the cameras would be beneficial to such a scheme. To be honest though, the message I have been getting from those against the speed cameras isn't: "I wish they'd increase the traffic calming down this road in addition to the speed cameras".
It's not really a stealth tax either, because people know the speed limits.

 

[Gengi]

As to Toms comment about GPS, while position is scrambled, speed can't be - if you think about it .

Xav

The GPS system no longer has the scrambling system in it, the Americain Government removed Selective Availability in 2001, IIRC, Regular GPS recievers should, with a constellation of better than 4 visible satellites, have an accuracy within 10 or 15 metres. Looking at our systems here, the uncorrected GPS is out by about 3 m over our all singing all dancing Dual Frequency Differential GPS systems.


later

 

[Bullitt]

When I first read the title of this thread I thought it said Goatse cameras

AND YET I STILL CLICKED IT!

 

[Trem]

trem, sadly thats not true, gatso's are capable of recording speeds in either direction....

I am quite sure the law states(and quite rightly) that they can't flash you as you drive at them facing you, because of being blinded. I don't suppose Mr Blair really cares about that though so I wouldn't be surprised.