Minor Victory

[Graham]

Here in the UK we, the motorists, have an ever increasing problem with Police speed cameras (gatsos), these are fixed roadside units triggered by passing cars, they produce two photos with a fixed interval, allowing the speed to be measured with reference to lines painted on the road.
All villages in Suffolk (my county) have a 30mph limit, much to the annoyance of drivers and, surprisingly, many villagers. Most roads have small roadsigns showing a symbol of a camera, indicating (wrongly usually) that there are cameras in operation, cameras are often sited behind bridge supports and trees, and they are painted grey so they blend in to their surroundings.

This week the government produced guidelines (mandatory) for the placement of these cameras,

1. they must be painted in conspicuous colours (bright yellow)
2. They must be visible to the traffic from at least 60m.
3. They can only be placed where the road can be proven to be an "accident blackspot"
4. Waning signs must be within 1Km of the camera.

Only a small victory but a victory none the less.

G

[jman01pa]

Nice victory. The cameras should be a deterrent not a speed trap.

J

I don't understand. Why would it be a "trap" if you're speeding?

Just because the sign says 30k doesn't mean you have to do 30k. Why not do 25k, is that extra 5k gonna get you there any quicker? What, 5 secs.

[caddmannq]

Speed "traps" are illegal here, but have a specific definition, which is (more or less) mathameticaly calculating speed by measuring the time of a vehicle over a marked distance.

Evidently cops with radar guns hiding behind signs do not constitute a legal speed trap, even though radar does exactly that: albeit the distance involved be very small (that is the dopeler shift between waves.)

For, you see: the definition of a speed trap indicates that the distance must be "marked".

[caddmannq]

Also, we don't have "speed trap" cameras here, but we do have "red light runner" cameras at some major intersections. These have stirred a lot of controversy (but that's the subject for a new post!)

[Graham]

Evil,
The rules and regs. have to be sensible for people to want to obey them, the 30 mph limit has been set for many years and may no longer be appropriate or needed.

This can be extended to "speed bumps", if the speed limit on a road is 30, and there are speed bumps, you travel at less than 30 and a speed bump takes out your exhaust, is it your fault for not going 20 or 15?


G

[Graham]

Cadd,
We too have manual speed traps, and they are legal (all "guns" are calibrated)
The doppler shift on the radar or even ultrasonic devices is (can be ) extremely accurate, but there are many instaces of false readings.
Also some juctions here too have cameras to cath the light jumpers.

jman01pa
Yes that is the current thinking of the government. I remember many years ago in Germany, the police would put up a cardboard cut-out of a cop wagging his finger, the locals knew there was a trap ahead but visitors would get caught.

G

[Graham]

Another aspect that is gaulling, is the fact that these "blackspots" are often the fault of bad road design or maintenance, so rater than fix it, they put up cameras amnd make money out of theproblem.

G

[jman01pa]

Originally posted by EvilRick
I don't understand. Why would it be a "trap" if you're speeding?

Just because the sign says 30k doesn't mean you have to do 30k. Why not do 25k, is that extra 5k gonna get you there any quicker? What, 5 secs.

I do not believe that a cop or camera should "hide" to catch you speeding. They should be out in the open to to act as a deterrent.

I understand that the fear of knowing there could be a cop hiding behind something could slow some people down but not most. Obvious and visible is the best deterrent.


J

[Gomer]

Jman:
If we are just worried about "detering" speeders... Why not just suspend ones license for speeding? I think that that'd be a good deterent.

If you have one officer per every 50 miles of interstate, and put them out in the open, people would drive hell bent for leather for all but the half mile where they can see the officer. It doesn't make sense.

I drive many interstate miles, and typically 10-15 mph over the limit (80-85). I use a CB radio and extreme awareness to avoid being pulled over. No radar detector required. Now if the officers didn't hide, but were just there... and I knew that that was the procedure, I would be driving 20 mph over most of the time.