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Speed Cameras - who is the expert?

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    Speed Cameras - who is the expert?

    Does anyone here know whether or not speed cameras are clever enough to be able to pick out your front number plate at night if you are driving towards them with your headlights on, or are they generally sited to catch you as you drive away from them?

    #2
    Three basic sorts of fixed cameras and all can catch you at night.

    Gatso are the oldest type and take you from the rear - they're the ones with the long distance markings beyond the camera. These rely on radar.

    Truvelo take a front picture and have no radar - they work on inductive loop of some sort in the road - just a couple of thin white lines going across before you reach the camera.

    Specs are average speed cameras so always come in pairs (or more). They have IR illuminators - not sure how they detect but probabaly IR motion sensor.

    You get no flash from Specs - just a ticket in the post - the others flash. Certainly some older Gatso had real film which could run out but in general if you saw the flash expect a ticket.

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      #3
      Depends on what type.

      Gatso (grey or yellow) cameras aren't allowed to catch you from the front, as the flash can distract you. If a picture has been taken of you driving towards the camera it can't be used as evidence.

      Truvelo ones (the blue ones) can't operate at night, as there is no flash. However, they are designed to capture the vehicle from the front.

      There is a new camera now available, the Monitron. It looks more like a red light camera, and is mounted on a high pole. It's got a digital camera on board, and I believe the image is transmitted wirelessly. It apparently works in the same way as a Gatso (it can only photograph you from the back), but not too sure about this. There are very few of these about, however Somerset have one on the A303 between Taunton and Chard. So watch out for this one if you are ever travelling through the Blackdown Hills.

      If it's a mobile camera, the quality of the film is normally good enough for the operator to pick out number plate details. However, the operator has to suspect you are speeding first, before he targets you with the laser and then triggering the camera when the speed is confirmed. This can take a few seconds so generally you've got enough time to drop anchor - unless you are doing about 120.

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        #4
        > Truvelo ones (the blue ones) can't operate at night, as there is no flash

        Yes there is. They might turn it off at night I guess but they certainly flash - a bloke overtaking me past one got a flash which I saw.

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          #5
          I once thought of having a really powerful IR source behind the number plate, this would overload the CCD in the speed camera.

          You could arrange the IR LEDs to spell out "Feck Off" or some other derivative. Invisible to the Human Eye, but wonderful for electronic speed cameras.

          Spod.

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            #6
            Ok, might be wrong about Truvelo flash. As they don't use them in Somerset, I've never seen one.

            However I was led to believe that anything that flashes in the drivers eyes would count as a distraction and was therefore discouraged.

            The Gatso that was originally installed on the A303 Ilminster Bypass in Somerset was definately a distraction at night when driving in the opposite direction. It's certainly given me a shock a couple of times - it lights the sky up.

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              #7
              Truvelo ones (the blue ones) can't operate at night, as there is no flash. However, they are designed to capture the vehicle from the front.
              Could you please tell that to those nice people in the Northamptonshire Constabulary, and ask them to rescind the ticket I received for doing 70 in a 60 and half past fecking eleven at night on an empty road? Fiddle will know the one I'm on about, on the A508 just south of M1 J15. It was my own stupid fault as I'd been past it about a million times previously, but I still can't see how my speed could be construed as dangerous. Feckers...

              <edit> seems I type too slowly. Must not proof read, must not proof read...

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                #8
                Twas one of the large yellow ones and I was driving towards it at night when it flashed (On the A35 coming out of the village of Chideock in Dorset for those who might know the area). Fingers crossed then as it sounds like an old Gatso type)

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                  #9
                  Got flashed by a forward facing one on an Autobahn in Germany,

                  Really quite warm that IR, I was dozing slightly and it quite tickled me.

                  Don't know if it could read the numberplate as the car was new and had the tradeplate laying in the window or footwell.

                  That didn't help at all did it? :lol

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                    #10
                    I know the one you are on about. I tend to avoid the A35, there's so many mobile plod camera hiding places along that road, especially in the Bridport area.

                    If you were driving towards it, I understand they can't count it as an offence. Was there anyone going in the opposite direction at the time?

                    Your best bet would be to ask on the Safespeed or Pepipoo forums, both of which specifically deal with speed cameras.

                    A good investment would also be a Road Angel or something similar. Most of the time I drive on autopilot, and it's helps to wake me to slow me down.

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