Help!!

I think I was caught on Saturday by one of these things but not sure as I read that they operate by driving over pressure strips in the road.

Does anyone know how far infront of the camera these strips are placed? The camera was in a 70 limit.

Cheers.

 

Not very far, a couple of feet tops, if that

 

Thought they would have been further away from the camera on higher speed roads though!

 

Just go back and have a look at the road - The strips you talk about will be inductive loops and are cut into the road - usually a rectangle - They are then filled with black stuff and stand out - They are all over the roads.

There will be two in front of a truvelo as single loops can not accurately provide speed data. The time taken to pass between the loops will indicate your speed and should you pass a threshold (10% of the speed limit + 2mph i.e. 35mph in a 30 zone), then it will take a photo with an infra red flash (i.e. you cant see it).

Dont forget that your speedo will be out - For me to travel at 35mph in my scooby I need to be going about 38 according to the speedo.

 

Oh yes - Inductive loops are not pressure devices. They messure the change in inductance caused by a metal object as the leading edge passes over it.

 

does anyone know if there has been a change to the gatso camera of late - I had thought they only operated in the direction they faced - I had been through them on the other side of the road to the camera over the limit and it has never blinked - however lately they have gone off twice when I have been going past on the opposite side of the road ?? what's going on ?

 

no, they dont. ones that flassh the wrong side of road need adjusting

 

Gatso's are capable of catching you speeding in both directions. Not entirely sure but I think they use Doppler radar which means that they can ignore traffic travelling in a certain direction - They are usually set to trigger when you are travelling away from them. I think I read somewhere that they have been increasingly used to flash at drivers travelling towards them. I would keep within speed limits when travelling in either direction really in their presence to be honest.

Mini Gatso's do both directions and they dont seem to have a problem flashing you in your face as much as it may temporary blind you and cause an accident - One come out near me and flashes you travelling towards it as you approach the brow of a hill with a slight left hander just over - I think that this is shocking especially as the police will blaim you for speeding if you crash.

 

if thats right then someone should tell Trackstar because there GPS camera detector does NOT beep when you go towards a gatso thats facing you.....

 

GATSOs do not get you forward facing!

 

thats what I thought - but they never used to flash at you if you went towards them over the limit, now they do!??

 

Would still be cautious - The Snooper can be set up to tell you if they are on either side of the road.

I dont think they prosecute at the moment but whos to say they wont just switch them on one day. I am pretty sure they will not be able to do both sides of a dual carriageway however as the detection field of vision is only wide enough to cover two of the lanes on either side.

 

Truvello camera's do take a forward facing photo as my wife can confirm though....

 

Rubbish. Would have lost my licence a zillion times already if that was the case.

 

a Trevello isn't a GATSO though is it?

 

Truvelos do take forward facing pictures - Gatso's rear. Dont confuse the two truvelos are blue and gatsos are usually yellow.

Truvelos also only flash infra red and take shots using an infra red camera so it is invisible to us - Means that they are not blinded by headlights.

 

Was in reply to your post (no12).

 

Not invisible to all.

Trust me

 

Condolences Bob, and I'll take your word for it!

Those things scare me...is it just me, or do they look more sinister than Gatsos!?!

*Pats RA2*- what would I do without you! Even though, believe it or not, I drive my Scooby like a granny for the most part...nice to know the RA is there though!

 

I have been flashed twice heading towards Gatso cameras just outside of Jedburgh. When I stopped for petrol, I asked the attendant if he knew anything about it and he said that they do record the incident but because of a loophole in the law they can't prosecute using pictures that have the faces of the drivers, something to do with EU regulations...

I do have to say, that is the only time Ive ever been flashed heading towards a camera.

Jeff

 

Stange this has come up, i for many years, was confident that these cameras could not detect speed from the oncoming direction (GATSO) cameras that is.

But in the space of two weeks i have been flashed a couple of time in the face, and have seen many other drivers recieve the same.

Seems strange for this to have happened in two different areas at the same time. Is anybody absolutly sure no new laws have been passed allowing this??

Or maybe they are testing the cameras out for when a new law is passed......

 

You can see the IR flash from a Truvelo.

I've only been flashed from the front of a Gatso in Scotland BUT it was only a single flash so could not be used for speed calculation.

 

Truvelos take front shots and prosecute no probs. So too do $camera vans

 

These questions keep popping up. To set the record straight.

1) Gatso and Trevelo are two types of fixed camera's, both mounted on a pole by the roadside and using similar principles. The main difference is Gatso uses radar and Trevelo inductive loops. They are made by different suppliers

2) Gatso can determine whether the car is coming towards it or away from and if it is a lorry or a car (different speed limits). In the UK, its type approval means it can only be used to prosecute from behind. However, a number of SCP use it forward facing to provide a deterent effect.

3) Trevelo has a flash with a magenta (or sometime yellow) filter. The flash is visable and they flash towards you. You speed is measured prior to the three white lines on the road, a photo is taken the moment you cross the three white lines. Distances and timings are precise and provide the secondary evidence hence only one photo. Gatso's take two photo's

4) Gatso, can be be mounted on swivel poles to face in either direction (typically on dual carriageways)

5) The latest Truevelo will measure speed as above but will also take a rearward photo as you pass. They can normally be spotted by the gatso like markings after the camera

 

Further to what stuartjw has said: the infa red flash from a Truvello camera is visible; if it 'got' you then youd have seen the pink flash, even in daylight. With regard to GATSOs and forward facing violations; they can detect them; but they certainly werent approved by the Home Office for use in this manner: of course, this doesnt stop enterprising vamera partnerships from enabling the feature.

Simon

 

info here: http://www.radar-detectors.co.uk/tru...eed_camera.asp

 

"However, a number of SCP use it forward facing to provide a deterent effect."

lol ...the only thing it deterred me from doing ...was going 'slowly' enough to be caught by the second flash! ...A52 n'r Calton

 

DONT FORGET


sneaky b*stards out there......

by brands hatch circuit they have a truvelo with the GATSO road markings behind it, i.e. you zoom towards it noing to hit the brakes but its too late.

also by brands hatch there is a truvelo on the OTHER side of the road, it still gets YOU

Another trick ive seen (along hastings seafront although they dont do it anymore) is that they place the camera front on BOTH sides of the camera (although only one camera internally due to space) but it makes you think that the camera is getting the opposite traffic and you speed through (because a GATSO cannot get you going forward) and ofcause the camera gets you the other side



All nasty tricks

 

Nastiest one i saw was before they where all painted yellow, camera was posisioned as if it was a traffic light camera. So if the lights are green you would naturally ignore it.

Was following a car (which happened to be the father of my then g/f), which happened to please me greatly. As he went through the junction at 42 MPH FLASH FLASH. Three points and fine.

GATSO in disguise

Still makes me smile to this day.



He wasnt a very nice man.