steve McCulloch

Can someone explain what those strange circalur shaped front facing camera's are all about?

Saw quite a lot in the Northampton area the other day, and saw a burnt out one on the way to the M4 the other day from North London.

I thought it was illegal to take front facing pictures as this discrimates against the car driver in favour of the motorbiker.

Am I missing the point of these

I went down the A420? from Oxford to Swindon yesterday - I think this stretch of road has the most speed camera's per mile on a non-motorway section!!

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Do you mean the ones which have a small CCTV camera in between 2 circular bits? if so these are the new digital cameras that check the time it takes you to get from one camera to the other. If you've got there to quickely it knows you must have exceeded the speed limit and stores your picture and you get nicked.

I'm in Northampton and they are the only circular looking cameras I can think of?

Matt

steve McCulloch

No

I think you're talking about the specs digital camera's which are different - I dont think the ones in and around Northampton take your average speed between two points. saws one on the way to Oxford from Northants.. - these roads are full of camera's!

steve McCulloch

But surely they cant be front facing??

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

Northampton's riddled with speed cameras. Plus we are lucky enough to have 3 "safety" camera vans (which probably helped raise the £350,000 need for those new Specs cameras they've fitted from Riverside to Round Spinney).

The Specs cameras are forward facing so I presume bikers can ride past with their fingers up at the cameras doing 100mph. That is until they get to the round-a-bouts which have mysteriously had loose grit/sand spilt on them!

Matt

Lushman

Somebody told me, that the police can not take photos of you in your car due to a privacy act. That's why the camera takes a photo of the back of the car. Seeing these cameras are forward facing, I guess he's talking crap or does anyone knows otherwise.

I totally agree that these cameras are being bias to Motorcycles, it sucks unless you have a fast bike.

The Zohan

Hi there

I think Neanderthal is on the money, saw this type of camera up by Lumbertubs last week (the blue poles have bin up for ages).

IMHO they would be better buying some CCTV cameras and pointing them at the six or so gypo sites ringing Northampton at the moment and knick some proper criminals - ah yes, forget, no fixed abode so no chance of getting any money out of the gypos!


If you see any 'stealth tax' stickers on the new camera poles that'll be me then!
Paul

[This message has been edited by Paul Habgood (edited 25 September 2001).]

GEJL

I drove through Northampton for the first time in years last weekend, and was gobsmacked at the number and variety of cameras... I'd read about it all here and elsewhere but didn't realise quite how prevalent they are. First off, the "Countywide cameras" sign as you drive into Northamptonshire, then the "licence plate reading between two points" set-up on the A43, then the forward facing blue Gatso-like things, then normal Gatsos... Unbelievable.

Mind you, I don't speed around towns, so have nothing to be afraid of Unless the speedo on my Elise is duff.. Still, guess I'll be watching the post over the next few weeks.

Andy Winskill

On a slightly different question - does anyone know what the strange camera's are on the bridges between jn 19 - 17 on the M25 (both ways). They're not blue as the traffic master ones are still there. There are two cameras, one pointing almost straight down, the other pointing along the road. I can't imagine they're CCTV as there's loads of high cameras about.

Pete Croney

Essex was one of the pilot counties, for this new tax.

It was meant to be a 2 year trial.

At the end of year one, it was heralded as such a success in reducing road casulties that the pilot was ended in favour of a permanent scheme. Road casulties in Essex were reduced by 4.

This year... now 75% of the way through the year, 89 car drivers have died on Essex roads (82 for the whole of last year) and we have the highest motorcyclist fatality rate of any county in the UK. That's before the foggy mornings and cold, dark evenings of late Autumn have even started.

A major contribution to road safety, or a major contribution to Gordon Brown's back pocket?

ChrisB

Everything you wanted to know about Truvelo forward facing cameras and more...

steve McCulloch

Northants is infamous for camera's - I remember reading an article that said the number of speed tickets went up from something like 4000 in 1998 to 95000 and counting in 1999 when the Police were given the power to keep the revenue - what a fix!!

I is gonna be real careful in this area!

steve McCulloch

Now I'm annoyed!

Glad I dont have a front number plate at present - removed after fitting fmic!

This is discrimation and should be taken all the way to the European court - someting I wont hesitate doing if I get queried on not having a front number plate - how come motor bikers can get away with it!! - totally unfair

IWatkins

Steve,

Yes, very clever. In that case, you had better wear a helmet in your car, because motorbike riders have to.

Just because another road user doesn't have to do something doesn't mean you don't have to.

Would you also expect a horse to have a front and rear number plate fitted ? Actually, not a bad idea

By the way, get a front number plate fitted, it is the law you criminal.

Cheers

Ian

IWatkins

Double.

[This message has been edited by IWatkins (edited 25 September 2001).]

Ari Max

On the speed camera theme.Went to Rockingham speedway Northants the other weekend .Approaching the venue ie 150 yds from left turn in 1 x police safety camera van !!This is on a road with naff all on the l.h. side and an industrial site on the right no one working there as its a sunday , so a big contribution to safety there !
Then turning into Rockingham access road through the gates so we are now within the boundary of the speedway there was an L Reg Nissan parked on the left hand side of the road .Along side the nearside rear quarter there was a cool box , a spare wheel ,and a flask giving you the impression this guy had pulled over with a puncture .As we get up alongside this vehicle Bloody Hell its only an unmarked police car with a camera set up on the rear parcel shelf 2 Coppers sat inside and 50 YDS up the road 1 x WPC on foot and 1 x motorcycle copper waiting to nick you .This is just persecution of motorists in the name of revenue earning .Fortunately the traffic was stacked up on the entrance road when we arrived .Also can`t recall seeing a speed limit sign within the rockingham boundary ! Is this road council owned enabling the police to undertake this kind of TRAP ?

davyboy

I can assure all Northamptonshire speeders that the cameras at set to trigger at 10% + 3mph above the limit. (they told me this on my speeding workshop. Therfore:

if limit is 30 you can do upto 36
if limit is 40 you can do upto 47
if limit is 50 you can do upto 38
if limit is 60 you can do upto 69
if limit is 70 you can do upto 80

kav

Are you in the old bill?

Nimbus

Kav,

No, it's not the one opposite the Green Man. It's way before that (from the M1 Side). Maybe about 5 miles from the M1 a couple of hundred yards before a road filters in on the left. I didn't think the Truvelo's flashed (pointing at the front of the car). Are they not Infra Red?

I've not been down that road for a long time, so was caught a little unawares (no excuse, I know).

Nimbus

I went down the A43 yesterday from Northampton to the M40, you know, that dual carriage way bit between M1 and Towcester? Just spotted the blue Truvelo in time to pass it at about 75 indicated. Hopefully this should be enough to avoid my first ever ticket in 13 years of driving. They don't exaclty make these things obvious do they? What happed to the plans to paint them in a more vislable way so that you can see them in plenty of time and encouge you to reduce your speed? (and don't start on the "well you should not have been speeding" speech.

GEJL

Ari Max - that is weird! The reason why I was going through Northampton (see earlier post) is that I was on the way to Rockingham too. I didn't spot any of the vans you talk about, but most of the the last mile or so was a bit of a crawl, and I turned off the road into a field for my parking... Would be interesting to get a ticket for speeding in a field...

RichW

I was caught speeding for the first time in 14 years of driving (well in this country anyway) by those sensors in the road that trip a camera in an unmarked car. I was doing 37 in a 30 which is fair enough but I wonder if I had been stopped by a car then for a first offence, blah, blah, blah I would of probably got away with it. You haven't got a hope with these cameras even for those of us who have a momentary loss of concentration (well thats what I'm saying and I'm sticking to it!). The humiliation of it all is I wasn't driving my Scoob but a Pug 306 diesel!!

Ps. For some bizarre reason there is a forward facing camera on a bypass around Louth in Lincolnshire. Why? Only about three people live there.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

I heard that they only have to paint new onees a bright colour?

Might be wrong though.

Matt

Nimbus

Mmmm, yes I think you are right actually.

kav

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Nimbus:
<B>I went down the A43 yesterday from Northampton to the M40, you know, that dual carriage way bit between M1 and Towcester? Just spotted the blue Truvelo in time to pass it at about 75 indicated. Hopefully this should be enough to avoid my first ever ticket in 13 years of driving. They don't exaclty make these things obvious do they? What happed to the plans to paint them in a more vislable way so that you can see them in plenty of time and encouge you to reduce your speed? (and don't start on the "well you should not have been speeding" speech. [/quote]
You should be OK mate. I've been flashed, as has Mrs K and a friend of ours and no nasty letters through the post so far. If it was the one opposite what was The Green Man, there's a 40 limit there at the moment so they may have turned the wick down on it
Best of luck.
Cheers
Kav

wrx

I still don't get the front facing cameras. As bikes don't have front plates they overtake me through the specs and get away with it so why can't I? Why have one rule for one and one for another? I wonder what would happen if everyone in the country removed their front plates as a sign of protest.

Neanderthal

iTrader: (6)

All the car drivers would get a nice tresurary bloating fine. Just how 90% of the speed cameras locations are decided on..."how many deaths have there been on this road?"..."who give's a *&ck, everyone goes fast down this road, we're gonna catch loads!"

Matt (feeling more cynical than usual)

kav

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Nimbus:
<B>Kav,

No, it's not the one opposite the Green Man. It's way before that (from the M1 Side). Maybe about 5 miles from the M1 a couple of hundred yards before a road filters in on the left. I didn't think the Truvelo's flashed (pointing at the front of the car). Are they not Infra Red?

I've not been down that road for a long time, so was caught a little unawares (no excuse, I know). [/quote]

With you now - just by the Blisworth filter road. Interestingly, this camera used to be almost completely obscured by the roadsign in front of it and it was moved back because of the public outcry (alledgedly)

MrData

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>nimbus wrote:

I went down the A43 yesterday from Northampton to the M40, you know, that dual carriage way bit between M1 and Towcester? Just spotted the blue Truvelo in time to pass it at about 75 indicated. Hopefully this should be enough to avoid my first ever ticket in 13 years of driving. They don't exaclty make these things obvious do they? What happed to the plans to paint them in a more vislable way so that you can see them in plenty of time and encouge you to reduce your speed<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Missed the big "Think - Speed Camera" sign did you? Take another ride along there, you'll kick yourself.

Regards
Kurt

Nimbus

No actually, I did see that sign (from what I remember it was just a normal "Speed Cameras" sign, not a "Think" one (so was not thinking )). I did slow down somewhat and I was on the look out for the legendery "Safety Vans". Only clocked the camera at the last second. Not blaming anyone but myself. We shall see what happens...