speed cameras

[hawaiiankine]

Oh yeah, almost forgot one more thing. In Oregon, the police were required to place a "highly visible, readable sign" about 50 meters ahead of where their camera van was located. They also had to have the parking lights turned on all the time. I think it was raised as a safety issue (although you know its to give the citizens a break), that ALL police that were setting speed traps had to have their parking lights on, as it would be the city/county/state's fault if for some reason their hiding a camera van or traffic cop resulted in an accident. I agree 100%.

I think here in Hawai'i, they didn't have to have their parking lights on, which some people were pushing for. I think a few people took advantage of the fact that they could say, "hey...I was going the speed limit when I took the turn, your van was un-marked and difficult to see, sorry if I scared him" as they 'buzzed the tower' so to speak.

~Joel

[26ounce]

Well at least they were reasonable about having the cameras visible hawaiiankine.

As halz was saying, here in Western Australia they hide the speed cameras. Usually in a place where the natural speed is a lot higher than the actual posted speed limit.

If thats not bad enough you can now get booked for 5km/h over the limit. They forced this on us while knowing that most car speedometers are only accurate to approximately 10%.

They then send you a fine thru the mail (you can pay over the phone by visa now - how convenient!). If you want to see the actual photo you have to pre-arrange to go into a cop shop and see it.

Still it gets worse - they then had the brain wave that they were driving their most profitable drivers off the road thru demerit points, once you get 12 demerits you are off the road for 3 months or so. So they doubled the fines and halved the demerit penalty for speeding offenses, thus increasing revenue.

In terms of driver attitude and law enforcement the damn things are absolutely meaningless. Everyone I know considers it to be "bad luck" to get caught by a speed camera.

[260z]

We have also speedcameras here in Finland. Usually these cameras are in some sequence of road. It can be for example some 50 km long sequence of road. There they have 10 or so camera posts in both directions. Normally there is only one camera that police moves from post to post. There are also signs to say that camera surveillance starts from here on. But they dont have to tell when it stops. Offcourse you know where this ends because the posts arent going to move.

[Leeroy]

26ounce, you're right...and in case anyone ever bitches about speed cameras, don't even think of living in Australia! The cameras in Victoria now get you for doing 3km/h(!!) over the speed limit even though the ADR's (australian design rules) state that all speedos can be within 10% tolerance...contradiction itself! Not only that, but when the victorian government was deciding what to do with the money designated for 'black spots', they decided that putting the $25 million (!!!!) into speed cameras would be a better idea to help stop fatalities and accidents! If that isn't the stupidest thing I have ever heard!!! And (surprisingly...) the number of accidents and fatalities has not decreased according, or even at all, due to the speed cameras placed in our roads. The pigs now have unmarked vehicles of all makes and models (and ages) on the roads with speed cameras setup on the front bumper (about 40cm long, 25cm tall and a couple of cms thick), so all they have to do is park somewhere, eat donuts for a few hours and get some fines...no-one even knows that they're there..pisses me off...and it must be dangerous because everyone has to constantly keep an eye on their speedo!!...sorry bout the long message...

[hawaiiankine]

Alohas,

That's horrible Leeroy. You think the policy makers would pull their heads out of their...well you know...and pay attention.

Here in the States, the way I follow what is being said about these contraptions, they are a breach of privacy and put the burden of proof on the accused (which is illegal in any prosecution case). I honestly think if people made a bigger complaint about the issue and organized to present a real

threat to the political survival of the policy makers, then a lot of these things would be taken off the road.

There are far safer means to control traffic speeds and red light runners, AND provide employment for humans instead of expensive cameras.

Then again...when a gov't sees $$...that's all they see.

~Joel

[Datzun76]

Read a story in the paper a few months ago about this. A man in California received one of these notifications in the mail with a picture of his car exceeding the speed limit.

He takes a picture of Money on his table and sends it to them in an envelope.

A few days later he gets a reply and finds a picture of handcuffs in the returned envelope.

We do not have these cameras in Florida yet but I am sure it is only a matter of time. Will have to find me one of those clear tags that hides your plate#.

:classic:

[Mike]

The pigs now have unmarked vehicles of all makes and models (and ages) on the roads with speed cameras setup on the front bumper (about 40cm long, 25cm tall and a couple of cms thick), so all they have to do is park somewhere, eat donuts for a few hours and get some fines...no-one even knows that they're there..pisses me off...

Want to know something that will wizz you off even more? The guys sitting in the cars. They aren't cops. They are RENT-A-COPs. They are contract employees hired to set up the cameras and watch the money roll in.

They probably have some kind of .WAV audio file that sounds like a cash register bell going off every time the camera catches somebody. CHA-CHING! CHA-CHING!

Cameras are $80,000AUD. The unit sitting outside the car is a flash box. And, the camera itself sits inside the car.

I'd like to find some way of making an electronic device that blows the circuits out of those cameras as you drive by. Or, hell.. you can even buy transparent paint that reflects the flash back at the car... (put on your license plate frame).

I've got a friend in Vic who's a cop. But, he's a real cop.. not a traffic dog.

[Arizona240z]

We have both here in Arizona, not too many speed cams though. But the red light cameras are going up like crazy. Both my wife and I got nailed by them 2 weeks apart. I don't mind paying a fine when I'm caught speeding or running a red light, my problem is that the tickets are not only outragous ($160 each) but OVER half the money goes to a private company that "maintains" the cameras.

I've been told that they reduce the yellow light time on lights with the cameras. I guess I need to take the video camera out and time it.

Come to think of it, If they aren't using the manpower to right the tickets, shouldn't the fines be cheaper.

D

[Mike]

I think we need to start a group that is against speed cameras. A little black spraypaint and they have to send someone out to take care of it. Hell, a big enough pipe wrench and that sucker takes a fall. In Aus, just start a group that runs around taking the flash module that sits outside the car. Easy. All you have to do is trap some fat doughnut cop in the car. Or, hell.. wait for him to fall asleep.