Speed cameras

[hsvboy06]

This is not another "how to get out of paying" thread...
I was riding home last night and someone coming the other way flashed their headlights and sure enough there was a blue van parked on the side of the road up ahead. No problem, I thought, I wasn't going too fast (105 tops). But just as I was going past I was overtaken by a car which I'm guessing was speeding as it was going significantly faster than me. Flash. More than likely I was in the photo as well.

It made me wonder:

* If there are two vehicles in a speed camera photo, how do they know which one was speeding?

* Is it possible for them to identify a motorcyclist from a head on photo, given there is no plate on the front?

* Why don't motorcycles have plates on the front? They used to (facing sideways on the front guard). On Top Gear a while ago they said it was because they ended up injuring people who went over the bars - is this really the reason?

[Squeak the Rat]

* Is it possible for them to identify a motorcyclist from a head on photo, given there is no plate on the front?


If there is a dude in the van he can write your licence # down. But usually they are asleep in the back or something.

I can't remember the answer to the other ones. Something about bike magazine.

[Ixion]

In theory the pictures are examined and if there is more than one vehicle in the picture no charge is laid

They can only identify a bike if the human operator realises and manually writes down the rego
'
Front number plates were dropped because of the (hypothetical) danger to pedestrians, and they did not comply with design rules about dangerous protrusions . The PTB in Oz made a major effort to reintroduce them in the lsast few years , but have now given up, because they could not find a single mounting point that would be possible on all bikes without the (theoretical) possibility of destabilising handling (and subsequent law suits), or breaching said protusion rules. It was beyond the capability of the bureacratic mind to envisage different mounting points for different bike styles. Thank goodness.

[RC1]

* Why don't motorcycles have plates on the front? They used to (facing sideways on the front guard). On Top Gear a while ago they said it was because they ended up injuring people who went over the bars - is this really the reason?

i believe this to be true, but not entirely sure

[Twig]

Interesting point there. Let us know how you get on and if anything turns up in the post.

[frogfeaturesFZR]

You'd have to come off slowly in order to land on the front guard. I believe pedestrians were hurt when bikes ran into then in the UK.

[Bend-it]

Cool! If we start reversing into pedestrians, then maybe they'll let us take the back plates off as well! :p

[carver]

This is not another "how to get out of paying" thread...
I was riding home last night and someone coming the other way flashed their headlights and sure enough there was a blue van parked on the side of the road up ahead. No problem, I thought, I wasn't going too fast (105 tops). But just as I was going past I was overtaken by a car which I'm guessing was speeding as it was going significantly faster than me. Flash. More than likely I was in the photo as well.

It made me wonder:

* If there are two vehicles in a speed camera photo, how do they know which one was speeding?

* Is it possible for them to identify a motorcyclist from a head on photo, given there is no plate on the front?

* Why don't motorcycles have plates on the front? They used to (facing sideways on the front guard). On Top Gear a while ago they said it was because they ended up injuring people who went over the bars - is this really the reason?


you wont be prosecuted if there are more than 2 vehicles in the photo.
if they are keen they will take your photo to the local bike shops and ask them if they know you from your bike and gear (thats what they do in the mount anyway!)
plates on the front effect stablilty

[hsvboy06]

I have to say that I'd be pretty stunned if I got a letter in the post about this - unless my speedo is way out. Surely the cage must have been the target - there is no question it was going faster. Anway...
My reason for posting was more that
a) bikes not having plates on the front must be a constant bug-bear for speed camera operators; and
b) if they can't prosecute when there is more than one vehicle in the photo, that also must be frustrating as I imagine it happens a lot.

[Swoop]

There was a very good photo on Fair Go some years back. A person had been photographed speeding and at the instant the photo was taken, a bird flew past and obscured the plate!
Mother Nature HAS a sense of humour!

[-df-]

There was a very good photo on Fair Go some years back. A person had been photographed speeding and at the instant the photo was taken, a bird flew past and obscured the plate!
Mother Nature HAS a sense of humour!

I had something like that happen to me, was going along at a nice pase years ago in my MR2, it was a double lane up a hill (upper harbour drive after the bridge, almost always a camera there) and wasn't thinking and all of a sudden saw the station wagon with the camera, but no time to slow down...just so happened I passed another car just at that time and iy fully blocked the cameras view of me and speed straight past without it flashing (was 50+km over the limit). I was soooo happy at that point beign a poor student!! :Punk: :rockon:

[Fub@r]

On a mobile camera if there are two vehicles in the picture, even if it is obvious which vehicle was speeding they can't issue a ticket. If its you on a bike just hope the dude has bad eyesight or asleep. A mate of mine reckoned there was a lso a forward mounted camera in the vans is this right?

If you get snapped on a fixed camera position you will get a ticket as each lane has a sensor in it and the photo along the bottom will specify the lane and speed.

[Ixion]

But but but - a bike might be overtaking a car IN THE SAME LANE (quite legally). Or, more possibly, another bike.

So, if two bikes ride in the same lane both are safe from the fixed speed camera, at any speed.

[What?]

b) if they can't prosecute when there is more than one vehicle in the photo, that also must be frustrating as I imagine it happens a lot.

Not much an issue with the newer cameras - very fast cycle time.


A mate of mine reckoned there was a lso a forward mounted camera in the vans is this right?.

No.

[rok-the-boat]

Do you have GPS in NZ? In Korea there is a company that goes out and zaps the location of every fixed speed camera in the country. 99% are fixed. You can download updates every month. Also, in Korea, and in the UK, they have a speed camera warning sign before every speed camera but I have never seen one in NZ. What gives? Are mobile cameras the norm?

And what radar detectors do you have here? What do you recommend?

[Steam]

Do you have GPS in NZ?

Yes we do. You see, GPS signals are sent out by "Satellites", which are these metal things flying around in "space". They fly above mostly everywere in the world, as most of the world has "space" above it and therefore also "satellites".

[Fub@r]

Was watching Top Gear the other week and they were showing a new road map that the AA had just released............

yes it included all the latest roads, but it also included every single fixed speed camera location in the country. Of course all the do gooders wanted it banned

[Fub@r]

Yes we do. You see, GPS signals are sent out by "Satellites", which are these metal things flying around in "space". They fly above mostly everywere in the world, as most of the world has "space" above it and therefore also "satellites".


You should try explaining that to Fijian customs.

Once I explained the boxes contained a GPS set, I then had to explain what GPS was. They then tried to tell me I needed a permit to recieve radio signals. So I asked them how many satelites Fiji had launched recently. After an hour it cost me 2.5k "non refundable bond" to get them to let me go through

[hsvboy06]

Also, in Korea, and in the UK, they have a speed camera warning sign before every speed camera but I have never seen one in NZ.
Not wanting to encourage off topic discussions, but...
I thought that in NZ there had to be a sign before even mobile cameras, although only as a "speed camera zone", not stating that it's in 300m or something. The problem is that nearly every road in NZ is a speed camera zone, and the vast majority don't have a camera, so more than likely everyone just ignores them.
Having said that, I can't actually remember seeing one recently, which perhaps proves my previous point, or did they get taken away?

[Steam]

Having said that, I can't actually remember seeing one recently, which perhaps proves my previous point, or did they get taken away?

Hey, it's the guy who just stumbled out of the bomb shelter! Hi!
Yep, the signs all got taken down years ago.

[Steam]

You should try explaining that to Fijian customs.

Once I explained the boxes contained a GPS set, I then had to explain what GPS was. They then tried to tell me I needed a permit to recieve radio signals. So I asked them how many satelites Fiji had launched recently. After an hour it cost me 2.5k "non refundable bond" to get them to let me go through

Geez, that's like some of the things I hear about Fiji from my islander mates at work, they talk a lot about how crap things are there, and how much incompetence and outright stupidity there is in their government, to say nothing of corruption! Maybe they need a good coup after all.

[Toaster]

The camera indicates which lane on a multi-lane road the target vehicle is in. They can and do prosecute on this basis. It is no different to using the laser to target one vehicle amonst many and does stand up in court.

[Toaster]

...hope that helps. And for bikers heading towards a van that is facing awqay from you with the camera pointing at you... yes the operator can write down your plate rego as you pass and that will also stand up in court.

[Swoop]

And what radar detectors do you have here?
The search button is your friend...

... yes the operator can write down your plate rego as you pass and that will also stand up in court.
Do the operators have x-ray vision to see through my spidi boot???

[sunhuntin]

Was watching Top Gear the other week and they were showing a new road map that the AA had just released............

yes it included all the latest roads, but it also included every single fixed speed camera location in the country. Of course all the do gooders wanted it banned

that sounds interesting. and i havent seen any of the zone signs for years...black spots they called them i think.

[Toaster]

The search button is your friend...

Do the operators have x-ray vision to see through my spidi boot???

hehe... I'd probably fall off trying that move!

[Swoop]

hehe... I'd probably fall off trying that move!

Trust me, it works!
Mr Spidi, of no fixed abode, has a ticket coming to him/her....

[Toaster]

sweeeeeeeeet

[tl_tub]

The camera indicates which lane on a multi-lane road the target vehicle is in. They can and do prosecute on this basis. It is no different to using the laser to target one vehicle amonst many and does stand up in court.

It only indicates what lane the vehicle is in if it is a fixed speed camera, as these operate off road sensors. Mobile speed cameras use radar technology, so can only tell if the vehicle is approaching or leaving

[Toaster]

thanks for that clarification.

[Hillbilly]

Hey, it's the guy who just stumbled out of the bomb shelter! Hi!
Yep, the signs all got taken down years ago.

Not over here! There are the very large white signes with blue checkers on the top and bottom. The signs reads, "Speed Cameras Used in NSW" and "Speed Camera Ahead" then "Speed Camera 24 Hrs - Heavy Fines and Loss of Licence". There's be a ton of speed zone signs as well, such as 80km/hr or 110km/hr.

Then, voila! A grey box on a pole, generally around a blind corner, and followed shortly thereafter by a another blind corner. At night, the speed cameras sit under a bright white light, so you can't miss them!

Aren't Aussies wonderful! Of course, once past the cameras, it's back to an average 140 km/hr in a 110 km/hr freeway. That's just the small cages too BTW...:innocent:

They've also got these huge Billboards along the freeways with a picture of a speedo that say, "You're doing $275..."

[pzkpfw]

Drove a car round the gold coast a few years back on a family holiday.

HATED it.

Every couple of metres the limit would change 50 - 60 - 70 - 80 - 70 - 60 - 50 etc.

Spent the whole time (apart from getting lost) freakin' about missing a change from 60 to 50...

[Unforgiven]

Cool! If we start reversing into pedestrians, then maybe they'll let us take the back plates off as well! :p


Might be worth a try, but Id say youre more likley to loose your licience, and maybe end up in an asylum as well.