Safe Speed Forums

Hi, just wondering why a speed camera went off in my face?. It was a fixed mounted camera facing towards me. I was heading up a hill, coming onto Denmark Hill in Dulwich/Camberwell, London. There was no other car going the other way, in fact I was the only car on the road!. I wasn't exactly doing 30mph, but I wasn't going much faster. Is it possible I was caught on camera?, or would the picture not be used?.

Quite annoyingly I was also flashed the other day, Saturday night around Vauxhall, London. I was probably doing 38mph, there were no speed signs around and I assumed I was going slow enough, but then *flash* *flash*. Whats the chances I'll be getting a letter in the post?. I've been flashed before, years ago and never heard anything, is this likely to happen again?.

So anyway, twice in the same week. Think I need to slow down, or buy one of those camera dector thingies.

Be grateful for any replies or advise.

If a Gatso flashes as you approach it is almost certainly a dud.

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Former Military Police Officer and accident investigator

Is it safe to say that if it was a white flash you'll be ok, but if it was a magenta flash you might not...?

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Andrew.

I'm inclined to agree, depending on if the camera is installed with (and hasn't run out of) film.


Liam,
As Ziltro hinted, was the flash magenta or white? Did you see a double flash? Truvelos are approved for front photography, easily distinguishable by it’s single magenta flash and three closely spaced lines on the road.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

Yes, the Truvelo front facing fixed speed camera is supposed to have a magenta filter over the flash to reduce dazzle.

But, and I've been unable to explain this, I have had loads of reports from the public of 'blinding' white flashes from Truvelos. Possible explanations include:

1) People don't notice the colour because of the fact that they are surprised by the flash
2) Some cameras have filters missing
3) Off axis vision does not have sufficient colour resolution to distinguish magenta from white

My guess is that it's number 3 - in which case asking folk the colour of the flash simply does not help.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

I have noticed that I have occasionally seen a red or green flash (usually an LED on a computer or something) out of the corner of my eye and got the colour wrong.

If a Truvelo is used for front-facing photography it must have a magenta filter or it is being used against it's type approval. No type approval = no evidence
I believe it's easy to tell from the photo if a magenta filter was used or not. (look at the colour of the numberplate/etc.)

I still think that flashing any light in the face of drivers who are exceding the speed limit (and are therefore the most dangerous people on the planet, right...) at an accident blackspot (which is the only place speed cameras are ever intalled, yeah...) is just mad.

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Andrew.

From www.truvelouk.com

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

What a nice kind little machine - it blanks out the number plates!

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"Politicians are the same the world over... We build bridges where there aren't any rivers." - Nikita Kruschev

This camera was just a normal one with a white flash. Its the kind that catches you speeding away, there are at least 8 lines in the road. Is it possible it went off because I was in the middle of the road when driving towards it?, its a narrow road. Or could it have been the vibration or noise of my car?, also I only saw one flash and it was white.

London loves its 30mph roads of high quality, and 40mph roads of quasi-motorway standards. You may think that you were going slowly, but in this day and age slow is not slow enough!