Safe Speed Forums

Hi there,

On saturday night I went for a night out in chelmsford and whilst driving down the b1137 springfield road I noticed on some sets of traffic lights small grey boxes that my friends told me were traffic/pedestrian sensors. They seem to have so many different boxes and cameras by lights there days its hard to determine what is what.

They shape of them is what I can only describe as like those thin ended nozzles you fit onto vacuum cleaners and I was told they are 'pedestrian sensors'.

Can someone show me pictures of all ther types of sensors and red light cameras there are, as I was wondering if they might be red light cameras. Although I was told red light cameras are usually bigger square boxes and placed BEFORE the light.

Thanks

-Rob

If the boxes are quite small, smaller than case of the traffic light array itself, then your friends should be correct.


This is correct. The camera must capture the light being red as well as the offending vehicle crossing the stop line (hence a red light camera won't be anywhere close to the traffic light); no red light in the photo - no evidence.

This is a typical red light camera (the type in a grey box):

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

Yes they were hardly bigger than a cctv camera. But they were oddly shaped, its hard to describe the shape other than to say its similar to a wedge shape. with a thin front part.

There are lots of similar things hung off of traffic lights. Most of them are detectors, mostly using radar. If it is radar then one side will be plastic to let the radio raves through. You'll also find a small red light on the back somewhere which turns on when it detects something. That seems to be pretty universal. Look to see where the plastic 'end' is pointing and you can probably work out what it is detecting. There can be lots at crossings, detecting people on the crossing and waiting to cross, or detecting road traffic.

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Andrew.