Safe Speed Forums

driving in Hull last night and saw a 'safety camera' operated by someone in a "Think!" car. to explain more:

the camera was a yellow box (about 2' cube) on a small tripod, (this looked the same as our local camera van uses, the camvan normally has it pointing out the back but sometimes it takes the camera out)

to the side of the road (well a good distance off the road parked on the grass verge hiding in the trees ) was a car with the Think! logo on the side.

Whats that all about? -are they able to enforce speeding convictions? -do they lend there equipment to the police? -was it just to gather statistics? -or was it just to induce panic braking on the 40mph dual carrageway.

Most counties have civilan speed camera operators now, and have done for a while. There is a case going to court about whether civilians are allowed to form a police officer's prior opinion of speed, but that'll take time.

Sounds like the device was a portable gatso. Same kit as in the fixed ones. Must be aligned 90 degrees to the road and not on a bend.

They're just after your money...

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Andrew.

That would be a mini gatso operated by misleadingly named Humberside 'safety' camera partnership. Their main cash collectors are in the form of tallivans, which haunt ex nsl roads now with absurd 30 or 40 mph limits in force and a high traffic flow to ensure plenty of money comes in.. When there is not enough room, to safely collect money in a tallivan, or its dark, they use mobile gatsos like you've seen.

It doesn't suprise me you saw the gatso on a dual carriage way, there are plenty around the outskirts of Hull that are almost motorway quality but have 40mph limits. These further help reach goals of this organisation.

They also have a couple of speed camera motorbikes, where a police officer parks on the pavement and collects cash that way, these however are laser based.

I thought they only used police officers to staff their cash machines, but perhaps they have changed things. Their tallivan operators are multiskilled, as they are also responible for changing the films in the less lucritive, fixed revenue collectors.

They have recently attempted to masquerade as a road safety organisation on the local radio stations with a few rather patronising and misleading commecials, funded by the motorist.

Nope, the "Mini Gatso" (of which there may have been two versions) was a hand-held radar unit which has now lost it's type approval.

These portable ones are exactly the same kit as in a fixed gatso installation, but in a different (type-approved?) box.

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Andrew.

What I really mean't by mini was 'appear smaller than normal' gatsos, but you're right, on inspection they do appear to be the same size as a normal gatso.....

http://www.eastriding.gov.uk/safetycame ... /work.html

Yep, they do appear smaller, that's partially because the battery and flash units are seperate. (blue boxes on the ground)
Also I would guess that the fixed housings are tougher and have more armour, there's not much point vandalising the poratble one if you can just nick it.

That web site has some rather artsey photos, I think that makes it look larger than it is.

Buy me!

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Andrew.

Take a look at the sample calibration certificates, anyone could sign one of those things. I doubt they’re even calibrated.

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

Lol, yes, just looked at them. It really wouldn't suprise me if they were signed by anyone!

Some socially-aware person around Colchester seems to have purchased some reflective sign plastic sheet and is modifying the 'Speed Camera' signs in the area by sticking it over the 'S' and substituting 'Gr'.
It ain't me, I promise you, but I would love to meet whoever it is - gives me a quiet cackle every time I see a new one...

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Aquila



Licat volare si super tergum aquila volat...

[quote="Dixie
Take a look at the sample calibration certificates, anyone could sign one of those things. I doubt they’re even calibrated. [/quote]


What would prove interesting would be to get a look at the calibration cert of the test equipment used to calibrate them, or see how far back toward national standards we get before the trail goes cold.

My understandng is that the annual calibration of Gatsos is done by the factory in Holland

so its the same as a gatso but in a different box. I can agree with that, but how come it doesnt require lines on the road? i know the lines are just for a secondary varyfication, but these have been shown to be essential as gatsos can and do go wrong. whats the secondary varyfication on the portable ones? the guy stood there saying yeah that looked faster than the linit? -or what?

and if it has to be perfectly alligned to 90 degree there is a lot of room for error here, although i think any error here would make it read lower? -but surely my first point (no secondary varyfication) is valid?

The lines aren't required to do the verification, it's possible to measure the width of the vehicle and other things instead, but I believe in portable setup it is the police officer (ha) in the van who forms the prior opinion and the device corroborates that opinion.


From what I understand angling the front of it towards the road would make the readings appear faster, away from the road would be slower.

This thread on PePiPoo will give you more information that you really wanted to know...

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Andrew.