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 Post subject: A trick of the light.
PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 23:14 
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:gatso2: I was driving along an A road at 6pm this evening in poor daylight conditions and in torrential rain. I was keeping to the 30mph limit and as I checked my rear-view mirror. I saw two white flashes coming from the roadside. I immediately braked thinking I'd been flashed by a speed camera. I instantly checked my mirror and then realized that it was a car's headlights, at least two car lengths behind me, reflecting off a perspex panel on a bus shelter.

Now I understand why speed cameras cause panic braking. I was shocked that something like that could be so deceptive in a rear-view mirror.

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 23:45 
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CJG wrote:
:gatso2: I was driving along an A road at 6pm this evening in poor daylight conditions and in torrential rain. I was keeping to the 30mph limit and as I checked my rear-view mirror. I saw two white flashes coming from the roadside. I immediately braked thinking I'd been flashed by a speed camera. I instantly checked my mirror and then realized that it was a car's headlights, at least two car lengths behind me, reflecting off a perspex panel on a bus shelter.

Now I understand why speed cameras cause panic braking. I was shocked that something like that could be so deceptive in a rear-view mirror.


Yep. There's a bridge over the M42 at j2 that causes the same twin flashes in the afternoon as sunlight gets reflected on car windows crossing it. It's very distracting.

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 01:11 
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CJG wrote:
I immediately braked thinking I'd been flashed by a speed camera.

It's a bit late to brake after they've taken the pictures isn't it?

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 01:40 
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Mike_B wrote:
CJG wrote:
I immediately braked thinking I'd been flashed by a speed camera.

It's a bit late to brake after they've taken the pictures isn't it?

If you think about it then yes.

But if you are thinking about braking before doing it then you are going to hit something.

Much of driving relies on what is known as the lizard brain, which makes decisions without any deep thought.


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 14:51 
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CJG wrote:
I was driving along an A road at 6pm this evening in poor daylight conditions and in torrential rain. I was keeping to the 30mph limit and as I checked my rear-view mirror.
That'd be the same speed as you'd drive along the same road in ideal conditions then.
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I saw two white flashes coming from the roadside. I immediately braked thinking I'd been flashed by a speed camera. I instantly checked my mirror and then realized that it was a car's headlights, at least two car lengths behind me, reflecting off a perspex panel on a bus shelter.

Now I understand why speed cameras cause panic braking. I was shocked that something like that could be so deceptive in a rear-view mirror.


The next generation of speed cameras won't flash, so that'll solve that problem.

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