Safe Speed Forums

In Greater Manchester there has recently been a new device put in place near one or two Gatsos. It consists of a gray post, same height as the Gatso, and on the top is a small box, much smaller than the Gatso. The box has a large bulb, and is pointed down at the calibration markings. It is positioned about 10 or 15 feet forward of the Gatso, and must have something to do with it, but I am mystified. I intend to ask about it using the FOI, but can someone here enlighten me anyway?

Gatsos are rear facing, they cannot help ID an offending driver.
The boxes you describe could be slave flashes (triggered by the gatso) placed in front to try and get a photo of the offending driver.

Is the box you describe rear facing like the gatso, or forward facing towards the front of cars?

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

Why dont you take a picture of it and post it up and I ams ure someone will answer your question a lot quicker than a FOI request,I have two guesses in mind at the moment but a picture would make the answer more correct.
Stephen

Something like these -






Did ask our scamerati lot -answer was that it was not a camera ,something to help with flash -immediatly made me suspicious ,as if so ,why do only ones in a ringed area have the help .Next question was about aeriel - got sort of vague answer about broadcasting info to police .Since we have seen unmarked cars hiding out near these and they're in the areas that are usually ANPR targets -wonder if they're ANPR related .
Was comremplatin whether or not this would be suitable for FOI ,but have been too busy .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

http://www.safespeed.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=18219

I first spotted something similar on the A303 about 18 months ago.

Expected to see them proliferate but haven't.

Slightly off topic, but isn't it ridiculous that they can spend an absolute fortune on roadside monitoring and spying metalwork and yet the surfaces that we drive on are full of pot-holes, worn-out markings and surrounded by badly maintained signage

mb

I've been having a field day with Warks on local pot holes - reporting them ,then once they open up again reporting/re reporting them - they keep on filling them in - or is it because not so long ago I reported some twice ,second time I added county councillor to list .
Honestly -if they employ some coyboy lot to fill them on and a week later the holes reapear - my council tax has been wasted ,and I feel I 'm allowed to ask why ,anf get said cowboy back to do it again fot nothing.

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Thanks for the help. Those pictures posted on here show exactly the device, pointing down to the road surface. Since this appears to be linked to the Gatso, would it not have to be Home Office Approved? Another thought: if all the local residents and passing motorists decided to make an FOI request to their local Police when something like this goes up without explanation, the workload the police would have would be huge! Might make them think twice about furtively putting up new devices like this without explaining!! Thanks again.

Dont worry about them they are nothing to do with the set up of the Gatso cameras,and can only say that they are for crime fighting purposes and thats all you need to know. They will probably aee more nearer Gatso sites are they are deemed to be on casualty and crime hotspot areas.
Stephen

I'm sorry but I really can't see any reason that the purpose of these street furniture items errected in plain sight should be "secret".

It's not all I need to know. I paid for these.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Reply from Warks SCP when asked about the function " This is just an additional flash and not a new camera. It's equipment
> which
> assists the camera." .
I then asked about the function of the aerial and got a reply that it could transmit information to the police .

Sorry Stephen -,we were told not to worry when s59 came in -it's now ( according to posts on PH) being used in place of other legislation .
i suspect it's ANPR -and if it is -the police could do with more public support -this way they'll get less .
One thing that does bother vme is though -the fact that we've got a NON DIRECTIONAL aerial ( possibly transmitting ) close to a radar dependant device .( Aparently ACPO advise against this ,would suggest to guard against cross modulation effects)

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Quite simply these grey things are secondary flash units that are needed when the Gatso is converted to digital instead of wet film.

Hertfordshire were the first in the UK to install them and it was all over the local paper and the Herts Council website.

All the cameras in Herts are now digital, no escape!

Jon

Don't want to point out the obvious (well I do) but there is an escape. Don't speed.

JMGPannal

Have you also noticed how the speed limits are being reduced too ?
The over zealous speed concentration is not helping road safety with motorists ability to drive well being reduced not encouraged or improved !

I am not aware that theses extra posts/camera have anything to do with the gatso, once converted to digital the system is contained within the unit. From what Stephen mentions it sounds like CCTV / ANPR ... ?
Have you got any links to the Herts press on any srticle/s that give their explanation.
I can easily do an FOI esp with precise locations (PM with all details).

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

You can see the units HERE on the A505 Baldock/Royston. The camera is the unit at the start of the graduation marks....the other unit is next....both units view the REAR of the traffic. If you drive along that road with no tax/insurance/mot you WILL be stopped....

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56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

OK- they're secondary flash - I considered that - then looked locally - we've got several Gatso's ,but only those on appraoches to the town have these additional units - those outside don't . So first question -WHY . Second question - look at my photos (not the best ) and ask what the aerial is for ( and why any transmitting device is allowed close to a radar source) .( BTW -well known fact that ANY non linearity in any device can produce harmonics/modulation /unwanted products which could iinterfere with thr radar/transmitting device ) .
And ACPO guidelines advise not using transmitting devices close to any radar device . So go figure .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Really, don't bother pointing it out!

They are a secondary flash for the Gatso camera; they are used as a filler for the digital version of the camera. The only crime they fight therefore is speeding.

I'm more likely to believe the word of someone who works in law enforcement than an anonymous user on that one, thanks.