RE: Scameras get binned
Wednesday 5th October 2005
Scameras get binned
Authorities in Oz hide them in wheelie bins
Think we've got it bad here in the UK when it comes to speed cameras? At least ours are painted yellow, which nominally conforms to the notion that they're there to reduce speed rather than raise revenue.
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In Australia, it looks like they're about to get the same treatment as Dutch motorists, with hidden wheelie bin style cameras.
Our correspondent wasn't able to provide any more details -- but good luck to you down under...
Pictures courtesy John Williams
Discussion
Cool! Free cameras and batteries; if they're in a bin they're to be thrown away, right?
Or,
Swap it for a real bin, wait, then bask in your glory upon hearing the tell-tale crunching sound emanating from the dustcart and be contented with the knowledge that the equipment is on its way its rightful home.
Or,
Swap it for a real bin, wait, then bask in your glory upon hearing the tell-tale crunching sound emanating from the dustcart and be contented with the knowledge that the equipment is on its way its rightful home.
We indeed have those things in the Netherlands too! a few years ago when I drove home my Stinger detector went off and I saw a car, and I slow down and yep, in that car was a camera...so after that I put my pedal down again...but after a few miles again my Stinger went of?! I saw no car, only that grey trashcan standing longside the road and I heard of those so I slow down and look and saw the hole in it! and no one else had his/her trashcan standing outside...so when you see on standing on the wrong trashday slow down!
See here...in June 2004 the Australian camera organisation were defending their use...
www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1131149.htm
www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1131149.htm
Meh, just another way for us to get done. Cue motorists looking out for suspiciously placed bins rather than keeping there eyes on the road...
On a positive note, if they were put along residential roads (ie: 50kph limit) then whoever gets pinged deserves it in my eyes - 50k's is plenty for such roads.
Dare you to call me a nanna for that last bit.
Ali.
On a positive note, if they were put along residential roads (ie: 50kph limit) then whoever gets pinged deserves it in my eyes - 50k's is plenty for such roads.
Dare you to call me a nanna for that last bit.
Ali.
So much emphasis on speeding, but not whether it was appropriate or not.
What is the point of aimlessly catching people speeding if it doesn't slow them down for the hazard in the first place?
The whole idea of speed camera's is just so contradictory it hurts my brain.
Hide them so you CAN'T see them, so you don't slow down.
Ignore the fact whether it was excessive for the conditions, working both ways that in thick fog driving at the limit is leathal.
Worst of all, over emphasise on something that isn't really the major cause of serious accidents, hence ignoring the factors that cause most accidents, the driver error, be it ignorance, road rage, intoxication etc.
Thus making the roads no safer, and probably distracting otherwise safe drivers from the hazard at a blackspot by generally looking for bins with a hole in them.
Could so easily destroy one and argue you were doing your bit for the environment and utilising it as per appearance.... for your waste acid
Dave
What is the point of aimlessly catching people speeding if it doesn't slow them down for the hazard in the first place?
The whole idea of speed camera's is just so contradictory it hurts my brain.
Hide them so you CAN'T see them, so you don't slow down.
Ignore the fact whether it was excessive for the conditions, working both ways that in thick fog driving at the limit is leathal.
Worst of all, over emphasise on something that isn't really the major cause of serious accidents, hence ignoring the factors that cause most accidents, the driver error, be it ignorance, road rage, intoxication etc.
Thus making the roads no safer, and probably distracting otherwise safe drivers from the hazard at a blackspot by generally looking for bins with a hole in them.
Could so easily destroy one and argue you were doing your bit for the environment and utilising it as per appearance.... for your waste acid
Dave
This is precisely why I can't get too upset over the speed cameras here.
I think that, compared to many other places, UK law enforcement is pretty fair about it: a sign noramally warns you you're entering a speed camera zone; then they're mounted on a pole and painted florescent yellow (and other great clues include white hatch marks on the road). While I agree we should be concentrating on the road itself, I figure if one is observant enough (and not travelling scandalously fast) there should be enough opportunity in most cases to catch these things out. It also slows down traffic in the (alleged) black spot.
Say what you will of UK scameras, but they're leagues better than not knowing where they are, or having squaddies hiding in the shrubs (like a filthy paedophile)
catching the unwitting, instead of patroling the roads looking for unsafe drivers and potentially dangerous driving habbits.
In North America (don't know about OZ) there are no signposted warnings, and usually no reason for the fuzz being there (as opposed to the UK's 'accident blackspot' argument) other than it's a great hiding spot and they want revenue to upgrade their fleet of V8 land yahts and replace their revolvers with semi-automatic pistols.
Okay I'm getting carried away, but as a driving refugee from such injust, punitive regimes (in my case, Ontario, Canada) I get pretty f
cked off when I read about these unhelpful, greedy tactics being used by the very people who are supposed to be in a position of trust, and need the public's good will to do their jobs effectively.
The UK scamera system is flawed, but I still get the sense that road policing in Great Britain is still largely trying to do the right thing, instead of simply milking the motorist.
PS: Thei arguement of frightening the motorist into compliance, by not knowing when he/she is going to get done, doesn't work. People still get done all the time. At least in the UK the 'robber' announces it's in the area and wears bright yellow.
Rant over. Happy motoring to you all.
I think that, compared to many other places, UK law enforcement is pretty fair about it: a sign noramally warns you you're entering a speed camera zone; then they're mounted on a pole and painted florescent yellow (and other great clues include white hatch marks on the road). While I agree we should be concentrating on the road itself, I figure if one is observant enough (and not travelling scandalously fast) there should be enough opportunity in most cases to catch these things out. It also slows down traffic in the (alleged) black spot.
Say what you will of UK scameras, but they're leagues better than not knowing where they are, or having squaddies hiding in the shrubs (like a filthy paedophile)
catching the unwitting, instead of patroling the roads looking for unsafe drivers and potentially dangerous driving habbits. In North America (don't know about OZ) there are no signposted warnings, and usually no reason for the fuzz being there (as opposed to the UK's 'accident blackspot' argument) other than it's a great hiding spot and they want revenue to upgrade their fleet of V8 land yahts and replace their revolvers with semi-automatic pistols.
Okay I'm getting carried away, but as a driving refugee from such injust, punitive regimes (in my case, Ontario, Canada) I get pretty f
cked off when I read about these unhelpful, greedy tactics being used by the very people who are supposed to be in a position of trust, and need the public's good will to do their jobs effectively. The UK scamera system is flawed, but I still get the sense that road policing in Great Britain is still largely trying to do the right thing, instead of simply milking the motorist.
PS: Thei arguement of frightening the motorist into compliance, by not knowing when he/she is going to get done, doesn't work. People still get done all the time. At least in the UK the 'robber' announces it's in the area and wears bright yellow.
Rant over. Happy motoring to you all.
a couple of years ago, here in Italy, this kind of story was going round, then....
www.attivissimo.net/antibufala/autovelox/nel_bidone.htm
www.attivissimo.net/antibufala/autovelox/nel_bidone.htm
ubergreg said:
This is precisely why I can't get too upset over the speed cameras here.
I kinda agree, I'd find it much worse if they were in bins, but probably find myself cycling more *just* so I could hunt them down and accidentally on purpose damage them
However, we still have a problem in this country. They justify speed camera's to SLOW people down at black spots, so why make them harder to see.
Fixed ones this is fine, people slow down (usually) and that keeps people slow and safe. GPS locators help even more, essentially a blackspot beeper. Danger here, slow down, be more alert, works well.
However, random littering of mobile camera's is getting worse, and in the ones I've seen have always been hidden away so you don't see them. Don't tend to speed in urban areas where I know Plod could be hiding, tis not worth it, but it's frustrating as a sign saying they where there would infact slow people down for the hazard ahead, however as it is, drivers speed unaware into a trap, which clearly does nothing for safety at that point, but does a whole lot of good for the big pot of money the scamerati get!
I can't begin to imagine how you justify camera's at blackspots for safety when they can't be seen. How is one supposed to know when to be extra vigilant and slow down for a particular black spot?
Dave
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