Gatso and police car

[contracttor]

The other day I was heading towards a gatso that faces me. Belting down the road at 60+ was a police car with full blues and twos on. It went past the camera and nothing happened.

Does this mean:
1. The camera is a duffer/fake
2. The police car has some magic gatso blocking thingy?

I reckon it's scenario 1. Obviously I'm not going to repeat the process in my car as scenario 1 may only be a temporary condition.

Ta.

[Durzel]

Definitely scenario 1.

As far as I know, at least in other countries - not sure about the UK, the emergency services can change traffic light signals.

[kwk]

Police cars set off Gatso's the same as everything else.

[Ki3r]

Most likely it was turned off at the time. Few round here that are like that.

[3Dee]

Russian roulette anyone?

[Six Fiend]

And if you're in Bristol they're all switched off now anyway

[stuwalsh]

Definitly scenario 1 !

I have seen them flash when emergency services go through them over the speed limit.

[Medic-one]

I've driven past several speed camera's at speed today, and set a few off, but not all of them, some of them are just not in use.

In this area they do vary though. I set a camera off today that 2 weeks ago i went past and it didn't go off.

[Dave Hedgehog]

i thought 6-10 sites shared 1 camera

[4rephill]

Chances are it wont be duff or fake.

It may be merely out of use at the time as the actual camera part is being used at another site.

At this time, some camera's are simply empty boxes that do nothing, whilst others have a flash unit still fitted that flash if the speed detector picks up a car travelling above the set limit.

In this case, the flash goes off but nothing is actually recorded. As a driver however, you won't know for a couple of weeks if it was live or not.

[daz3210]

Durzel said:

Definitely scenario 1.

As far as I know, at least in other countries - not sure about the UK, the emergency services can change traffic light signals.

How do they do this?

In the UK there are laws about permitted people passing a red light. And the emergency services are not actually included, so I doubt this is actually the case.

[mph1977]

daz3210 said:

Durzel said:

Definitely scenario 1.

As far as I know, at least in other countries - not sure about the UK, the emergency services can change traffic light signals.

How do they do this?

In the UK there are laws about permitted people passing a red light. And the emergency services are not actually included, so I doubt this is actually the case.

couple of approaches

3M opticom using coded IR strobes to recievers mounted in the traffic lights

or 'green wave' settings in traffic management control room - which some places i nthe Uk do use often on key routes radiating from fire stations

[Kinky]

The camera was not on at the time, which is why it did not flash.

If it had flashed, then it has to be called into the control room, so that it can be matched to the appropriate justified call-out and no further action taken.

[TheInternet]

daz3210 said:

Durzel said:

As far as I know, at least in other countries - not sure about the UK, the emergency services can change traffic light signals.

How do they do this?

On some traffic lights, particularly at crossing junctions you can see a sensor on top looking down the road, it is scanning away. This detects the flashing light emitted from the emergency vehicle, and if it agrees the flashing is at the right rate it will hasten up the cycle to green. So, if you can flash your headlights at the right rate then the lights will be fooled into thinking you are a police car and green you.

It is cool and works, I do it most of the time when I come up to a red light, even in the daytime, and sometimes you find people on the other side of the junction do it too then it changes double-quick, and that's really cool when you are all flashing away at the sensors, maybe all four cars at the junction, all eager like hungry hungry hippos, who's gonna get greened? My uncle (HGV) says it doesn't work but it's all about the flicker you do, must be MAIN beam, and you have to account for if you are approaching the traffic lights at speed and adjust, also fog/rain/squally showers etc.

[tvrgit]

TheInternet said:

On some traffic lights, particularly at crossing junctions you can see a sensor on top looking down the road, it is scanning away. This detects the flashing light emitted from the emergency vehicle, and if it agrees the flashing is at the right rate it will hasten up the cycle to green. So, if you can flash your headlights at the right rate then the lights will be fooled into thinking you are a police car and green you.

It is cool and works, I do it most of the time when I come up to a red light, even in the daytime, and sometimes you find people on the other side of the junction do it too then it changes double-quick, and that's really cool when you are all flashing away at the sensors, maybe all four cars at the junction, all eager like hungry hungry hippos, who's gonna get greened? My uncle (HGV) says it doesn't work but it's all about the flicker you do, must be MAIN beam, and you have to account for if you are approaching the traffic lights at speed and adjust, also fog/rain/squally showers etc.

Not this again...

Traffic lights in the UK have no sensors that can pick up headlight flashing or emergency vehicle lights. Popular urban myth, but not true.

[Simond S]

tvrgit said:

TheInternet said:

On some traffic lights, particularly at crossing junctions you can see a sensor on top looking down the road, it is scanning away. This detects the flashing light emitted from the emergency vehicle, and if it agrees the flashing is at the right rate it will hasten up the cycle to green. So, if you can flash your headlights at the right rate then the lights will be fooled into thinking you are a police car and green you.

It is cool and works, I do it most of the time when I come up to a red light, even in the daytime, and sometimes you find people on the other side of the junction do it too then it changes double-quick, and that's really cool when you are all flashing away at the sensors, maybe all four cars at the junction, all eager like hungry hungry hippos, who's gonna get greened? My uncle (HGV) says it doesn't work but it's all about the flicker you do, must be MAIN beam, and you have to account for if you are approaching the traffic lights at speed and adjust, also fog/rain/squally showers etc.

Not this again...

Traffic lights in the UK have no sensors that can pick up headlight flashing or emergency vehicle lights. Popular urban myth, but not true.

I would have thought a transponder similar to the ones buses use would be an easier and more efficient way to manipulate lights.

[TheInternet]

tvrgit said:

Traffic lights in the UK have no sensors that can pick up headlight flashing or emergency vehicle lights. Popular urban myth, but not true.

Maybe you are thinking of the many microphones? Because I believe they are a myth, but yet you see people also sometimes winding down the window and making the siren noise at the lights at the same time as the flashing and they look right idiot regardless of the prevailing weather conditions.

[tvrgit]

TheInternet said:

Maybe you are thinking of the many microphones? Because I believe they are a myth, but yet you see people also sometimes winding down the window and making the siren noise at the lights at the same time as the flashing and they look right idiot regardless of the prevailing weather conditions.

No I am not thinking of microphones - that is even more ridiculous.

I know exactly what I am thinking of. There are no sensors for headlights or emergency beacons on UK traffic signals. Myth. Busted.

[Chris993C4]

TheInternet said:

tvrgit said:

Traffic lights in the UK have no sensors that can pick up headlight flashing or emergency vehicle lights. Popular urban myth, but not true.

Maybe you are thinking of the many microphones? Because I believe they are a myth, but yet you see people also sometimes winding down the window and making the siren noise at the lights at the same time as the flashing and they look right idiot regardless of the prevailing weather conditions.

Good recovery

Temporary traffic lights with IR thermal sensors can be a PITA with an air-cooled, rear-engined car...

[tvrgit]

On this thread:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I said:

denniswise9 said:

Opulent said:

You mean, as you approach them, and if there is nothing on the other side of the road, then they change?

That will be detector/control loops cut in to the road.

Traffic lights do not respond to light signals.

There really is no argument to it.

There is.

I'll film it tonight.

Could you balance a packet of Birds Custard on the dash so that we know it's you?

Oh and make sure that you don't have any celebrities in your car, like Princess Anne, Simon Cowell or Jason Plato. Some signals have VIP and celebrity detectors, and that might skew the results.

Oh and make sure that the stereo is off. There are a few with Electric Light Orchestra detectors.

And don't try to use "the force" - they also have light sabre detectors.

You might also want to try the "reaching for the coffee cup" test that was mentioned earlier - that appears to work. There is also the "picking your nose" test, the "scratching your arse" test and the "reaching for a jelly baby" test that you might want to try - all of those have prompted unexpected signal changes, in my experience.

You might also want to test the "bursting for a piss" detectors which hold the light on red until you just HAVE TO go through them anyway.

All in the interests of scientific experiment, you understand.

That was in November. Dennis's video of proof never happened. I think we all know why.