Monday 19th May 2003

SmartNav gets Camera Detector

Navigation system now includes warning of cameras and a stolen vehicle tracking service

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[simon5480]

This is a development I have feared for some time, since the introduction of speed cameras their application has been corrupted and put to misuse; Thames Valley Police are a prime example where their efforts have focussed on benign speeding spots that raise revenue rather and areas that would convince motorist to watch their speed. The key here being revenue in the motorist eye which has lead to distrust to which all it has amounted to is an increase in road accidents, of course they have tried to dampen down this statistic by re-labelling it to the KSI therefore making the figures look smaller even through deaths (that’s the K) have risen. Try telling young Johnny “Don’t worry son we know your dad has just been killed in a RTA but the figures are down this year” it sounds grotesque doesn’t it? It is my view that they know their policies are failing but unfortunately their in to deep now and would lose face in pulling out. Now of course the market place has spotted the need for camera detectors in cars, forget the pun 99% of drivers using detection equipment drive more safely because it’s simply not true they just render the Police with the inability to catch dangerous drivers that is of course when they setup in the correct area and not on some benign stretch of road which suddenly drops from the main speed limit e.g.
40mph road drops suddenly to 30mph speed camera set dead centre of the 30 zone result they catch all the average road speed traffic from the 40 zone ever wondered why so many driver are caught at 38 mph having just driven out of a 40 zone.

[apache]

'This is a development I have feared for some time' I don't understand your concern, surely this is a good thing?

[Don]

It should be an option on all SatNav units IMO. Its just an addition to the POI database and, since these will be blackspots, the unit should improve road safety by reminding drivers to slow down prior to the blackspot rather than panicing when they see the camera.

I wish it had been an option on the unit I bought, frankly. I can't be bothered buying a seperate system though...

[robp]

I wonder if the mainstream manufacturers like Pioneer, Alpine etc will follow suit?

I reckon its a bit of a dodgy area for "in car entertainment" makers to go, it still takes the pi$$ that they charge you over £1k for a top dogs system, then you need to go and buy another bit of GPS kit for the camera detector.

[Teppic]

apache said: 'This is a development I have feared for some time' I don't understand your concern, surely this is a good thing?

I think it's the "Safe Speed" option that is the cause for concern...

The other new service - Safe Speed - alerts drivers to the whereabouts of speed cameras. Beeps are emitted from the system when approaching a speed monitored area. Even better, a long continuous beep is sounded if driving above the limit.

A long continuous beep when exceeding the speed limit is going to be fing annoying.

[apache]

yes, but it's an option

[sagalout]

Simon, tried 3 times to read your post and got lost in the middle. It doesn't make sense. Agree with the last bit though, I was stopped at 40 in a 30 immediately after the 30 signs. Was told should have slowed to 30 within the 40 (Agree)

[icamm]

sagalout said: Simon, tried 3 times to read your post and got lost in the middle. It doesn't make sense. Agree with the last bit though, I was stopped at 40 in a 30 immediately after the 30 signs. Was told should have slowed to 30 within the 40 (Agree)

Yep, the speed limit sign is the START of the limit not the start of where you should slow down to the limit . Or if the limit goes up it only starts from the sign and you should not start accelerating before you reach it.