News from the World of Speedtraps
Discussion
Steven Norris - Conservative candidate for Mayor of London - has made the scrapping of the Congestion Charge a key pledge in his forthcoming election campaign. Thinking of voting for him? Think again. Investigations reveal a skeleton rattling in his closet. It would appear he is a non-exective director of Speed Check Services - the company that markets and deploys the SPECS speed camera system. No really! Fancy that, eh?
"Don't let all that "Kengestion" video and data infrastructure go to waste! Why not simply remove Ken's cams and stick your own in instead!"
I think it is fair to say that Mr Norris's business interests would appear to be at odds with the current Conservative thinking on transport policy.
Whilst we're on the subject of SPECS, an interesting message was posted at the Pepipoo fightback forum. It basically alleges that the SPECS network infrastructure is being installed by stealth along Britain's motorways. When the time is "right" all that is needed is for the cameras to be erected and connected. Chilling if true and certainly worthy of further investigation.
That shoddy piece of workmanship and masturbatory aid for Talivan operators - otherwise known as the LTi20/20 - has taken yet another deserved bashing in the Courts across the Pond, this time in Canada. A defendant has had their appeal against a speeding charge successfully upheld. The Court accepted the defence's argument that the LTi's internal self-diagnostic system was not sufficient to guarantee the accuracy of the speed measurement function. The Court agreed that this should be verified against an external standard e.g. a calibrated radar gun (or perhaps a moving vehicle travelling at a known velocity backed up with a calibrated speedometer).
Why could this case be significant in the UK? Well correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't a decision taken a while ago to permit the internal power-up self-check sequence to be the only requirement for the verification of the LTi's accuracy before use (save the annual servicing). Previously this had to be checked against a moving Police vehicle before and after a shift. However, we can't allow a proper calibration procedure to waste precious revenue generating time, can we? Read about the Canadian case here.
Whilst obviously this Canadian ruling has no direct impact on British law, it may well provide a respectable and reliable point of reference for anyone wishing to challenge a speeding allegation based on this argument. No doubt a victory in a Crown Court or higher could have a monumental impact speeding convictions.
"Don't let all that "Kengestion" video and data infrastructure go to waste! Why not simply remove Ken's cams and stick your own in instead!"
I think it is fair to say that Mr Norris's business interests would appear to be at odds with the current Conservative thinking on transport policy.
Whilst we're on the subject of SPECS, an interesting message was posted at the Pepipoo fightback forum. It basically alleges that the SPECS network infrastructure is being installed by stealth along Britain's motorways. When the time is "right" all that is needed is for the cameras to be erected and connected. Chilling if true and certainly worthy of further investigation.
That shoddy piece of workmanship and masturbatory aid for Talivan operators - otherwise known as the LTi20/20 - has taken yet another deserved bashing in the Courts across the Pond, this time in Canada. A defendant has had their appeal against a speeding charge successfully upheld. The Court accepted the defence's argument that the LTi's internal self-diagnostic system was not sufficient to guarantee the accuracy of the speed measurement function. The Court agreed that this should be verified against an external standard e.g. a calibrated radar gun (or perhaps a moving vehicle travelling at a known velocity backed up with a calibrated speedometer).
Why could this case be significant in the UK? Well correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't a decision taken a while ago to permit the internal power-up self-check sequence to be the only requirement for the verification of the LTi's accuracy before use (save the annual servicing). Previously this had to be checked against a moving Police vehicle before and after a shift. However, we can't allow a proper calibration procedure to waste precious revenue generating time, can we? Read about the Canadian case here.
Whilst obviously this Canadian ruling has no direct impact on British law, it may well provide a respectable and reliable point of reference for anyone wishing to challenge a speeding allegation based on this argument. No doubt a victory in a Crown Court or higher could have a monumental impact speeding convictions.
Deadly Dog said:
.............Whilst we're on the subject of SPECS, an interesting message was posted at the Pepipoo fightback forum. It basically alleges that the SPECS network infrastructure is being installed by stealth along Britain's motorways. When the time is "right" all that is needed is for the cameras to be erected and connected. Chilling if true and certainly worthy of further investigation.
...............
Could be somehing in that, 'they've' been installing lots of cabling and conduits along sections of the M27 for months now, with little or no visable effect.
It alll seems to lead to cut outs in the banks/verge beyond the hardshoulder and some hut type buildings/things
, wtf they doing . Harry
Alas, Totalitarian Tony will soon condemn you, inescapably linked as is inevitable, to the dreadful fete of all subsumees of the Pan-European Personal De-Liberation Edict, at which point the only sense of speed will be the gushing flow of dank air, caused by the slamming home effect of the drab, rusted greyness of an unforgiving steel door, securing your nocturnal conformity within the compulsorily attended confines of your individualised sleep amenity cell, in association with T2000 and The Rape Crisis Institute of Copenhagen, as the guard locks you down for another night's dark deprivation in prevention of anything that you might do in potential damage to yourself, others or the environment.
And so it will come to pass, lest we heed not the call of Uther and unleash The Beast.
Burn in hell you actuators of constraint; I bid that the claw of Nicodemus smite the tools of your vile oppression.
That's better; time for a hotdog.
And so it will come to pass, lest we heed not the call of Uther and unleash The Beast.
Burn in hell you actuators of constraint; I bid that the claw of Nicodemus smite the tools of your vile oppression.
That's better; time for a hotdog.
Deadly Dog said:
Whilst obviously this Canadian ruling has no direct impact on British law, it may well provide a respectable and reliable point of reference for anyone wishing to challenge a speeding allegation based on this argument. No doubt a victory in a Crown Court or higher could have a monumental impact speeding convictions.
Yeah but unfortunately unless we organise some kind of group action or funding then it will not be possible to challenge the accuracy of these devices. Any millionaires out there with a grudge?!
HarryW said:
Could be somehing in that, 'they've' been installing lots of cabling and conduits along sections of the M27 for months now, with little or no visable effect.
It alll seems to lead to cut outs in the banks/verge beyond the hardshoulder and some hut type buildings/things
Harry
They've been doing that on the M4 for a while. The massive information signs have now been put up. However, it stands to reason that when cabling up motorways for the signage, they would leave massive redundancy in the cabling to allow for future "enhancements".
If they start putting SPECS on more streches of motorway, surely they can see that people will start disappearing off on the A-roads that often run in parallel (M4 / A4 for example)?
Seems like wild scaremongering to me. If it was really happening then it would have leaked out by now.
The rational explanation is that these masts are receivers for the new traffic information network that is being installed. It's been well publicised by the Highways Agency that they are working on this. Basically it means loads of signs around the motorways and trunk routes warning of traffic problems.
The rational explanation is that these masts are receivers for the new traffic information network that is being installed. It's been well publicised by the Highways Agency that they are working on this. Basically it means loads of signs around the motorways and trunk routes warning of traffic problems.
The simple fact is that SPECS is hideously expensive and works so well that it never pays for itself - hence you can't sucessfully get it thru a cost-bennyfit analysis unless you've got roadworks (massive legal issues surrounding worker safety) or a serious accident blackspot.
I guess that will change one day
but for now, don't fret.
I guess that will change one day
but for now, don't fret.Interesting that with all these Gatsos, SPECS and ANPR systems in place that they STILL can't catch the thousands of people illegally entering the country and defrauding the state, or manufacturing ricin in bedsits. Terrorists could quite happily drive a bomb into the centre of London just so long as they do it at 29mph....
hornet said:
Interesting that with all these Gatsos, SPECS and ANPR systems in place that they STILL can't catch the thousands of people illegally entering the country and defrauding the state, or manufacturing ricin in bedsits. Terrorists could quite happily drive a bomb into the centre of London just so long as they do it at 29mph....
Yup, safety first
As long as you see the first SPECS camera, it's easy to defeat the system. (In theory) If you pass a motorway junction, you could always argue that you left the motorway and found a shortcut that made you appear to speed when in fact you didn't, since you rejoined the motorway and got snapped early by the second camera. There'd be lots of poring over maps, constabules being asked to asess possible alternative routes, and sufficient doubt cast for a half decent barrister to get you off the hook. IMHO, obviously 
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