Supposing SPECs was true???
Supposing SPECs was true???
Author
Discussion

ricardo g

Original Poster:

510 posts

274 months

Monday 15th December 2003
quotequote all
Just a very quick question about this, supposing they were working,(and I think they do have them in other countries???) how would they work? How can it tell the distance I would have travelled in the last say 10miles if I had changed lanes 50times (I know this is an exaggeration but...) and its even more useless as you could bomb along at 200mph and then stop at a service station between the two cameras.


Richard

craigw

12,248 posts

303 months

Monday 15th December 2003
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they have them here and they do work.

agent006

12,058 posts

285 months

Monday 15th December 2003
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They're placed every half mile or so, and they're linked, so if lane1 takes your first picture and lane3 takes the second, it goes to the same place.

Dick Dastardly

8,325 posts

284 months

Monday 15th December 2003
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I was wondering the same thing

They'd better not be working or I'll be needing a mountain bike and bus pass for christmas!

mr_tony

6,340 posts

290 months

Monday 15th December 2003
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ricardo g said:
How can it tell the distance I would have travelled in the last say 10miles if I had changed lanes 50times


It doesn't need to know the actual distance, just the minimum distance. You can only go further than the straight line distance from A to B if you deviate from the straight line... (At least in 2 dimensional space!!) On this basis the speed they calculate you doing is the mimimum speed you could be doing....

ricardo g said:

and its even more useless as you could bomb along at 200mph and then stop at a service station between the two cameras.
Richard


True enough. Not much use for getting anywhere though. And if you're exceeding the limit in a highly obvious manner, you'll get spotted by the observation cameras and the BiB will be directed to come and have a word in your shell like I would imagine...

jon h

863 posts

305 months

Monday 15th December 2003
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One of our sales reps here got done in Northampton by a specs system. Average of 65 in a 50 limit over a short stretch of road with 2 roundabouts along the length, in a hire van. Not a bad effort really!!

Jon H

cptsideways

13,785 posts

273 months

Monday 15th December 2003
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The company that makes the specs system also make & supplied the Traffic Master systems which are the blue posts you see Everywhere! like every 5km one every main road in the uk. Also the same as the london Congestion System, just different software.

At the moment (TRAFFIC MASTER) are used for gathering AVERAGE times & over fixed distances. To get the average data you have to know the individual speeds of course, just at the moment they tally it all together, but they don't have to.

Ever wondered why they invested SO MUCH MONEY on a traffic info system?

It's here alright, it's currently pre-wired, they just have to switch the new software on.

andygo

7,252 posts

276 months

Monday 15th December 2003
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Just supposing they switched the software on, what the hell would they do with the extra revenue?

Allow extra benefits for'asylum' seekers, more jobs for the boys, put extra police on the streets to combat crime help the atrocious NHS, - nah, just go to the governments windfall fund. Another stealth tax.

hedders

24,460 posts

268 months

Tuesday 16th December 2003
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andygo said:
Just supposing they switched the software on, what the hell would they do with the extra revenue?

Allow extra benefits for'asylum' seekers, more jobs for the boys, put extra police on the streets to combat crime help the atrocious NHS, - nah, just go to the governments windfall fund. Another stealth tax.


There won't be any extra revenue if they switch it on, cos we will all lose our licenses and we will be on unemployed...not sure who will still be paying taxes at all when they take all our licenses off the people who need their cars/vans/lorries to work...

!

TSS

1,136 posts

289 months

Tuesday 16th December 2003
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ricardo g said:
Just a very quick question about this, supposing they were working,(and I think they do have them in other countries???) how would they work? How can it tell the distance I would have travelled in the last say 10miles if I had changed lanes 50times (I know this is an exaggeration but...) and its even more useless as you could bomb along at 200mph and then stop at a service station between the two cameras.

Richard


Here in Northampton there are turnings off the dual carriageway between the SPECS cameras. I haven’t seen it myself, but I‘m told that the locals who live off those turnings have learnt it is safe to ignore the speed limit when you go past the first camera, so long as you turn off before you get into range of the next camera.

percy

677 posts

290 months

Tuesday 16th December 2003
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TSS said:



Here in Northampton there are turnings off the dual carriageway between the SPECS cameras. I haven’t seen it myself, but I‘m told that the locals who live off those turnings have learnt it is safe to ignore the speed limit when you go past the first camera, so long as you turn off before you get into range of the next camera.


yep - true. Everyday coming home from work I only pass 1 camera (not that I speed of course - I just drive at a sensible pace )

The Lumbertubs Way does have an awkward bit that has caught out a few motorists - just under the footbridge there have been fatalities where people have gone too fast and ended up in the concrete supports. A mate of mine was first on the scene at one and was not impressed at the sight. So I suppose it is sensible to have a lower limit on that stretch. But the Specs cameras cover the whole length of that road for some reason.

streaky

19,311 posts

270 months

Tuesday 16th December 2003
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percy said:

TSS said:



Here in Northampton there are turnings off the dual carriageway between the SPECS cameras. I haven’t seen it myself, but I‘m told that the locals who live off those turnings have learnt it is safe to ignore the speed limit when you go past the first camera, so long as you turn off before you get into range of the next camera.



yep - true. Everyday coming home from work I only pass 1 camera (not that I speed of course - I just drive at a sensible pace )

The Lumbertubs Way does have an awkward bit that has caught out a few motorists - just under the footbridge there have been fatalities where people have gone too fast and ended up in the concrete supports. A mate of mine was first on the scene at one and was not impressed at the sight. So I suppose it is sensible to have a lower limit on that stretch. But the Specs cameras cover the whole length of that road for some reason.
Oh, I think we all know the reason! - Streaky

percy

677 posts

290 months

Tuesday 16th December 2003
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streaky said:

percy said:


TSS said:



Here in Northampton there are turnings off the dual carriageway between the SPECS cameras. I haven’t seen it myself, but I‘m told that the locals who live off those turnings have learnt it is safe to ignore the speed limit when you go past the first camera, so long as you turn off before you get into range of the next camera.




yep - true. Everyday coming home from work I only pass 1 camera (not that I speed of course - I just drive at a sensible pace )

The Lumbertubs Way does have an awkward bit that has caught out a few motorists - just under the footbridge there have been fatalities where people have gone too fast and ended up in the concrete supports. A mate of mine was first on the scene at one and was not impressed at the sight. So I suppose it is sensible to have a lower limit on that stretch. But the Specs cameras cover the whole length of that road for some reason.

Oh, I think we all know the reason! - Streaky


yes we do - just my attempt at being ironic