RE: Faulty Speed Camera
Wednesday 7th January 2004
Faulty Speed Camera
How widespread is the problem?
A driver in Dorset successfully challenged an allegation of speeding after it was alleged that a camera had caught him doing 51mph in a 30mph zone.
Kris Haskins had no recollection of speeding through the camera and asked for the evidence to be sent to him. It took six weeks before the evidence was released to him by the Dorset Speed Camera Partnership.
Despite the electronics clocking him at 51mph, the photos showed that Haskins' car passed over the white measurement lines in the road at a paltry 13.42 miles per hour.
The Safety Camera Partnership explained: "The safety camera had projected a reflected image of the vehicle in question which triggered the safety camera's radar."
With no evidence being offered to the majority of drivers being fined for speeding through cameras, it makes you wonder just how widespread these incorrect prosecutions could be...
Discussion
The willful ignorance, self-righteous arrogance and mean-spirited hypocrisy of these "safety camera" partnerships beggars belief.
I blame the English class system, which encourages people in authority to believe that they know best what's good for their subjects, er, citizens. Until you Brits create a better system of representational democracy, one that isn't stuffed to the gills with reality-divorced Oxbridge elitists, this kind of lunacy will continue.
I blame the English class system, which encourages people in authority to believe that they know best what's good for their subjects, er, citizens. Until you Brits create a better system of representational democracy, one that isn't stuffed to the gills with reality-divorced Oxbridge elitists, this kind of lunacy will continue.
....so we should adopt the US political system which seems to be run by big business, more $'s means more chance of getting a say in, or actually running the country?!
Sorry but politics the world over seems to be run by them for them no matter what the system, class is not really a problem in British politics as far as I'm concered [shop keepers, circus families anyone?]
>> Edited by hoganscrogan on Wednesday 7th January 15:11
Sorry but politics the world over seems to be run by them for them no matter what the system, class is not really a problem in British politics as far as I'm concered [shop keepers, circus families anyone?]
>> Edited by hoganscrogan on Wednesday 7th January 15:11
robert farago said:
I blame the English class system, which encourages people in authority to believe that they know best what's good for their subjects, er, citizens.
It's not so much the class system as much as lazyness and unaccountabillity. The w*nkers who run these camera systems are too lazy to check the pictures, and know that no-one will hold them to account for anything. So they can simply send out fines and not care about any comeback.
So let me get this right. We have the following:
1) Illegally sited cameras!
2) Illegally reduced speed limits!
3) Speed cameras that clock your speed at 51 rather than 15!
Never mind anything else that we dont know about. And they claim that speed cameras save lives? I thought that the cornerstone of the UK justice system was "innocent until proven guilty". The premise of this is that it is better to have 10 guilty men free than it is to have an innocent one found guilty....
But we are prosecuting 100's if not 1000's per year for a crime they didnt commit.... and this is right because the safety camera partnerships say so? Since when did someone change the date to 1984?
1) Illegally sited cameras!
2) Illegally reduced speed limits!
3) Speed cameras that clock your speed at 51 rather than 15!
Never mind anything else that we dont know about. And they claim that speed cameras save lives? I thought that the cornerstone of the UK justice system was "innocent until proven guilty". The premise of this is that it is better to have 10 guilty men free than it is to have an innocent one found guilty....
But we are prosecuting 100's if not 1000's per year for a crime they didnt commit.... and this is right because the safety camera partnerships say so? Since when did someone change the date to 1984?
pbrettle said:
So let me get this right. We have the following:
1) Illegally sited cameras!
2) Illegally reduced speed limits!
3) Speed cameras that clock your speed at 51 rather than 15!
When you put it like that it would appear the motorist is being demonised and persecuted. 
>> Edited by knowley on Wednesday 7th January 15:48
eharding said:
"The safety camera had projected a reflected image of the vehicle in question which triggered the safety camera's radar."
Bollocks.
This false reading has been caused by the rear doors of the vehicle in question, which were more than likely to be roller shutters. These type of doors or anything else that vibrates a lot as it goes through a Gatso camera can sometimes reflect the Radar beam and give a suprious reading. It usually happens with HGV`s and it is easily seen by a film reader.....
The two pictures taken of the vehicle should have been checked against the white check marks on the road/screen to verify its speed.
Personally I prefer Laser....
At the risk of repeating what I posted on another thread re this incident.
For a system to be accepted it has be accurate, fair, impartial, necessary plus operated competently and accurately. In my opinion electronic enforcement of speed too often shows that it meets none of these criteria.
What a stupid way to run a country!!!!!!!!
For a system to be accepted it has be accurate, fair, impartial, necessary plus operated competently and accurately. In my opinion electronic enforcement of speed too often shows that it meets none of these criteria.
What a stupid way to run a country!!!!!!!!
Flat in Fifth said:
At the risk of repeating what I posted on another thread re this incident.
For a system to be accepted it has be accurate, fair, impartial, necessary plus operated competently and accurately. In my opinion electronic enforcement of speed too often shows that it meets none of these criteria.
What a stupid way to run a country!!!!!!!!
I know that the system that operates in the Met. is accurate,fair etc, but I have to disagree with the rather sweeping statement that electronic enforcement of speed too often meets none of these criteria.
The problems come from the poor application of cameras by County forces. Anyway I now spend most of my time in unmarked traffic cars. I`m surprised no one saw my picture in the Evening Standard just before New Year in an article relating to speed enforcement/tailgaiting etc........
will crash said:
I`m surprised no one saw my picture in the Evening Standard just before New Year in an article relating to speed enforcement/tailgaiting etc........
Is this the article Will
'Candid camera' is new police weapon
By David Williams Motoring Editor, Evening Standard
17 December 2003
Police have unveiled the latest weapon against law-breaking motorists - video cameras.
Officers armed with the cameras in unmarked cars are recording growing numbers of drivers who evade speed cameras but who can cause accidents by tailgating or overtaking on the inside.
The motorists, in a north-west London pilot scheme, are pulled over and shown the footage on an in-car police TV.
Police today hailed the "candid camera" scheme a major success after stopping 131 motorists, 54 of whom faced prosecution for serious offences including drink-driving.
Thirty per cent of those prosecuted had no driving licence and insurance.
will crash said:
I know that the system that operates in the Met. is accurate,fair etc, but I have to disagree with the rather sweeping statement that electronic enforcement of speed too often meets none of these criteria.
The problems come from the poor application of cameras by County forces. Anyway I now spend most of my time in unmarked traffic cars. I`m surprised no one saw my picture in the Evening Standard just before New Year in an article relating to speed enforcement/tailgaiting etc........
I have to agree - the chances of a Police operated speed detection system being wrong is pretty damn remote (although it isnt impossible). The problem is that these CIVILIAN operated systems are open to fraud and they seem to have the divine belief that they are right and cannot be wrong. We have already seen some high profile cases where the Safety Camera Partnerships have been placing cameras illegally and enforcing illegal speed limts - now they have been prosecuting people without the correct evidence....
Its time that the control of the cameras are placed back into the hands of the Police and away from these madmen who we have no recourse against. At least with the Police there is a greater chance that it will be right, within the law and we have a channel to challenge them.... at the moment there is nothing - they are right, we are wrong and its all about targets and money - which is WRONG.
will crash said:Will, thanks for sticking your head above the parapet on this one!
The two pictures taken of the vehicle should have been checked against the white check marks on the road/screen to verify its speed.
Personally I prefer Laser....
However, this incident does tend to suggest that readings aren't checked against the marks on the road? Shouldn't they always be checked?
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