Britain's most powerful speed camera hits the M4
Discussion
So, when reading about the same story from a different source, I stumbled across this picture:
I appreciate focal length can be a funny old thing that can falsely alter how a picture looks, but the red car behind the Mini is in serious need of a ticket in my opinion.
Yet the driver is likely to sail by this camera without a qualm...bizarrely because of how close they are to the car in front.
I would support policing by camera more if it covered crimes such as tail gating and lane disciple, rather than just speed.
Saying that, it is very hard to argue that:
- higher speed doesn't make the consequences of any given accident worse
- higher speed doesn't makes it less likely a driver will have time to react to any given incident
- higher speed doesn't make any given car harder to control and stop (lets ignore F1 car down force for this purpose)
- a smallish percentage of drivers / bikers prove themselves to be unable to physically keep their vehicle on the roads at higher speeds
Plus of course, the process to obtain my car and bike licence made it abundantly clear that rules on speeding were both present, and enforced in the UK. So please excuse me if I don't run to get my pitchfork immediately upon hearing the police are trying to get more effective at what they've been doing for decades.
Ian
I appreciate focal length can be a funny old thing that can falsely alter how a picture looks, but the red car behind the Mini is in serious need of a ticket in my opinion.
Yet the driver is likely to sail by this camera without a qualm...bizarrely because of how close they are to the car in front.
I would support policing by camera more if it covered crimes such as tail gating and lane disciple, rather than just speed.
Saying that, it is very hard to argue that:
- higher speed doesn't make the consequences of any given accident worse
- higher speed doesn't makes it less likely a driver will have time to react to any given incident
- higher speed doesn't make any given car harder to control and stop (lets ignore F1 car down force for this purpose)
- a smallish percentage of drivers / bikers prove themselves to be unable to physically keep their vehicle on the roads at higher speeds
Plus of course, the process to obtain my car and bike licence made it abundantly clear that rules on speeding were both present, and enforced in the UK. So please excuse me if I don't run to get my pitchfork immediately upon hearing the police are trying to get more effective at what they've been doing for decades.
Ian
charltjr said:
The lens doesn’t change the range or capabilities of the laser.
The lens allows for higher quality footage at a longer distance to capture detail such as mobile phone use or a clear image of the driver.
It’s not new and has been used by other forces. It doesn’t change the law or what actions the police can take under the law, so the usual combination of advice letters, awareness courses, points and fines will still apply.
This is just a media push to make drivers think twice about their behaviour, isn’t that a form of education?
Christ, finally someone that gets it! The lens allows for higher quality footage at a longer distance to capture detail such as mobile phone use or a clear image of the driver.
It’s not new and has been used by other forces. It doesn’t change the law or what actions the police can take under the law, so the usual combination of advice letters, awareness courses, points and fines will still apply.
This is just a media push to make drivers think twice about their behaviour, isn’t that a form of education?
55palfers said:
In other news, it seems 20% of those found in possession of a knife aren't prosecuted!
Why can't motorists say "Sorry, I won't do it again" I wonder?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6402027/F...
A DM “investigation”. Always a quality foundation in which to base an argument upon... Why can't motorists say "Sorry, I won't do it again" I wonder?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6402027/F...
What I find odd is that they omitted to FOI or cross reference disposal with age. I bet because it shows a correlation of age with outcome i.e. youths being dealt with out of courts as per the guidance they’re claiming says “everyone should be prosecuted”.
In terms of motorists saying “sorry”. I bet there are quite a lot of motorists who are subject to discretion for minor motoring matters.
That’s actually a lesser outcome than the out of court disposals.
covboy said:
Have you ever used a long telephoto lens ?
Loads of times, I am currently sitting in Rio having just finished shooting wildlife in the Amazon with what most would consider long telephotos. This is nothing to do with that though. The long lens would compress apparent distance between vehicles but I wasn't talking about that. If the viewer uses the same reference point and neither viewer nor the reference point move then parallax and compression are nullified and timings between vehicle A and Vehicle B passing the same point are unaffected by the focal length of the lens. In fact the better the magnification the more accurate the reading would be. 
Graveworm said:
Loads of times, I am currently sitting in Rio having just finished shooting wildlife in the Amazon with what most would consider long telephotos. This is nothing to do with that though. The long lens would compress apparent distance between vehicles but I wasn't talking about that. If the viewer uses the same reference point and neither viewer nor the reference point move then parallax and compression are nullified and timings between vehicle A and Vehicle B passing the same point are unaffected by the focal length of the lens. In fact the better the magnification the more accurate the reading would be.
What's your video framerate for these forensic accuracies at 70mph? How steep an angle do you need for the camera to see properly? How many milliseconds or sub frames apart is tailgating? How do you measure the gap between the arse of a car you (which you cant really see) to the bumper of the trailing car (which you also cant see) - or do you measure tailgating from the front? Cant see this working! Copacabana cocktails nice? 
Ken Figenus said:
Graveworm said:
Loads of times, I am currently sitting in Rio having just finished shooting wildlife in the Amazon with what most would consider long telephotos. This is nothing to do with that though. The long lens would compress apparent distance between vehicles but I wasn't talking about that. If the viewer uses the same reference point and neither viewer nor the reference point move then parallax and compression are nullified and timings between vehicle A and Vehicle B passing the same point are unaffected by the focal length of the lens. In fact the better the magnification the more accurate the reading would be.
What's your video framerate for these forensic accuracies at 70mph? How steep an angle do you need for the camera to see properly? How many milliseconds or sub frames apart is tailgating? How do you measure the gap between the arse of a car you (which you cant really see) to the bumper of the trailing car (which you also cant see) - or do you measure tailgating from the front? Cant see this working! Copacabana cocktails nice? Ian Geary said:
So, when reading about the same story from a different source, I stumbled across this picture:
I appreciate focal length can be a funny old thing that can falsely alter how a picture looks, but the red car behind the Mini is in serious need of a ticket in my opinion.
Or he may just have pulled out from behind the truck and is going significantly slower than the mini, in which case a ticket is not justified imo. Without the full story, a single image can be quite unreliable.I appreciate focal length can be a funny old thing that can falsely alter how a picture looks, but the red car behind the Mini is in serious need of a ticket in my opinion.
speedking31 said:
r he may just have pulled out from behind the truck and is going significantly slower than the mini, in which case a ticket is not justified imo. Without the full story, a single image can be quite unreliable.
Agreed - however, it takes videohttps://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/chelten...
Driver of the Fiesta is clearly driving aggressively and way over the speed limit.
Normally I'd be rolling my eyes at the Golf pulling out so close in front of the Fiesta - but as many other people have explained better than me maybe that's not as bad as it looks.
There's certainly a ton of BS in the news coverage of this - but then it's targeted at people who read local newspapers.
All I can tell you is, I drove the same route to and from Cirencester this weekend where I got nabbed last time and I didn't exceed the speed limit at all. Clearly "education" works, unexpectedly well actually, since I've not even attended the "naughty boy" course yet.
The legal limit on a dual carriageway is 70mph+10%+2mph, right?
charltjr said:
Good to see that video. Huge perspective compression on it though - the Golf looks like it cuts up the Nissin truck and that white SUV on the right looks like its nailed to the back of that flat bed truck. NICE TO SEE RED CAR HAS IT ON DASHCAM!!! They prosecuted him for speeding only btw...SCEtoAUX said:
speedking31 said:
NO. 70 + 10% +2 is the threshold where prosecutions start. The legal limit is 70 + 10% + 1 HTH
Just to clarify, you're saying that the speed limit on a motorway is 78MPH?Ken Figenus said:
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/brit...
"Dubbed 'The Long Ranger' police have unveiled the new weapon in a drive to clamp down on tailgating and speeding".
Can someone please explain to me how a super long paparazzo style lens will help in detecting tailgating?
That's all.
Still no mention of keeping left unless overtaking..."Dubbed 'The Long Ranger' police have unveiled the new weapon in a drive to clamp down on tailgating and speeding".
Can someone please explain to me how a super long paparazzo style lens will help in detecting tailgating?
That's all.
Some seriously stupid signage on that bit of motorway, too.
Taking the biscuit are matrix signs in Welsh. In that part of Wales I'd guess that less than 5% of drivers can actually read them - and that none, anywhere in Wales, can't read a sign in English. So at best they're a waste of time; at worst a distraction hazard.
But even worse are the gantry signs currently operating on the M4 Eastbound approaching J24 (Coldra).
One lane of the exit slip is closed, so a 50 limit has been imposed for the half-mile up to the junction, presumably to mitigate the hazard of queuing traffic. Unfortunately the signs show a 50 limit for all lanes including the one that is coned off. This has been the case, 24/7, for weeks.
Taking the biscuit are matrix signs in Welsh. In that part of Wales I'd guess that less than 5% of drivers can actually read them - and that none, anywhere in Wales, can't read a sign in English. So at best they're a waste of time; at worst a distraction hazard.
But even worse are the gantry signs currently operating on the M4 Eastbound approaching J24 (Coldra).
One lane of the exit slip is closed, so a 50 limit has been imposed for the half-mile up to the junction, presumably to mitigate the hazard of queuing traffic. Unfortunately the signs show a 50 limit for all lanes including the one that is coned off. This has been the case, 24/7, for weeks.
handpaper said:
Some seriously stupid signage on that bit of motorway, too.
Taking the biscuit are matrix signs in Welsh. In that part of Wales I'd guess that less than 5% of drivers can actually read them - and that none, anywhere in Wales, can't read a sign in English. So at best they're a waste of time; at worst a distraction hazard.
Or maybe they are indicative of parity for both languages of Wales and are respectful and inclusive of all its citizens? Or would you just prefer to wipe out a huge part of heritage and culture as you are not very tolerant of it and prefer it all on your terms and anglo centric? The signs are always in BOTH languages not just one (albeit maybe not always on the same display) and if Switzerland can cope with 4 languages without one trying to be the default alpha with big sharp elbows, it is only fair and inclusive to include both here too. If you have a problem with that its your world view/mindset problem as its actually law not to discriminate and marginalise...yes...even against minorities in their own country...Taking the biscuit are matrix signs in Welsh. In that part of Wales I'd guess that less than 5% of drivers can actually read them - and that none, anywhere in Wales, can't read a sign in English. So at best they're a waste of time; at worst a distraction hazard.
Seesure said:
You never know ....
They may actually use them to sort out the middle lane drivers who seem to have taken total control of that section of the M4...
I don't think you'd get too many speeders as there is already gantry cameras in the variable speed sections...
The "keep centre and right" brigade monopolize the M4 from the bridges all the way through to J34 at Miskin...
Also they are looking at deploying the long range camera along the A417/419 Swindon through to Gloucester - there was a news report on TV earlier this week...
Oh marvellous, those 2 roads have just become part of my commute route!They may actually use them to sort out the middle lane drivers who seem to have taken total control of that section of the M4...
I don't think you'd get too many speeders as there is already gantry cameras in the variable speed sections...
The "keep centre and right" brigade monopolize the M4 from the bridges all the way through to J34 at Miskin...
Also they are looking at deploying the long range camera along the A417/419 Swindon through to Gloucester - there was a news report on TV earlier this week...
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