observation and mobile cameras

[petercam]

Reading some recent comments regarding drivers failing to observe camera vans at the side of the road whilst driving (and that being a negative on their driving), I want to open up the following point to debate. Is a camera van sitting stationary at the side of the road, a hazard, in the same way that a group of children playing near the roadside would be a hazard? I put it to you that a stationary camera van, like any other stationary vehicle is worth nothing more than a cursory glance. Your attention should be focussed on what is lurking behind said stationary vehicles, and what is likely to come into conflict with your path of travel (and a dozens of other more potentially dangerous hazards I could mention). Nowadays, you have to make all those observations, and then re-observe those vehicles to spot any open hatches, extra aerials and all the other sublte signs that you are about to be 'copped' for transgressing a number on your speedo. All this takes away from what you should be doing which is paying attention to the road. Nature's camouflage is stillness, and this is how your hazard perception works. You spot something moving, and can decide in a split second if it is going to become a hazard or not. A camera van is not moving, therefore not as perceptible to your senses as a 'real' hazard. In my personal experience, I have had to 'retrain' myself to spot camera vans. A stationary vehicle sitting on a motorway bridge was not a perceptible hazard ten years ago in the way it is now (ie a hazard to your licence). Ten years ago, if I had been steaming down a motorway at over 70mph and I saw a van on a bridge, I would not have reacted to it. Ten years ago, a pedestrian moving about on top of a motorway bridge would be a very real hazard, and would warrant a reaction in my driving if they were not walking across in a normal manner. Now a days I have to react to both scenarios, though the first scenario should not present any additional danger to me.

What's your opinion ....

[Mr Whippy]

I agree, and thankfully they can never ban our eyes from spotting them, no matter how hard they try!

However, like you say, how much time do you give to spotting these non-hazards? The only way to be sure they are not a hazard is to stick to the speed limits, which in itself can cause hazards (motorway with everyone in all lanes going 70mph would be bad for example)

I'm tempted to say in 5 years, with CCTV tech getting better, and computing power accelerating nicely, neural net's will soon be able to watch the road ahead better than we can, and spot anything police or scamera related before we ever could, and alert us to that fact.

Just have a dash mounted "Road Angel Ultimate" scanning the view ahead for any speed monitoring equipment and bobs your uncle

Can't ban "eyes" can they?

Dave

[petercam]

Mr Whippy said:

However, like you say, how much time do you give to spotting these non-hazards?

Exactly, and it annoys me when people assume that you are a bad driver just because you have failed to notice that the innocuous looking parked up van at the side of the road is actually a scamera van. Thats not to say that you haven't observed it and dismissed it instantly as a non hazard. How many other vans have you passed in your journey, that you have correctly observed and negotiated as non hazards. Yet when you see, but fail to identify the one that sits there either partially obscured, or in a location where you observe it to be in no immediate threat to your safe progress, your driving abilities are suddenly brought into question. These vans are difficult to identify at a distance, and require a lot of concentration - concentration that may be taken away from more immediate dangers.

[havoc]

Mr Whippy said:

I'm tempted to say in 5 years, with CCTV tech getting better, and computing power accelerating nicely, neural net's will soon be able to watch the road ahead better than we can, and spot anything police or scamera related before we ever could, and alert us to that fact.

Not a chance, not unless you're prepared to spend megabucks...and if that's the case you can afford both Nick Freeman AND to live abroad where there aren't so many cameras.