Maybe nabbed with an LTI 20-20 by a T5
Maybe nabbed with an LTI 20-20 by a T5
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Discussion

tonyout

Original Poster:

582 posts

271 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
quotequote all
Middle of the night, on a virtually deserted stretch of four lane motorway last night and I was shot at by a fully marked T5 with an LTI 20-20.

I was emerging from the cover of an artic at about (best not say, but less than the ton ) and I think I spotted him immediately. Braked down to 70 in 2-3 seconds and thought that's ok then. Then I saw the LTI!!!

For the BiBs, are they likely to put every catch through, or are you just looking for people going at warp speed? He didn't bother to follow me. I seemed to be the only driver who spotted him and braked.

How long does the LTI need to be locked on. Is a spot speed ok as I was breaking firmly all the time I was in view until I was at an indicated 70.

In the old days it seemed to be that if you spotted BiB, you were paying adequate attention and allowed to progress. Not so sure that will be the case now.

telecat

8,528 posts

270 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
quotequote all
If it was a Trafpol and you weren't stopped I think you got away with it. Sudden deceleration confuses the Laser Gun.

gh0st

4,693 posts

287 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
quotequote all
Which motorway was it TonyOut?

tonyout

Original Poster:

582 posts

271 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
quotequote all
A1M near Alconbury. There was a lane available for every car out there last night

cptsideways

13,884 posts

281 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
quotequote all
0.3 second nab time, but I think deceleration might be helpful for you.

Trafpol will normally pull you, but keep an eye out for a NIP just in case.

DustyC

12,822 posts

283 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
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Whats LTI?

Tafia

2,658 posts

277 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
quotequote all
DustyC said:
Whats LTI?


Laser speed measuring device with an interesting reputation!

tonyout

Original Poster:

582 posts

271 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
quotequote all
Tafia said:
Laser speed measuring device with an interesting reputation!

That's putting it kindly

bryan35

1,906 posts

270 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
quotequote all
0.3 seconds aquisition time, bounced off the highly reflective 'corner cube' or 'reflex reflector' on the backing of your number plate. (bounces light back in the direction that it came, in this case the infra red pulses)
LTI 2020 has to get 30 consistant reflections back. It neasures consistancy by effectively plotting the time of flight against time, and using a 'least squares' algorithm to establish the gradient, which is directly related to speed. However, if you're decelerating, then you can't plot a straight line, and you can't get the least squares algorithm to achieve a definitive result. The bottom line is, if your speed changes by more than 2 MPH in 0.3 seconds, the LTI throws it out. So that's about 7MPH seconds every second. I think you lose speed much quicker than that when you slam on.
have fun!

TonyOut

Original Poster:

582 posts

271 months

Tuesday 27th April 2004
quotequote all
Thanks... I was losing about 10 to 15 MPH/second. 0.9G brakes if needed... None of this highway code 0.6 G rubbish

Tafia

2,658 posts

277 months

Wednesday 28th April 2004
quotequote all
bryan35 said:
0.3 seconds aquisition time, bounced off the highly reflective 'corner cube' or 'reflex reflector' on the backing of your number plate. (bounces light back in the direction that it came, in this case the infra red pulses)
LTI 2020 has to get 30 consistant reflections back. It neasures consistancy by effectively plotting the time of flight against time, and using a 'least squares' algorithm to establish the gradient, which is directly related to speed. However, if you're decelerating, then you can't plot a straight line, and you can't get the least squares algorithm to achieve a definitive result. The bottom line is, if your speed changes by more than 2 MPH in 0.3 seconds, the LTI throws it out. So that's about 7MPH seconds every second. I think you lose speed much quicker than that when you slam on.
have fun!


This is very interesting. Does that mean that if a number plate is tilted forwards, the beam is reflected to the road surface rather than back to the gun?

Also, is the error message received under the conditions you describe the same as the error message caused by a laser jammer?

pentoman

4,835 posts

292 months

Wednesday 28th April 2004
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Also what happens if you have stick on plates, Or metal ones?

tonyout

Original Poster:

582 posts

271 months

Wednesday 28th April 2004
quotequote all
I think they need a flat surface to get a reflection.... Curvy cars are good!

Would be very contentious using one against a motorbike I think.

DustyC

12,822 posts

283 months

Wednesday 28th April 2004
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I think that all that reflection (curvy, angled etc) is fiction.

If that was the case the the laser would have to be at the same hieght of the plate and directly in front of it.
It is clearly already hitting the plate at an angle.

bryan35

1,906 posts

270 months

Wednesday 28th April 2004
quotequote all
nope chaps,
a 'reflex reflector' or 'corner cube mirror' as it is more correctly known as, replects light back in the direction in which it came. You can try it yourself using just 2 mirrors at 90 degrees to each other. No matter what angle you face them, you always see yourself. Quite handy on road signs, as you see them very brightly and most other road users don't (unless they are in the same line of sight)
tilted your number plate therefore makes no difference at all.
You can however asked the kind numberplate makers to sandwich in a sheet of IR opaque screen, which won't reflect IR at all, thus giving the LTI2020 a bit more of a hard time. Your headlights still relect however, though not nearly as well as the numberplate does.


DustyC

12,822 posts

283 months

Wednesday 28th April 2004
quotequote all
bryan35 said:
Your headlights still relect however, though not nearly as well as the numberplate does.




especially if the lights pop up!

I assume the windscreen reflects too?

KITT

5,345 posts

270 months

Wednesday 28th April 2004
quotequote all
bryan35 said:

You can however asked the kind numberplate makers to sandwich in a sheet of IR opaque screen, which won't reflect IR at all, thus giving the LTI2020 a bit more of a hard time. Your headlights still relect however, though not nearly as well as the numberplate does.


So were would one get such plates from then? And are they visible to the human eye?

bryan35

1,906 posts

270 months

Wednesday 28th April 2004
quotequote all
not really.
I'm friends with the chap who was on the project team installing and testing the congestion charge cameras in London. They see in infra red, and saw only a grey plate when this film was used. In normal vision, the plate looks completely ordinary.
I'll have a look to check where the film can be bought from.
It's nothing too impressive to be honest.
Some video cameras have these filters on to avoid IR pick up. The police ones certainly do, otherwise on your video clip you'd see beating/strobing speculars and glare from the plate as the laser hits it.

tvrman

359 posts

313 months

Thursday 6th January 2005
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I have to say, same thing happened to me on the M4 today. Saw 5 police cars up slip roads and running past the traffic, while on M4 and M5 today. Think there is some sort of clamp down at present.

Take care

Ian

Roadcop

655 posts

261 months

Thursday 6th January 2005
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Suprised that a LTI was being used by a T5...

Was is pointing out of the back?

If it was being held by the driver/passenger, it's more than likely to be a pro-laser...(however, you seem sure it's an LTI}

If he's pressed the button, the image and the speed will be recorded and he won't have any choice about whether it's processed or not...

The LTI obviously captures the image and so 'coming after you' isn't required. Where the pro-laser requires the BiB to actually stop the driver. I presume you already know that though