New speed weapon?

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New speed weapon?

Postby Perry Mitchell » Wed Jan 09, 2008 19:26

I'm referring to the Gatso just north of the Malden Junction on the A3, on the south carriageway. The road has three lanes here, but above the road markings for the Gatso is a gantry covering just the 'slow' lane and having what appear to be 5 parallel cameras mounted facing the north.

Anybody have the faintest idea what they are? I suspect it is some sort of experimental rig - I've not seen them anywhere else. I asked a Policeman friend who didn't know but said there are now so many third party cameras and sensors that he has lost the plot!

While we're at it, I've never heard an explanation of what the large vertically mounted 'Barcode' signs on the odd lamp post are for? There are still a couple on the A3 but the one that used to be in our local village has disappeared, so it could well be for an obselete system.
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Postby Allan Brown » Wed Jan 09, 2008 21:30

If the Gatso takes a photo from behind, the cameras might be there to get a picture from the front so that the driver can be identified or they could be Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras.

They have now got averaging speed cameras on the A27 near Emsworth.
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Postby David Regan » Thu Jan 10, 2008 00:25

Could we possibly start a SCORE database of all cameras we pass while out and about????

Maybe files could be devised and split in to counties and major cities? So, say I'm in Essex for instance, I could note a camera and add a post within the Essex file and so on?
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Postby Perry Mitchell » Thu Jan 10, 2008 18:51

Allan Brown wrote:If the Gatso takes a photo from behind, the cameras might be there to get a picture from the front so that the driver can be identified or they could be Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras.

Possibly, although would it really need 5 cameras per lane? There is a good story about this:
The Gatso cameras were originally designed to use from the front, and take a picture of the driver. One of the first places to use them was Victoria State in Australia. On the first (holiday) weekend they had them in use, they managed to catch a Senator (MP) off on a dirty w/e with a female colleague. He took the authorities to court on some invasion of privacy angle and won! They thus had to reverse the cameras to continue them in service, and presumably this caught on in other countries like UK.
I have no means of verifying this story but it was told me (in all seriousness) by my brother-in-law who is a Melbourne policeman!
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Postby Perry Mitchell » Thu Jan 10, 2008 19:02

David Regan wrote:Could we possibly start a SCORE database of all cameras we pass while out and about????

Well at least in Surrey we cannot complain about them 'hiding' the fixed Gatso cameras. They are all painted yellow and now all have warning signs back up the road. What you don't know is which ones are active! I was nabbed by one that previously got fire-bombed and was out of action for over a year (even though the case was replaced in a couple of weeks). Since I travel home from work late at night, I've got away with a few 'flashes' where the box has presumably run out of film. I won't have that luxury with the digital cameras!
I've also been nabbed by the mobile camera van, which DOESN'T have any warning signs. At least the Surrey one has a few regular spots so I now know where to look out for it!
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Postby Lisa Balsom » Thu Jan 10, 2008 23:09

David Regan wrote:Could we possibly start a SCORE database of all cameras we pass while out and about????

Maybe files could be devised and split in to counties and major cities? So, say I'm in Essex for instance, I could note a camera and add a post within the Essex file and so on?


This should help :D

http://www.speedcamerasuk.com/
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Postby Adrian Furniss » Fri Jan 11, 2008 12:15

Lisa Balsom wrote:
David Regan wrote:Could we possibly start a SCORE database of all cameras we pass while out and about????

Maybe files could be devised and split in to counties and major cities? So, say I'm in Essex for instance, I could note a camera and add a post within the Essex file and so on?


This should help :D

http://www.speedcamerasuk.com/


Or buy a Tom Tom.
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Postby Marcel Spoelstra » Fri Jan 11, 2008 20:42

Hello Cappo speedfriends,

Remember Gatso is a Dutch brand. There you should look for answer...

And there is one effective tool against cameras. :wink:

Please visit following website
http://www.stinger.nl/index.php?sec=index&lang=en

Happy driving!!
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Postby Brendan Molony » Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:43

Perry Mitchell wrote:The Gatso cameras were originally designed to use from the front, and take a picture of the driver. One of the first places to use them was Victoria State in Australia. On the first (holiday) weekend they had them in use, they managed to catch a Senator (MP) off on a dirty w/e with a female colleague. He took the authorities to court on some invasion of privacy angle and won! They thus had to reverse the cameras to continue them in service, and presumably this caught on in other countries like UK.


The reason the standard Gatso takes a picture of the rear of a vehicle is down to motorbikes only having a rear number plate in the UK, not privacy, though the court case may have influenced the Australian authorities to change their method of use.

Another consideration for not using Gatso for oncoming pictures is that it uses multiple flashes - a potential safety hazard for the alledged offender and those following at night.
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Postby Marcel Spoelstra » Tue Jan 15, 2008 17:26

Gatsos makes normaly one photo and usally from the rear. Only modern Gatsos use infra-red. When using infra-red cameras you don't see a flash anymore. Only in Germany they make a front photo. That is the only way to prove who drove the car. Perhaps rear photos is 'old fashioned' or is it because of privay legislation they don't change it?
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