Mobile camera vans

Site Subscriber Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 2317

Just how do they work? I passed one when I was in the outside lane of a dual carriageway doing 80, I'm just wondering if they are sat by the side of the road can they capture cars on both lanes or is the laser 'fixed' to look at a certain point?

Cheers

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

they use a reference point ont he road like those lovely white liones across the road.

Site Subscriber Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 2317

Ah right, so they can only monitor one lane of traffic?

Level 8 User Joined: 07 Sep 2004 Posts: 328

Hi

If you look in the middle of the road disregarding the whit lines every 1/4 of a mile or so you will see white squares, these nodes are used by Vas cars (Cop Cars) When there sensors hit one of these whilst in pursuit it activates the on board pc to start recording after a 1/4 of a mile it will hit another of these nodes and stop the onboard pc therefore clocking the speed over the 1/4 and thats what gives the police your average speed. Those are the whit lines i think Chris was on about.

But covered in White Paint

Gatco cameras, those big yellow/grey boxes are laser oriantated and measure your speed over a 20m distatnce and then calculate it. from start of the white line to the end white line.

Cam vans are different again. They also use lasers but if i recall they zap your speed without distance recognisation. As the van is static and manned its an instant speed catch.

Hope this helps!!

Cam vans only work one way, gatso's can be dual way depending on there make and coppers in fast cop cars can be anywhere!! Rolling Eyes

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

aye thats the ones speedfreak.

Forum Moderator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 1356

Er no. The white boxes a 1/4 mile apart are for police use, but its for calibration of the speedo. They have to mark down every shift that they tested the speedo before going into operation.

Site Subscriber Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 1139

"calm down people, it's only a commercial"

i sense an intresting debate about to happen here!

CARRY-ON Exclamation

Level 8 User Joined: 07 Sep 2004 Posts: 328

Maybe your right soneji. I definatly know that i am right considering that I have spent the last 15 years listening to a very close relation drilling it in to me.

Plus the nodes the coppers use are usually on a dual carriageway or on a national speedlimit awarded single lane trunk road travelling along at a rate off 55mph, thats what speed the onboard computers are calibrated up on the start of the coppers shift.

Laughing

Hope this has set everyone straight Twisted Evil

Site Subscriber Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 1139

SpeedFreak wrote:

Hope this has set everyone stright Twisted Evil

is that ment 2 b "straight"? Razz

Level 2 User Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 45

I wanted to know how these vans worked so i stopped when i saw one and knocked on the door. The guy let me in and showed me exactly what happens. He was a friendly chap.

Basically th vans are manned by non-coppers (in Norfolk anyway). They are people just contracted to run the vans, and have no powers of arrest. The laser is a gun that is simply pointed at the cars as they approach (to read a positive number of travel) or at the cars as they retreat (to give a negative speed of travel). Busses and HGVs usually totally obscure the road so cars behind them are difficult to catch. Motorbikes cannot be caught approaching the van as they have no forward reading number plate. Once a speed above the limit is detected the man tracks the car until it is close and points the cam at the number plate to read that.

Needless to say after hed shown me the equipment i slit his throat and torched the van as id just sped though a 30 at 100 mph and needed to destroy the evidence.

Gay Rights Activist Joined: 07 Apr 2004 Posts: 1268

they cant get you going away from them tho, or is that an urban myth??

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

gatSo cameras dont measure ur speed over 20m or so, they take 2 pics of you at a timed interval and caluculate your speed from the distance u travelled in that known time.

and i think they r radar operated...as far as they have to know u r goin too fast before u reach it in order to be ready to take the pic whenu pass it....theres no lasers on the back of them.

Level 2 User Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 45

stan wrote:

they cant get you going away from them tho, or is that an urban myth??

Yes they can, but it would be difficult for them to catch your plate as well so more likely to get away with it.