Speed Camera Fine Maybe.

[ppauls150]

What fine do you get if you get caught on a fixed speed camera? Also How do speed cameras work? I was working this morning driving around and was going down this road which was 50mph. Then all of a sudden i seen these flashes and then noticed the speed camera. The speed camera was on the other side of the road facing me. I thought firstly that cameras worked on the basis that they only do the side of the road that the cameras are on and not the opposite side that your driving. I wondered why it had flashed me when it was 50mph. I turned around to have a look and the sign does say 50mph and then almost behind that something like 50 yards was another sign saying that the speed is 30mph which obviously i didnt notice as i had just saw the first sign for 50mph. I also remember that if it is on these yellow backgrounds that they dont conform to the specifications of the road traffic act and that they are unlawful or something, is that right? Also is that fair to have a 50mph sign and then almost behind it have a 30mph sign.

[nero12]

What fine do you get if you get caught on a fixed speed camera? Also How do speed cameras work? I was working this morning driving around and was going down this road which was 50mph. Then all of a sudden i seen these flashes and then noticed the speed camera. The speed camera was on the other side of the road facing me. I thought firstly that cameras worked on the basis that they only do the side of the road that the cameras are on and not the opposite side that your driving. I wondered why it had flashed me when it was 50mph. I turned around to have a look and the sign does say 50mph and then almost behind that something like 50 yards was another sign saying that the speed is 30mph which obviously i didnt notice as i had just saw the first sign for 50mph. I also remember that if it is on these yellow backgrounds that they dont conform to the specifications of the road traffic act and that they are unlawful or something, is that right? Also is that fair to have a 50mph sign and then almost behind it have a 30mph sign.

 

Were there signs on both sides of the road when entering the 30 mph zone?

[green_and_mean]

You post doesn't really make sense, do you mean you turned round and looked at the signs or turned the car around and went back? The signs would be correct if on different sides of the road one side you would be entering to 50 limit the otherside entering the 30 mph limit? Maybe if you could do a diagram or post a photo it would be easier to understand.

[buzby]

This happens a lot - if it was a standard GATSO it will only record your speed whilst passing, NOT approaching it (Truvelo's do that). My local camera flashes me constantly as I approach but it requires a number of circumstances for this to be met - even so, the firing of the camera flash may not mean a picture has been taken. Assuming it was on the opposite side of the road to your direction of travel, I'd ignore it.

[patdavies]

A GATSO (two white flashes in quick succession) cannot be used for traffic enforcement on approaching traffic. They are only type approved for receding traffic.

 

A TRUVELO (purple flash) can be used to enforce in either direction. One flash if set for approaching traffic; two flashes for receding traffic. It cannot be set to do both simultaneously AFAIK.

[skymaster729]

I found this link detailing many types of speed camera and how they work. clearlicence.co.uk - Speed Traps

 

Also, if you were doing 50 in a 30 you could expect a summons if caught. more here : clearlicence.co.uk - Points and Fines, a guide to the penalty points system. Totting up

 

If it was a classic Gatso camera then indeed it can only catch you as you drive away from it, not towards it.

[patdavies]

I have seen that site before. They - like many other sites - are wrong that the UK approved Truvelo uses an invisible infra-red flash. It is type-approved only for use with a magenta flash.

 

This picture on the manufacturer's website clearly shows the magenta colouring of the flash.

[skymaster729]

Truvelo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

You might just be right there....

[nero12]

oops wrong thread.

Edited June 4, 2008 by nero12

[steieboy23]

hi

i was doin 54 passed a 50 speed camera i think it flashed me but im not sure,what are they set at to go off thankyou.

[buzby]

For starters, is your speedo calibrated? They usually over-read by 10% so it it showed 54, you were probably doing 51-52. Also other things can make it fire, and will require a check of the two images. If you're that borderline, you;ll have nothing to worry about - or even if one of the older film cameras has run out of film, or indeed HAS no camera within the housing.

[crem]

For starters, is your speedo calibrated? They usually over-read by 10% so it it showed 54, you were probably doing 51-52.

 

also the camera would probably apply the ACPO guideline speeds before firing, i.e. on a 50 this would be 10% +2 =57mph. Bearing in mind this would be an "actual" speed so taking buzby's valid point into the equation too, your speedo would be reading about 59/60mph to trip the camera.

[annpow]

I was recently caught by a camera at a set of traffic lights. I thought that these type only triggered if you went through a red light. The light was green and the camera only flashed once.

 

I have received a penalty notice through the post. Stating that I was doing 58mph in a 50 limit. To be honest I thought it was a sixty limit and I would have said I was in excess of this as I was late to pick up my daughter.

 

Strangley my friend has received a fixed penalty notice caught by the same camera. He also says that the traffic lights were green and the camera flashed once. According to the notice he was also doing 58mph. He feels he was doing nearer to 70.

[buzby]

A good many of these cameras are in the process of being upgraded do do both functions (whereas previously it was one or the other). I now tread all camera alerts as red light/seed, confirming with my GPS what the speed limit is from the icon on the display. This isn't foolproof, but it's right more often than it's wrong. well worth the initial investment!