Thursday 9th October 2008
The Speed Cameras You Cannot Escape
Government planning 30 mile network of speed cameras that follow you everywhere
New caneras based on SPECS technology
The Government is trialling a new generation of speed cameras that can track drivers for up to 30 miles, it has been revealed. The average speed cameras could be positioned across large areas of cities or urban areas and drivers would not be able to evade them even by making a series of turns.
By covering all the entry or exit points the cameras would work out whether a driver has sped at any part of their journey. The cameras would be connected via internet lines and would calculate a car’s average speed and slowing down briefly will have no effect.
There could be up to 50 cameras working together and they can be positioned more than 15 miles apart. The devises automatically read number plates and transmit data instantly to a penalty processing centre.
It is understood that police trials of the new cameras have concluded successfully and further trials are due to start in Northern Ireland. The Home Office could approve the technology as early as January and the first fines could start flooding in next summer.
Jim Fitzpatrick, the Road Safety Minister, said yesterday would improve congestion and save lives. ‘When the Home Office approves the equipment, I think there will be great interest among the safety-camera partnerships. They will give a more sophisticated edge to cameras than the blunt instrument we have at the moment.’
Mr Fitzpatrick said that existing pairs of average speed cameras have proved the technology works. ‘Wherever there are average-speed camera signs, the traffic moves at a uniform pace. Congestion reduces and accidents reduce.’
The Association of British Drivers disagrees, arguing that Specs3 could cause drivers to lose concentration. Brian Gregory, a founder member, said: ‘People put the car in cruise control and the mind in neutral. It’s so boring driving through these sections at a constant slow speed that people are going to drop off.’
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Mafioso
Original Poster
1,401 posts
51 months
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Essex Exile
334 posts
30 months
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Jim Fitzpatrick, the Road Safety Minister, said yesterday would improve congestion and save lives. ‘When the Home Office approves the equipment, I think there will be great interest among the safety-camera partnerships. Yeah, I bet there will! KERCHING!!!!!  S!!
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Gizmo!
6,883 posts
46 months
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The French have done this for years, just by timing your entry and exit from stretches of toll motorway. Just means you always take a comfort break on each stretch. 
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slikrs
33 posts
25 months
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"The average speed cameras could be positioned across large areas of cities or urban areas and drivers would not be able to evade them even by making a series of turns.
By covering all the entry or exit points the cameras would work out whether a driver has sped at any part of their journey. "
Seriously?
This doesn't sound simply like traffic control, big brother's watching you.... And slowing down briefly etc etc will confuse any system measuring speed between two points, that's the definition of average!
What they're basically saying is pass through any pair of cameras over the average speed and you'll be done, so if you do the "15 mile" dash and stop short for 5 mins you'll be OK bar teh fact that the database has just tracked your movements, the time of your movements and can using pattern recognition software decipher and predict your movements.
Do we seriously believe the budget for a system like this came from the same place as GATSO cameras? I have my doubts, sounds like an alternative to the 'black box' road tax system which could do all this and track you 24/7 but left a bitter taste in the mouth of anyone who valued their privacy.
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mmm-five
4,384 posts
121 months
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I'd better affix my number plate more securely then. After all, I wouldn't want it falling off and me not noticing it, would I?
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krallicious
1,643 posts
42 months
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This will require so much investment. Do we really have the excess cash to implement this system over such a large area. Didn't the system in Northern Ireland catch no motorists? Therefore how is the system meant to raise cash for the government?
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Wilder
1,457 posts
46 months
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Why dont they just insert a microchip in everyone like we do with cats & dogs, who are law abiding and therefore able to pay when caught. No need to go with 1/2 measures, then you cna be tracked everywhere and if theres a crime , they also know where you were when it happened - bonus!
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DSM2
2,449 posts
37 months
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This really has become a sad Country.
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Wilder
1,457 posts
46 months
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DSM2 said: This really has become a sad Country. Dont worry, these clowns will be gone long before that ever happens.... I just hope the next lot arnt such grubby totalitarians as this bunch of inept losers.
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DAVEVO9
1,726 posts
104 months
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Clearcoat
1,475 posts
46 months
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Not interested in news like this ... please stop publishing it ... it's rubbish ... none of us on here speed ....this is a forum about cars not speed .... 
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Fetchez la vache
3,651 posts
51 months
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Lets be sure about this. This will be on motorways for a money raising exercise It will not be used in cities as a safety exercise The costs of having a camera on every entry / exit road in a city would be far too prohibitive. The cash generation scheme looks to have ramped up a gear  , and will not benefit safety one jot. Why don't they look at the real stats for the existing cameras. Anyway, with the state of things at the moment, hopefully they won't be able to afford to implement them... Edit: Spelling, grammer, punctuation yada yada..
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monotokpoint
4 posts
25 months
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tonytifoso
156 posts
60 months
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The only people who are going to make money out of this ill-thought out plan are the C ompletely U seless N ew T echnology S taff who are flogging this pap and the lobbyists who they employ. 
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PetrolTed
33,495 posts
140 months
PH Janitor
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As an earlier posted noted, trials in Northern Ireland resulted in almost no convictions. Once partnerships realise they're turkeys voting for Christmas they won't be so keen to adopt the systems.
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loomx
191 posts
62 months
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They already started doing this in a way... I noticed the other day on the motorway, they put specs cameras on the slip road on and off of the services so you could stop and get your average speed down... Grr!
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White-Noise
3,568 posts
85 months
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They wont be putting these over the great roads in the countryside where its more a joy to drive so people will still head out there to enjoy the roads. Oh, and people will still die when they crash into trees.
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beasto
278 posts
51 months
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This is not speed control but total surveillance.
Time to fight or flee.
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Glosphil
1,615 posts
71 months
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Gizmo! said: The French have done this for years, just by timing your entry and exit from stretches of toll motorway. Just means you always take a comfort break on each stretch. Do you personally know anyone who has actually been caught speeding this way? French police do use speed measurement just before tolls and pull cars over at the tolls - has this given rise to a myth?
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PPPPPP
826 posts
68 months
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beasto said: This is not speed control but total surveillance.
Time to fight or flee. The Govt wants you to stay at home, and just send them a cheque for tax every month. Job Done.
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