Mobile Cameras

chas921 · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 98

Hi.............New to me but last night I saw a mobile van working the A96 West of Nairn (Scotland) Now I said `last night` as it was DARK! I did`nt think that the present cameras had the ability to see in the dark?

I only saw their Van as my headlights illuminated the front of their vehicle which was parked on my side of the verge, trapping traffic on the Easterly run, and completely opposite to where they normally sit, and on my return trip, they were positioned in a Bus stop, on the Bend (West Side Nairn) and you would not be able to react if you were over the 40 limit?

Perhaps there is new technology out there, but a first for me to see this after 2100 GMT.

Any thoughts or info!
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Device:TOMTOM START 52 & SNOOPER 3ZERO

Take care, keep your eyes on the road, not the navigator?

chas

Darren · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:09 am Post subject:

I was always under the impression that they could only operate in conditions where they were able to identify vehicles as a distance in order to target them.

You say it was dark but was there are street light or other illumination?

Was this definitely a safety camera van and not ANPR or something else?
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Darren Griffin

DennisN · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 10:49 am Post subject:

From watching Cops and Robbers on TV, I was always under the impression that they could operate in the dark. "Identify" I'd assume means "see a vehicle coming" (as opposed to a cow or a low flying Tornado jet Laughing

). They could point the camera aiming sight thing at any oncoming headlights, camera emits a squawk to indicate target lock, then "displays" the speed. I'm pretty sure I saw a programme where a motorway police unit got somebody doing 90 in this manner. They can certainly operate in poor visibility - rain, mist etc. I've just searched through ACPO guidelines where I expected to find something about this, but didn't. Personally, I'd assume they can operate at night from the belt and braces philosophy.
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

Darren · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 12:02 pm Post subject:

chas921 · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 98

Darren

The first sighting (opposite the access track to the bridge / Rail workings A96) West of Nairn is between towns, countryside, and as I drove past the van on my side of the road, he dissapeared into dark, absolutely no street lighting, or for that fact any vehicle lighting. My return trip was within 45 mins whereby the second sighting was illuminated by sodium street lighting.

My belief is, that in order to make better, the effect of traffic monitoring, the vans are highly visible? The van last night was only visible in headlights, so you would not see the van until it was too late.

I had the opportunity some time back to spend an Hour at the roadside with a crew from The North East Safety Camera Partnership (NESCAMP). This really opened my eyes to what they were up to. And it changed my views about their ways.
There are limitations and all sorts of other niff and naff that they have to abide by, and believe it or not, the system allows to favour the Driver, unless your clearly making a big offence?

But last night surprised me. I know the un-marked Police vehicles along this road all use the Lite 20/20 and they work ok, but their not videoing the event.

(The two sightings were the same vehicle)

Ive no worry about my speed last night as I was only 50MPH on National Speed restricted road. But my concern is, has technology improved, if so,Drivers beware??
_________________
Device:TOMTOM START 52 & SNOOPER 3ZERO

Take care, keep your eyes on the road, not the navigator?

chas

DennisN · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 3:16 pm Post subject:

Duddy · Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2009 5:17 pm Post subject:

chas921 · Regular Visitor Joined: Nov 05, 2005 Posts: 98

*UPDATE*

I can now confirm that the Northern Safety Camera Partnership (NSCP)camera van was/is carrying out Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) duties, on behalf of the Northern Constabulary.

I can also confirm that the normal equipment and methods used for recording speed CAN be used under low light conditions ie street lighting.
_________________
Device:TOMTOM START 52 & SNOOPER 3ZERO

Take care, keep your eyes on the road, not the navigator?

chas

MikeGordon · Lifetime Member Joined: Mar 07, 2006 Posts: 142

I saw something for the first time in Northwood Hills in NW London the other day. About 100 yards from a roundabout on the A404 the Met had set up what looked like a single bog-standard video camera. A couple of hundred yards further down a few people had been pulled over and they were being talked to by some officers and details being taken. No chase cars or bikes were obvious.

I am not sure whether they were speed cameras because the distance from the roundabout seemed too short or whether they were checking tax/insurance details with DVLA but my question is: "Can they check these details that quickly?"

Personally, I don't have a problem with police pinching these people. They cost all of us about £44 a head on our insurance premiums if you can believe what you read and no one wants to be hit by an uninsured driver.

Mike

Darren · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 7:47 pm Post subject: Re: Speed camera??

DennisN · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 8:34 pm Post subject:

Having been hit by an uninsured TWOC driver nearly 40 years ago, I am here to agree 100% with ANPR and Darren (it usually checks for MOT and the police national computer for criminal associations too).

At my age, I often spend happy hours vegetating on the sofa watching the Police, Camera, Action programmes on telly and I've seen this in real time - there was even one unit which announced a "strike" by shouting Fred Flintstone's "Yabadabadooooo" as it flashed up the offending registration plate - nice cops and robbers chase ensues - love it!
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Dennis

If it tastes good - it's fattening.

Two of them are obesiting!!

Andy_P · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 10:55 pm Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 11:12 am Post subject:

BigPerk · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 12:33 pm Post subject:

I agree - it's difficult to draw the line, but regular protesters as a whole do include a (small) number of very unpleasant people who may not get a criminal record until the police get enough evidence and intelligence for a conviction - remember the Biolab 'hate campaign' protests not so long ago, which extended over several years? And terrorists obviously form a (VERY small) % of some groups - the question is "which %?"

Of course discretion is key, and 'Black Rats' (a Yard colleague's description, not mine!) are not always well up in that area unfortunately. I'm sure that detectives themselves DO differentiate between 'innocent' protesters and the really important ones - after all they haven't got all the time in the world to follow everyone.

Mind you, as for ANPR, while there may not be an official 'network' I thought there were sufficient on motorways to be used for 'track and trace' where appropriate?
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David
(Navigon 70 Live, Nuvi 360)

Andy_P · Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 6:24 pm Post subject:

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