The Stationary Brick Wall That Is Moving At 58 MPH
from the pretty-fast-for-a-wall dept
Bob Dole writes "Cameras never lie, right? Well, if they don't then someone needs to explain how brick walls can move at 58 MPH and stationary cars can be clocked at 4 MPH. A British laser expert explains that if a laser speed gun operator's hand slips while measuring speed, it can add (or subtract) significantly to the speed measurement. The accuracy of speed cameras has long been an issue in Europe and Australia. Now there's some science to back up the skepticism." Reminds me of the old joke that people say whenever they get into an accident with stationary objects: "it hit me." Well, if a stationary wall can go 58 MPH, I guess it can jump out and hit a car as well...
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No Subject Given
There is a huge difference between hand-held laser speed guns and fixed road-side speeding cameras. Sure a cop can screw up a hand-held reading, but are suggesting that thes same type of error can occur with a fixed camera?
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I read somewhere
that even on laser beams the spread is fairly large at a distance as low as 1/2 mile. It could theoretically pick up your car and a car going in the opposite direction, for an additive speed.
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Re: No Subject Given
Experience here is that gatso cameras can't tell the difference between one car heading away from them at excessive speed and two cars coming towards them, and will therefore flash right in your face in the middle of an overtaking manoeuvre.
Pull the other one, it hath bells on...
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Re: No Subject Given
Fixed Road-Side speeding cameras are subject to the vibration from their mounts which can cause up to a two inch variation from starting to finish of the radar calculation, caused by something as simple as a semi passing by it. Car mounted are even worse as they are subject to vibration from the engine, road conditions and even wind sheer (on the vehicle not the mount). There are too many variables on a moving target to get a accurate reading 100% of the time.
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