New speed cameras can spot stupid drivers at 500m

[csv8]

New speed cameras can spot stupid drivers at 500m
The Daily Telegraph February 04, 2012 12:00AM 27 comments

Gotcha! ... Concept II is able to capture motorists using mobile phones, not wearing a seatbelt, running a red light or speeding from a distance of between 20m and 500m. Source: The Daily Telegraph

IT's the world's sneakiest speed camera, able to spot drivers talking on mobile phones or not wearing a seatbelt from 500m away - and it's coming to a street near you.

NSW and Victorian police are considering buying big brother speed cameras with hi-tech laser technology that can detect speeding and mobile phone use from further than ever before.

The cameras, worth almost $20,000 each, are mounted on a roadside tripod and can record video evidence of up to 4000 offences to DVD.

The equipment, known as Concept II, is so powerful, and the resolution so sharp, it is able to capture motorists using mobile phones, not wearing a seatbelt, running a red light or speeding from a distance of between 20m and 500m.

NSW police last night confirmed they were considering buying the cameras - unveiled this week by UK police.


"The research and development team working at the NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Command are always developing future technology for use by highway patrol," a police spokesman said.
"As speeding and using a mobile phone while driving are both dangerous, we would certainly look at technology that facilitates driver compliance on the state's roads."

The development comes as The Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday that 30 new highway patrol vehicles are now patrolling Sydney's six busiest freeways to reduce accidents by cracking down on motorists using phones, eating breakfast, or reading the paper while sitting in traffic.

Traffic data shows there have been more than 14,000 accidents on the six major roads in the last three years - a major concern for police.

UK-based designer and manufacturer Tele-Traffic UK described the new cameras as a "customer-configured speed detection and enforcement system" that is set to change the traffic enforcement landscape forever.

The camera can be set to a speed limit and the technology then records and marks the vision from as far away as half a kilometre.

"It allows the operator to set a threshold speed limit below which speed enforcement is not required," the Concept II manual states. my comment..why?????

"Having captured the data, it will mark the DVD recorded images both visibly and invisibly in a recoverable format."

The technology boasts "flexibility for evidence gathering" in speed enforcement.

"Once mastered it will provide pictorial evidence of speeding and other offences at ranges between 20m and 500m - dependent upon the lens configuration."

Police will be able to use the pictures and video as evidence.

Police in Dorset this week began using two of the cameras mounted in speed camera vans at ranges of about 400m.

They have already filmed a man playing a harmonica with two hands, instead of driving.

[Franco Cozzo]

Might as well as start riding your horse to work I reckon.

[rancidpunx]

Does the new camera capture unlicensed drivers, or Drunk/High Drivers, Drivers not indicating, Cars with Bald Tyres, Cars that are over 10yrs old that have never seen a spanner. If not what are they doing about these issues?

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by csv8

They have already filmed a man playing a harmonica with two hands, instead of driving.

lol, wut?

[Jim Goose]

I can spot a stupid driver at a 1000m...

[Whitey-AMG]

What we really need is a camera that can spot stupid drivers in their driveway. Once spotted , it disables their car wirelessly preventing them from even getting on the road in the 1st place.

[prydey]

i have no problem with them pinging people for talking on phones or not wearing seatbelts. some are more than capable, but many (most) are not.

[geckoGT]

Not wearing a seat belt, talking on a mobile phone, head down changing a CD, eating with both hands, running lights, good to see the effort is being made to get these morons off the road.

Perhaps then I won't go to so many crashes where the excuse is "I just looked down for a second to change CD".

[prydey]

for many people there is just too much going on in the car when they are driving. i thought the slogan 'good drivers just drive' was actually not a bad effort by the MAC (i think). now with touchscreens becoming more an more popular things could potentially get worse. i'm yet to experience driving with a touchscreen but at least with buttons you have a certain amount of 'feel' and don't have to look at what you are doing if you are familiar with your car.

[sneaky]

i used to drive a truck with a touchscreen in it. you could get the radio to bluetooth to the phone and use to touchscreen to dial numbers for phone calls/look through contacts, etc.

it was terrible. it was quicker, easier, safer to use the phone to find the numbers(old nokia with buttons), but it was illegal.. using the touchscreen meant you had to look at the screen to set what numbers you were hitting or to scroll through menus and to make sure you had actually entered numbers.

i'm sure the $20k to buy one of these camera's won't take long to pay off.

wonder if they have to 'signpost' them like speed cameras/red light cameras?

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by rancidpunx

Does the new camera capture unlicensed drivers, or Drunk/High Drivers, Drivers not indicating, Cars with Bald Tyres, Cars that are over 10yrs old that have never seen a spanner. If not what are they doing about these issues?

Why can't these cameras be linked to the transport authority's database to search for valid registrations / CTP insurance and the validity of the listed owners drivers licence????????

If they can see a person on the phone from 500m they sure as hell can read a plate. It would make roads safer still, and give the camera PR people a little help when trying to justify their use.

[fat4D]

wonder how it goes with dark tint?

[bungarra]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Why can't these cameras be linked to the transport authority's database to search for valid registrations / CTP insurance and the validity of the listed owners drivers licence????????

If they can see a person on the phone from 500m they sure as hell can read a plate. It would make roads safer still, and give the camera PR people a little help when trying to justify their use.

That would be logical, but Govco doesn't think on logic just on dollars. speed cameras have been proven that they only reduce speeding for the first 6 months that any new camera type comes into use.

No camera is ever going to be as effective as the copper who actually stops you and gives you the ticket.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by fat4D

wonder how it goes with dark tint?

You would assume the camera will be looking through the windscreen, which is illegal to tint (from what I know??)

[In Focus]

Are these touchscreens set up to not respond to touch when a car is on the move? Seems like an obvious feature to incorporate. If there isn't a way around that for a passenger to use, then too bad, I reckon.

[ltd_on20s]

i think it's time to go the UK way.........

and cost the government lots of money.

[redxm]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Why can't these cameras be linked to the transport authority's database to search for valid registrations / CTP insurance and the validity of the listed owners drivers licence????????

If they can see a person on the phone from 500m they sure as hell can read a plate. It would make roads safer still, and give the camera PR people a little help when trying to justify their use.

NSW Highway patrol have this technology already. Camera scans plates as the car is driven and alerts the policeman if the rego is expired

[falconnut]

Will these camera's also detect 'stupid accidents' caused by poorly maintained highways, roads and public infastructure.

Good to know NSW can afford to blow $20k on a useless camera, cut down on police and not put the money back into fixing the roads all at the same time!

BRAVO!!!!!!!

[mik]

Originally Posted by bungarra

That would be logical, but Govco doesn't think on logic just on dollars. speed cameras have been proven that they only reduce speeding for the first 6 months that any new camera type comes into use.

No camera is ever going to be as effective as the copper who actually stops you and gives you the ticket.

that`s a winning post if ever i saw one.

[PimpMyHubcap]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

I can spot a stupid driver at a 1000m...

I call BS Jim.

How can you see the driver at 1000 metres past the other stupid drivers at 80-250-580-800 metres?
I have driven in Townsville a lot and there is more than one every 1000 metres

Cheers

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by rancidpunx

Does the new camera capture unlicensed drivers, or Drunk/High Drivers, Drivers not indicating, Cars with Bald Tyres, Cars that are over 10yrs old that have never seen a spanner. If not what are they doing about these issues?

Oh don't ask stupid frigging questions you numptie...

I wonder how it knows if someone is on a mobile or doesn't have thier seatbelt on? Does someone have to sit there and trigger it manually? If so, that kind of defeats the purpose.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by PimpMyHubcap

I call BS Jim.

How can you see the driver at 1000 metres past the other stupid drivers at 80-250-580-800 metres?
I have driven in Townsville a lot and there is more than one every 1000 metres

Cheers

haha ok ill pay that...

[EDManual]

The speed bit is the annoying bit to me. I really feel like copying someone elses number plates who has a car the same as mine. Cant catch me then, even with number plate recognition!

I should start up a number plate stamping business!

[falconnut]

hahaahha

[blackf6]

Who invents all these new fan-dangled contraptions? Take them round the back and shoot them.

[Ben73]

Well its good for revenue raising. Ill give it that much.