New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night • Hacker News Board

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#221

Post by _ph_ » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:31 AM UTC

TomVDB wrote: post #35

Scoundreller wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but if you're loaning your car out to someone who speeds, at least some of the culpability falls on you. Not in Germany it doesn’t. Only the actual driver can be found guilty of speeding, even by speed-camera. I understand they’ll take pictures of the front of the vehicle and check against who’s lives at the registered address. Not sure if it’s an infraction for the registered owner to refuse to identify the likely…

Even better: in Germany, the cameras black out the passenger's side of the car automatically for privacy reasons, so that only the driver is identified. This was a problem in 2008 when a car with steering wheel on the right systematically got caught speeding. The driver knew full well what was going on an placed a muppet in the passeger's seat. The picture is fantastic: https://gizmodo.com/the-muppets-animal-caught-s…

This is funny, but in repeated cases the authorities would require the car owner to keep a driving log for that car. So this wouldn't work for very long.

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#222

Post by guiriduro » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:32 AM UTC

praveenperera wrote: post #66

ISL wrote: post #17

I once saw speed cameras as "un-sporting" until travelling elsewhere in the world where they are commonplace. In those countries, it seems like everyone just drives the speed limit. If the point of speed enforcement is to, you know, ensure that everyone is going the speed limit or slower, they're awesome. Norway's system of timed speed cameras are particularly wonderful -- they simply photograph a car and then photog…

No thanks.

Don't worry - in Brexit Britain the tailbacks will be so long you'll struggle to find a road you can break the speed limit on. And those you can all have bends on them.

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#223

Post by coob » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:34 AM UTC

IshKebab wrote: post #209

Closi wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ll assume you aren’t in the U.K. (which this article is about), because the U.K. system is almost exactly as you describe! > Norway's system of timed speed cameras are particularly wonderful -- they simply photograph a car and then photograph it again many kilometers later. If you get there too soon, then at some point, you must have been speeding. Uk has a combination of: * Average speed cameras (as per the Norway…

Average speed cameras are very rare outside roadworks though.

They're really not, there's 2000 of them in the UK: https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/fleet-industry-news/2020/09...

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#224

Post by ununoctium87 » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:34 AM UTC

ehnto wrote: post #52

ISL wrote: post #17

I once saw speed cameras as "un-sporting" until travelling elsewhere in the world where they are commonplace. In those countries, it seems like everyone just drives the speed limit. If the point of speed enforcement is to, you know, ensure that everyone is going the speed limit or slower, they're awesome. Norway's system of timed speed cameras are particularly wonderful -- they simply photograph a car and then photog…

My state in Australia have heavy, heavy fines, even compared to the rest of Aus. It doesn't reduce the amount of poor driving but speeding at least is unambiguous. There is no grey area. If the speed limit is 60kmph then you will get booked for exceeding it by 5kmph, and the only reason you get that 5kmph leeway is to account for camera calibration and some grace for speedometer calibration. They would ping you at 61…

QLD?

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#225

Post by geden » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:36 AM UTC

IshKebab wrote: post #209

Closi wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ll assume you aren’t in the U.K. (which this article is about), because the U.K. system is almost exactly as you describe! > Norway's system of timed speed cameras are particularly wonderful -- they simply photograph a car and then photograph it again many kilometers later. If you get there too soon, then at some point, you must have been speeding. Uk has a combination of: * Average speed cameras (as per the Norway…

Average speed cameras are very rare outside roadworks though.

Not true in Nottinghamshire near where I live. There are several largish permanent average speed camera systems unrelated to roadworks eg A6097.

Such that, when I was looking for a new car, cruise control or a speed limiter was a must.

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#226

Post by Ichthypresbyter » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:39 AM UTC

ransom1538 wrote: post #28

ISL wrote: post #17

I once saw speed cameras as "un-sporting" until travelling elsewhere in the world where they are commonplace. In those countries, it seems like everyone just drives the speed limit. If the point of speed enforcement is to, you know, ensure that everyone is going the speed limit or slower, they're awesome. Norway's system of timed speed cameras are particularly wonderful -- they simply photograph a car and then photog…

Take it another level. Every car should have a chip. Once you are in a speed limit - your car can't go faster. Oh wait, this wont generate revenue - so it wont work. Never mind.

GPS isn't good enough for that yet. I have received warnings from my GPS because it thought I was driving at 70 mph in a 20 mph limit. In fact, I was driving at 70 mph on a motorway flyover above a residential street that had a 20 mph limit.

If it had been able to cut the engine (or, worse, apply the brakes) then that could have produced a dangerous situation.

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#227

Post by _flux » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:40 AM UTC

mberning wrote: post #4

I find it odd that there is so much emphasis on enforcement of speed limits. Studies have shown that speed limits above and below the prevailing speed of most drivers is a much higher risk factor that raw speed. And then there are other behaviors such as using a cell phone and driving that may be criminalized, but do not seem to receive such fervent enforcement.

Other suggest revenue source; but I think it's simply because it's easiest to enforce and least prone to personal judgement given it's based on strict numerical limits.

Unsafe driving (braking distance, crossing lines, holding a cell phone) should be as good or even better revenue sources, but they are more difficult to enforce automatically. While nowadays there would be tech for implementing that, historically it has not been so, so the momentum of the history is perhaps making advancements slow?

There were some new cameras introduced here some time back which were advertised to be able to have quality sufficient to detect that seat belts and cell phones: but still, pictures were taken only when exceeding the speed limit, so those factors could not be used as the primary source.

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#228

Post by dazc » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:44 AM UTC

forest_dweller wrote: post #180

dazc wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree visibility can be poor but is easilly mitigated by driving at a suitable speed. The only problem, of course, is other drivers behind getting frustrated and overtaking recklessly. The other day one person was so determined to pass me that he almost hit a car coming in the other direction. For all that he arrived in Fordingbridge (2 miles further on) literally 3 seconds before I did.

> I agree visibility can be poor but is easilly mitigated by driving at a suitable speed. Not at all. I've been driving at what seems like a sensible speed for the conditions and suddenly there is a deer right in front of my car. You cannot see some of the animals until you are right on top of them. The fact is that there is too much traffic, there is insufficient infrastructure (and you probably can't add a lot beca…

Yes, I suppose there are extremes and I've had a similar experience although, regarding the original link, I find it difficult to believe it possible to kill 3 donkeys in one go by driving at a sensible speed in such circumstances?

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#229

Post by LeCow » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:44 AM UTC

tonyedgecombe wrote: post #201

jsiepkes wrote: post #182

Maybe I'm missing something but the "The Drive" article and the article they reference [1] talk about reading license plates up to half a mile (750m): > read the license plates of speeding cars almost half a mile (750 m) away. In actuality, the TruCam II itself is technically capable of clocking plates up to almost a full mile (1.5 km) But the actual product spec of the device [2] says: > Quickly view license plate d…

Presumably you could measure the speed at a distance then image the number plate as the car gets closer.

Anything involving fines needs to be absolutely 100% infallible. Taking a speed reading then the plate leaves a lot of loopholes.

I don't think any speed operation would work unless the car has been sighted, number plate read and speed detected simultaneously.

Re: New UK police speed gun can read license plates from half a mile away at night

#230

Post by forest_dweller » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 9:45 AM UTC

mhh__ wrote: post #210

bradlys wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, does anyone really think these cameras and fines are really to ensure public safety? Seems more like taxation and fear mongering. If the UK police are anything like the US, they don’t care about theft even if you have a solid lead and evidence. Theft reporting is purely for statistics.

The UK police are not like the US. They aren't very well funded, and they police by consent rather than shooting people (They probably would do more, but you have to realise that in many parts of the UK we don't see police even driving about let alone on the beat i.e. fear mongering)

All modern police forces are modelled to some extent on Robert Peel's ideas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles). That includes to some extent the US police as well. The notion that US police just go around slinging guns around like some gun toting cowboys (while it does happen) is propaganda.

The police in the UK can be just as corrupt and inept. However there is a need for armed police in the UK. Just go to live leak or any of the clip sites and you can find all the videos where there are 10 officers trying to take down one maniac with a machete on a council estate with harsh language and pepper spray.