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

Post by slumdev » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 1:49 PM UTC

jsinai wrote: post #248

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…

> I once saw speed cameras as “un-sporting”. With no attack on the parent, this reminds me of the general driving attitude of South Africa where I am from. A combination of lack of road enforcement and public mistrust in the police have created an environment where the rule of law on the road, designed to protect lives, is treated merely as suggestions or guidelines, often ignored. It’s extremely common to see driver…

Post by thrwyoilarticle » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 1:53 PM UTC

iso947 wrote: post #256

IshKebab wrote: post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Average speed cameras are very rare outside roadworks though.

Woodhead Pass and A14 come to mind. Tower bridge too. And the A9. Cat and fiddle. Only time I got caught speeding in 20+ years was an avcam at the bottom corner of the m60 near Stockport. Perhaps not as common as gatsos but not very rare.

Post by thrwyoilarticle » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 1:56 PM UTC

lillecarl wrote: post #276

krapp wrote: post #266

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What privacy implications? The government already knows who you are, they processed your vehicle registration and issued that license plate specifically to make your vehicle publicly identifiable. Are you also terrified that just anyone can read your house numbers or the address on your mailbox?

The problem is automated and centralised surveillance. The government can aggregate this data and build movement patterns on all citizens. They might not do it, but they could. And once something to exert power is possible, It'll be done eventually.

Post by scott_w » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 1:59 PM UTC

bluecalm wrote: post #265

scott_w wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are exactly 0 situations that require you to break the speed limit to become “safe.” The UK Highway Code and driving lessons are very explicit in how you respond to emergencies and “speed up” is not on the list.

There are very rare situations when speeding saves you. One example is someone going into your lane and driving into you for a head on collision. Assuming there is space to swerve you should also accelerate to escape faster. That being said it's so extremely rare there is no point debating those cases. If speeding was physically not possible it would be a better and safer world.

Post by thrwyoilarticle » Sun, Dec 13, 2020, 2:03 PM UTC

jimnotgym wrote: post #326

In the UK fixed speed cameras are common. The problem for me is that they are put at places where people tend to speed, and that is often because it is a major road running through a village. Instead of building the proper infrastructure to allow traffic to pass through we just slow it down. My second problem with speed enforcement is it has caused a shift in policing. Speeding is an absolute and so is cheap to polic…