Been Flashed in Roc....Update

[JPZ1000]

Ok guys.........been a bit naughty!

Got flashed on Friday eve going towards a GATSO, will I get down. It flashed twice.

I didnt think I could get flashed going towards a camera?? Anyone shed any light on this?

and before anyone says 'I know I shouldnt be speeding'

[dodds98]

I hate to say it mate but a friend of mine got done near my house driving toward a camera. But on a more positve note, my girlfriend got flashed by a camera doing 10mph over the limit, in my car , and we did't ever get a ticket. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[martdy]

Might just have been the camera discharging. I didn't think they could do you going towards a camera anyway because of the safety issue - flash & crash!
A mate of mine got done by Gatso when he was below the speed limit - he didn't have his belt on so thats what they did him for!
Hope your OK

[shooms]

A mate of mine got done by Gatso when he was below the speed limit - he didn't have his belt on so thats what they did him for!

How does that work then

Can understand the speed thang but that would imply that each pic is scanned / looked at for anything untoward...

[martdy]

A mate of mine got done by Gatso when he was below the speed limit - he didn't have his belt on so thats what they did him for!

How does that work then

Can understand the speed thang but that would imply that each pic is scanned / looked at for anything untoward...

Dunno mate it was a few years back but I was told the cameras can be set to take pics regardless of speed - Then again could be bullhooks

[skippy]

Yes - I got fined/3 points when going towards a camera. What was galling for me, is that I was on an urban dual carriageway and thought the speed limit was 40mph (when infact it was 30), and I got flashed at. A week later got the ticket through, it said I was doing 36mph, this was on a Sunday morning, no amount of protests swayed the authorities

Hope yours is ok, just because it flashed does not mean to say you will get a ticket!

[shooms]

Truvelo are 'towards' cameras



Gatso are 'behnd' cameras



http://robert.thegeakes.co.uk/speedcameras/

[skippy]

Yes the one that got me was a Truvelo.

[wigit]

the Darling is now undergoing trials

[ZephyR]

I'm afraid there are some units that can get you in both directions - we've got a few round our way. But just cos it flashed doesn't mean there was any film left in the camera. YOu might still be OK.
Did it look like this ...

[shaunipoos]

gastro can also get you both ways guys. it depends how the road markings are set up. alot of the nw gastro ones (especially round by me) are set up for both ways now!! but like everyone else has said it aint sayin tht it got you so fingers crossed dude

[JPZ1000]

Been told today that if going towards I shouldnt of been picked up by the second flash.... fingers crossed.

[iAmbu]

It's definitely possible to set off GATSOs on both sides of the road by speeding, as I often do it whilst driving ambulances on blue lights on the way to emergency calls (but with no prosecution )

This is even when the road is clear in both directions apart from me driving.

[ZephyR]

Been told today that if going towards I shouldn't of been picked up by the second flash.... fingers crossed.

That's a load of bo****ks that. If there are meter lines on both sides of the road then it can get you in both directions.
The double flash is used as a back up to prove your speed. It takes 2 photos of your car in very quick succession (a flash with each). The number of white lines you have travelled between shots tells them how far you have travelled and as the time between shots is fixed they can then tell how fast you were going. This figure should then tally with the radar (or whatever device is in the yellow box).

[silver130]

But just cos it flashed doesn't mean there was any film left in the camera. YOu might still be OK.

Most of them are now digital so don't need film in. Also the moneymakers are linked to a phoneline !!

[greenstick]

Was it a Gatso or a Truvelo that flashed.

My understanding is that the "Gatso" camera as pictured above cannot catch you front facing, they're not approved for front facing as the flash is too bright, which is why the Truvelo flash's are purple tinted so as not to blind the driver.

The Gatso's that work in both directions work from the rear in each direction

[ZephyR]

Not the ones round near me. They do both front and rear. And I've seen them flash on both directions of travel.

[LCM]

Truvelo are a bikers favourite pastime as there are no plates on the front of the bike and I have witnessed a standing start to a double flash with a ZX10!! Winds the f@ck out of the photo monitors.

One of my (now ex) clients are a well known SE constabulary and I have had various discussions with the powers that be on the subject. I am told that there is NO film whatsoever and that those cameras that are recording (some just flash as they are not linked to the central network) automatically send a photo with all the time and date details to a central point where they are then processed and auto fines are sent out.

As part of some weird quality control random photos are are also viewed manually which is possibly where the no seat belt was picked up; also had a mate who got fined £50 for driving with a smashed windscreen that was picked up by a speed camera.

End of the day the cameras are a stealth tax and whilst also relieving us of our beer tokens have also cut the number of patrolling traffic cops by 75% (rozzer hearsay) which means if you know where the cameras are you will ultimatley have less chance of being caught.

Thought to myself - was I really driving at that speed at the weekend - hope I wasn't caught on camera

[JPZ1000]

Taken from www.speedlimit.org.uk

Q: I have been flashed by a Gatso on the opposite side of the road when driving towards it? Am I likely to be prosecuted?

A: No. A Gatso camera can only catch vehicles travelling away from it. When there is no film in a Gatso, the trigger threshold for a flash is often lowered, and the camera may be set to also flash approaching vehicles. This is what gives rise to the phenomenon you have observed.

It is important to distinguish Gatsos from Truvelo cameras, which do catch oncoming vehicles, but only emit a faint infra-red flash. Until recently, these have been very rare in the North-West, but are now becoming more common - for example, there are four on the A57 through Glossop in Derbyshire.

[JPZ1000]

Dear Mr X

Thank you for your recent enquiry as detailed below.

Some Gatso cameras use a wider radar beam than others. Although this has no affect on vehicles travelling away from the camera (the direction of enforcement), a vehicle travelling towards the camera (on the opposite side of the road) may trigger the camera if it happens to hit this wider beam due to its position in the road. However, Gatso cameras are not type approved to enforce oncoming vehicles, and do not have the ability to capture images in this way.

There will always be occasions where drivers see a flash ahead of them if a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction triggers the camera. Although the flash can be switched off, it needs to remain on in order to record offences occurring during hours of darkness.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.

Regards
XX on behalf of
Safecam Project Management Office
*Safecam, Somerset County Council, County Hall, Taunton, TA1 4DY
* safecam@somerset.gov.uk
* www.safecam.org.uk