Traffic Light Cameras

[Terry Williams]

As a point of interest, does anyone know how long it takes for the camera to trigger after the lights have gon red? Also, whether or not they do'nt flash a vehicle doing less than 15 mph?

[James]

I would imagine the speed doesnt come into it at all, a contravention can happen at any speed, and also the camera will not be setup to monitor both speed and contravention of a red light, that would be far too complicated.

I have seen them flash on amber, so I think the camera is setup to flash from a late amber onwards. That way they can check the entire sequence of events from the red light coming on presumably maximise revenue. They can then also weed out those that are actually late ambers.

[MGF]

This might help:-

http://www.stvincent.ac.uk/Resources/Ph ... redlt.html

[Luke]

I believe the Monitron can measure speed as well as red lights:

And they are going up more and more, usually at red lights.

[ScoobyChris]

the camera will not be setup to monitor both speed and contravention of a red light, that would be far too complicated.

2 loops/sensors in the road a known distance apart?

Chris

[7db]

the camera will not be setup to monitor both speed and contravention of a red light, that would be far too complicated.

That's exactly what the redspeed does. Couple of screen shots of the managment console. Very funky. Three photos + a 12s video clip all emailed to HQ and the NIP in the post before you get to the next set of lights.

Two below show separate red light and speed enforcement. On redlight junctions, the camera flips between the two modes - measuring speed during the green and amber phases and the stop line in the red phase.

[James]

I hope those pics arent from your personal collection 7db lol

[TripleS]

Yes, all very interesting, but isn't anybody else concerned at the way all this technology is increasingly being used, providing an automated punishment regime?

There must be whole armies of people now engaged in this kind of stuff, instead of supporting the wealth creating process. Indeed they're not only not contributing to the wealth creating process, but actually being an added drain on it.

Best wishes all,
Ned.

[7db]

Dave - per posts elsewhere it doesn't really bother me as I'm going to do my damndest not to drive too fast past a big yellow box (in fact I think that distracted whilst talking to you was the closest I've come in the last year).

I'd rather have lots of fixed cameras and no trafpol/vans, so I can pursue my personal speeding agenda to its full extent.

Tongue firmly in cheek.

[TripleS]

Dave - per posts elsewhere it doesn't really bother me as I'm going to do my damndest not to drive too fast past a big yellow box (in fact I think that distracted whilst talking to you was the closest I've come in the last year).

I'd rather have lots of fixed cameras and no trafpol/vans, so I can pursue my personal speeding agenda to its full extent.

Tongue firmly in cheek.

Sorry about the distraction, if that was some of my doing.

WRT fixed cameras I (touch wood) don't find them much of a problem, but I'm still extremely uncomfortable with the feel of our motoring environment caused by all the automated monitoring and punishment systems.

It's not easy to explain rationally, but it has a bad feel to me, and it still isn't getting to the root of our problems. It's not actually helping drivers to behave better; it simply means that more of them will get punished for bad behaviour, by which time the damage, in some cases, will have been done rather than avoided.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[martine]

It's not actually helping drivers to behave better; it simply means that more of them will get punished for bad behaviour, by which time the damage, in some cases, will have been done rather than avoided.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Yes how about some positive encouragement instead...

* only allowed to drive nice/powerful/sporty cars if qualified
* reduction in road tax if 'advanced'
* exempt from NSL if 'advanced'
* all non-advanced must immediately move out of way of 'advanced'

[PeteG]

Bah! Do as they do in Russia, with the special lanes for the rich and powerful. Make bus lanes into advanced lanes...

[7db]

Sorry about the distraction, if that was some of my doing.

Not at all. What the driver does is the driver's responsibility.

[TripleS]

It's not actually helping drivers to behave better; it simply means that more of them will get punished for bad behaviour, by which time the damage, in some cases, will have been done rather than avoided.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Yes how about some positive encouragement instead...

* only allowed to drive nice/powerful/sporty cars if qualified
* reduction in road tax if 'advanced'
* exempt from NSL if 'advanced'
* all non-advanced must immediately move out of way of 'advanced'

I hereby appoint Martin as Secretary of State for Transport - but only if I count as advanced - which doesn't seem likely. Hard luck, Martin.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

[Mick Annick]

Terry

Having fallen foul of a traffic light camera in Oxford a few years ago, I managed to establish that the guidelines for setting the cameras is they go off immediately the lights go red. What troubled me is the amount of time between amber and red, which can be as little as three seconds, plus or minus 10%.

Given I was on a road with a 50mph limit I was more than a little aggrieved that I only had 2.7 seconds to react, until someone on traffic answers pointed out that I had much longer - a green light can only do one thing...

Anyway, having talked to a nice chap in Oxfordshire Highways dept he said whilst he got a few complaints about this set of lights, they were nothing to those he got for those on a NSL dual carriageway by Oxford airport set at three seconds!

Mick