At what distance can speed cameras catch you?

XRchic · 09-12-2006, 04:26 PM

I was wondering how close you have to be to a speed camera before if can nab you. Is it 50m or so or even up to a km away??? Obviously line of sight is required, but distance I am not sure about.

Also, can they get you in both directions at once?

Reason I ask is because I was coming down the freeway and spotted the camera about 500m away, down the hill. It was facing me, on the other side of the road. I slowed down pretty quick but I dont know if a) I was too far away and b) whether it was only going for the uptrack cars... or both.

I guess I will find out in a week or so!

Thanks

MoreHPformyXR6 · 09-12-2006, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRchic

I was wondering how close you have to be to a speed camera before if can nab you. Is it 50m or so or even up to a km away??? Obviously line of sight is required, but distance I am not sure about.

Also, can they get you in both directions at once?

Reason I ask is because I was coming down the freeway and spotted the camera about 500m away, down the hill. It was facing me, on the other side of the road. I slowed down pretty quick but I dont know if a) I was too far away and b) whether it was only going for the uptrack cars... or both.

I guess I will find out in a week or so!

Thanks

This thread might answer some of your questions

http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=71157

I dont know why I think this but I thought the had a range of 800m

:

OLDFORDNUT · 09-12-2006, 05:03 PM

the ones on Hi Way patrol cars can get you over the other side of a hill ,

flappist · 09-12-2006, 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicholas

the ones on Hi Way patrol cars can get you over the other side of a hill ,

No they can't.

How does the copper identify you if you are on the other side of a hill?
Apart from the obvious problems with the laws of physics.....

Outbackjack · 09-12-2006, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

No they can't.

How does the copper identify you if you are on the other side of a hill?
Apart from the obvious problems with the laws of physics.....

They use those special over the horizon camera's.....

:

Kommandant · 09-12-2006, 05:13 PM

I think he missed the joke.

flappist · 09-12-2006, 05:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRchic

I was wondering how close you have to be to a speed camera before if can nab you. Is it 50m or so or even up to a km away??? Obviously line of sight is required, but distance I am not sure about.

Also, can they get you in both directions at once?

Reason I ask is because I was coming down the freeway and spotted the camera about 500m away, down the hill. It was facing me, on the other side of the road. I slowed down pretty quick but I dont know if a) I was too far away and b) whether it was only going for the uptrack cars... or both.

I guess I will find out in a week or so!

Thanks

I have not seen the type of camera used in SA but these this may be relavent. QLD ones work at about 20m.
1) How good is the lens of this camera that it can pick a number plate at 500m, that is 25% longer than a drag strip.
2) How often is there more than 1 vehicle in a 500m metre stretch of road and if there is how does the camera tell which one is speeding?

And OutbackJack.....

Somewhere, over the horizon, way out west....
Cars got booked for speeding, once by a government pest.....

We're off the see the coppers, the wonderful coppers of Aus..
Because, because, because, because they're the wonderful coppers of Aus.....

Ok, so I am bored.

Outbackjack · 09-12-2006, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

I have not seen the type of camera used in SA but these this may be relavent. QLD ones work at about 20m.
1) How good is the lens of this camera that it can pick a number plate at 500m, that is 25% longer than a drag strip.
2) How often is there more than 1 vehicle in a 500m metre stretch of road and if there is how does the camera tell which one is speeding?

And OutbackJack.....

Somewhere, over the horizon, way out west....
Cars got booked for speeding, once by a government pest.....

We're off the see the coppers, the wonderful coppers of Aus..
Because, because, because, because they're the wonderful coppers of Aus.....

Ok, so I am bored.

Ahhh yes the wonderful coppers of oz. I passed a police patrol car the other day (opposite directions) at 180kph. He didn't take the slightest bit of notice. Soon to be fond memories......

I'm bored too.... slow work day.

vectra-racer · 09-12-2006, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by nicholas
the ones on Hi Way patrol cars can get you over the other side of a hill ,

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

No they can't.

How does the copper identify you if you are on the other side of a hill?
Apart from the obvious problems with the laws of physics.....

shouldnt this be in the "dumb things people wish they hadnt said" thread in the 'bar' forum??

cops using laser speed guns can catch you as much as 3km away , all they need is a clear line of sight.

OLDFORDNUT · 09-12-2006, 09:13 PM

i lost my liscense two years ago from car radar,i was doing 40kmh over when i slowed before crest of hill and he came over hill and did u turn and booked me ,i even looked at his car mounted setup when i questioned speed.

Bent8 · 09-12-2006, 09:28 PM

Yeh it's about 40m for the Mutinova's, beyond that they lose their accuracy greatly.

Check out this site

http://www.buyradardetectors.com.au/myths.html

FPV329 · 09-12-2006, 09:50 PM

I think you will find you'll be O.K. XRCHIC. They have a very narrow angle they work on and you just about have to be on top of them.

MITCHAY · 09-12-2006, 10:31 PM

Play it safe. Shadow someone going faster than you. That way they get busted and you don't :P Worked for me ever since I got my licence

:

I think it's about only a few hundred metres. 500m seems a bit far away but I could be wrong.

DoreSlamR · 09-12-2006, 11:04 PM

last week i got pulled over by a cop with a hand held camera doing 123kays...only a $50 fine luckily, anyway he was telling me he got me at 225 metres, nice guy actually

Also there was a camera crew filming and the guy comes over to me and explains hes fimling for that show called the Force, i was told i wont be on it due to the fact i wasn't going fast enough to be interesting (ha!) said if i wanted to come back past doing 160 i'd get on the show, so i said i'll do it if he pays the speeding ticket he said no. BUGGER!

ah well

MITCHAY · 09-12-2006, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoreSlamR

last week i got pulled over by a cop with a hand held camera doing 123kays...only a $50 fine luckily, anyway he was telling me he got me at 225 metres, nice guy actually

Also there was a camera crew filming and the guy comes over to me and explains hes fimling for that show called the Force, i was told i wont be on it due to the fact i wasn't going fast enough to be interesting (ha!) said if i wanted to come back past doing 160 i'd get on the show, so i said i'll do it if he pays the speeding ticket he said no. BUGGER!

ah well

I thought this show was over? At least he had a sense of humour

:

DoreSlamR · 09-12-2006, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

I thought this show was over? At least he had a sense of humour

:

yeah, another time i got pulled over the cop walked up to my car slowly with his hand on his holster and was a complete ****er

theres no need for hostilities unless it is some major incident.

also the friendly cop also mentioned that they're starting the xmas road blitz early and hard this year, so watch out WA drivers!

flappist · 10-12-2006, 03:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Play it safe. Shadow someone going faster than you. That way they get busted and you don't :P Worked for me ever since I got my licence

:

Great in theory....

In the early 80's I was travelling from the Gold Coast to Brisbane on a Sunday morning in my Laser and was late for a function. I was not game to go fast as the GC road was the "killing fields" for the new mobile radars.

Like you I was just waiting for a car to go past so I could follow it and sure enough a yellow XY falcon ute went blasting past. I followd it at about 140km/h when all of a sudden there were police EVERYWHERE. I was pulled over by coppers with guns drawn. It was VERY scary.

The moral of the story:

Make sure the car you shadow isn't the getaway vehicle from an armed robbery............

BeStRaFe · 10-12-2006, 04:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

The moral of the story:

Make sure the car you shadow isn't the getaway vehicle from an armed robbery............

kyro_02 · 10-12-2006, 04:29 AM

IIRC - Redrum said it can get you as far as 1.5km away..

Feathers · 10-12-2006, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Great in theory....

In the early 80's I was travelling from the Gold Coast to Brisbane on a Sunday morning in my Laser and was late for a function. I was not game to go fast as the GC road was the "killing fields" for the new mobile radars.

Like you I was just waiting for a car to go past so I could follow it and sure enough a yellow XY falcon ute went blasting past. I followd it at about 140km/h when all of a sudden there were police EVERYWHERE. I was pulled over by coppers with guns drawn. It was VERY scary.

The moral of the story:

Make sure the car you shadow isn't the getaway vehicle from an armed robbery............

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

:

HLC · 10-12-2006, 10:26 AM

Don't speed and you wont get caught....

troppo · 10-12-2006, 10:40 AM

You should be ok Jac. Camera type radars have a fairly limited range because as others have mentioned, the photo has to be a good enough quality to identify the offender. The radar might pick you up from further away but the camera part wouldn't be effective over any more than about 200m.
Vehicle mounted radars, on the other hand, are effective for as far as you can see. They have an easier job because it's up to the the officer operating the radar to catch and identify the offender, not a photo.

garth04 · 10-12-2006, 11:14 AM

In Adelaide they still use the old K band radars for drive by revenue raising around the city and suburbs.
This type of radar has been around since WW2 and has one serious flaw, it will detect larger mass vehicles first. eg: If there is a Truck travelling faster than you in the same direction, the radar will pick up the truck first, even if it is up to 200 metres behind you.
So if you get a camera picture, and there is a larger mass vehicle also visable anywhere behind you in the shot, you have a case to fight it, but only if the speed recorded is under 20Kmh over the posted limit.

P.S. This only applies to K band radar units

MITCHAY · 10-12-2006, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Great in theory....

In the early 80's I was travelling from the Gold Coast to Brisbane on a Sunday morning in my Laser and was late for a function. I was not game to go fast as the GC road was the "killing fields" for the new mobile radars.

Like you I was just waiting for a car to go past so I could follow it and sure enough a yellow XY falcon ute went blasting past. I followd it at about 140km/h when all of a sudden there were police EVERYWHERE. I was pulled over by coppers with guns drawn. It was VERY scary.

The moral of the story:

Make sure the car you shadow isn't the getaway vehicle from an armed robbery............

LMFAO!

:

flappist · 10-12-2006, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by garth04

In Adelaide they still use the old K band radars for drive by revenue raising around the city and suburbs.
This type of radar has been around since WW2 and has one serious flaw, it will detect larger mass vehicles first. eg: If there is a Truck travelling faster than you in the same direction, the radar will pick up the truck first, even if it is up to 200 metres behind you.
So if you get a camera picture, and there is a larger mass vehicle also visable anywhere behind you in the shot, you have a case to fight it, but only if the speed recorded is under 20Kmh over the posted limit.

P.S. This only applies to K band radar units

No it applies to all radar, it is call the "capture effect".

Lidar is more imune to this because it is a small beam and is aimed (sort of).

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLC

Don't speed and you wont get caught....

Yep there is always one......

MITCHAY · 10-12-2006, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HLC

Don't speed and you wont get caught....

You want to hope your speedo is accurate.

FalKeen · 10-12-2006, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Great in theory....

In the early 80's I was travelling from the Gold Coast to Brisbane on a Sunday morning in my Laser and was late for a function. I was not game to go fast as the GC road was the "killing fields" for the new mobile radars.

Like you I was just waiting for a car to go past so I could follow it and sure enough a yellow XY falcon ute went blasting past. I followd it at about 140km/h when all of a sudden there were police EVERYWHERE. I was pulled over by coppers with guns drawn. It was VERY scary.

The moral of the story:

Make sure the car you shadow isn't the getaway vehicle from an armed robbery............

hahaha thats a good one

XRchic · 10-12-2006, 03:03 PM

Thanks heaps for the info guys. Appreciate it.

I dont think anyone was going faster than me, that was the problem. I was sorta out in front. There may have been trucks or larger vehicles around though.

For those who know, I was on the downtrack of the freeway heading towards the city. I had just left the tunnels - was about a km out of the tunnels. Was coming down that loooong downhill stretch and halfway along there is a bridge over the freeway, and a big truck bay thing on the right (ie up track). The camera was on the Commodore at 7.50am which was sitting in that bay, facing up towards me.

Hmmm I was doing the good thing, going in to work on the weekend, and now it ma cost me big time! Hahahaha.

Sounds like I may get away with it anyway....

Stupid thing is that I am usually sooooo careful on the freeway, especially that part. That morning I thought, hey, its 8am Sat morning, no one will be around etc... so much for that.

He was still there sitting in the same place hours later when I came home. Didnt get caught twice though...

I really need to be more careful. The fine doesnt really bother me, its the loss of points that stuffs me up...

/me is going to behave now LOL

FPV329 · 10-12-2006, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Great in theory....

In the early 80's I was travelling from the Gold Coast to Brisbane on a Sunday morning in my Laser and was late for a function. I was not game to go fast as the GC road was the "killing fields" for the new mobile radars.

Like you I was just waiting for a car to go past so I could follow it and sure enough a yellow XY falcon ute went blasting past. I followd it at about 140km/h when all of a sudden there were police EVERYWHERE. I was pulled over by coppers with guns drawn. It was VERY scary.

The moral of the story:

Make sure the car you shadow isn't the getaway vehicle from an armed robbery............

Great choice!

Perana · 23-01-2007, 10:31 AM

hi jac
its kel here
you should be alright if you were heading towards adelaide. I think they would only be catching people on the other side going up. I dont know that they can get you on the side you were on, seeing as there is a big barrier in the middle. I go past heaps of cops and have seen them from like 500m away and slowed right down and have been fine. And also going through stirling to crafers area passing a cop going in the other direction with a camera on the side of his car, doing 120 and havent been caught luckily.