Them sneaky speed cameras (nsw)

[Vortex-98]

While cruising around the other day in Castle Hill i saw this cop in an unmarked car get out an position 2 boxes on the medium strip..yep in between traffic,upon closer inspection you guessed it,it had cameras in the boxes or 1)camera,2) speedgun or radar....facing the traffic coming at it...no signs,no warning just set them in the middle of the road an left...that cant be legal, can it

[Vortex-98]

I took a photo ,il try post it up...its just 2 black boxes,pretty much

[xr8cam]

I drive through there on the way to work & back. I normally see the mobile unmarked copper on Windsor Rd Baukham Hills/Northmead, often on the weekend. Which intersection did you see this?

[ianxy351]

How is this a project? A discussion for the pub section maybe?

[MrEL]

I call bull**** anyway no matter where its posted.

[wodahs]

its all about catching them sneaky speeders

[Mechan1k]

In NSW ... even the dodgy bank-owned camera utes you see parked on the side of the road ... have to by law have a sign(s) prior to and after the camera vehicle stating that your speed has been "checked".

I could be a camera for registration checking ... but it's the first I have heard of it not being on/in a Police vehicle.

[blackf6]

Paranoid much. Why not ask the Police what the boxes were for? Might be traffic flow sensors. To gauge usage of the roadway.

[commodorenutt]

They are allowed to measure speed/flow data any way they like - just like the council monitoring cameras also measure speed & traffic flow. None have to have any signs unless they are actually issuing fines.

What you'll find is either local residents have complained about excessive speed, or it has been observed by cops/govt people travelling regularly in the area.

What you can bet, is that if this monitoring shows the average speed to be say up around 10km/h over the posted limit, that the cop cars & hand-held laser guns will be flooding the area within weeks, to bring that average speed back down closer to the limit.

It's like they're using a fish finder to seek out more lucrative holes, before sending in the trawlers.

[Interceptor]

were they chained up to anything?

if not..... pull up, and "find" something that must've fallen out of someones ute....

either that or drive over the bloody things!

[Peter B - CV8]

There was an article in the local paper about those devices (about 2 weeks ago). They are not speed cameras - just traffic measurement recorders. Some crap about getting vehicle statistics prior to the opening of the new railway station at Castle Hill. I'm guessing that they'll be dropping the current speed limit down as a result....

[steve.zissou]

sometimes they will use external cameras to do rego checks - if its was speed cameras they would have signs.

otherwise like was said above it was trafic flow data collection -

[csv8]

Mechan1k..In Queensland the Police removed the warning signs in July !!!

[Revolver]

Originally Posted by csv8

Mechan1k..In Queensland the Police removed the warning signs in July !!!

I actually saw one the other day. But was confused. Walked down the shop to grab some lunch, saw the unmarked VF ute that sits on Logan road during lunchtime.

On the way back, I saw the copper pick up the "speed camera in use" sign that was in front of the bushes & put it into the tray. Which was completely obscured by shrubs.

I thought it was weird because that car does radar work. Not camera.

I don't understand why he put it out in the first place!

[pursuit57]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

It's like they're using a fish finder to seek out more lucrative holes, before sending in the trawlers.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by csv8

Mechan1k..In Queensland the Police removed the warning signs in July !!!

The Buggers ... at least we still have fair warning here.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by Peter B - CV8

There was an article in the local paper about those devices (about 2 weeks ago). They are not speed cameras - just traffic measurement recorders. Some crap about getting vehicle statistics prior to the opening of the new railway station at Castle Hill. I'm guessing that they'll be dropping the current speed limit down as a result....

That explains it ... also helps then raise more revenue as there is a fixed speed camera on a down hill run near that location ... if the speed drops further they're sure to get more $$$$$$

[Bill M]

Police setting up traffic volume recorders?
Doesn't sound right, that is an RTA or equivalent body's task.

[pursuit57]

Qld - Sunshine Coast trialled these (traffic counters) few years ago, were installed by council officers and part of roads and transport dept traffic surveys.
http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au...licks/2003571/
As to why or whether NSWP were sprung installing recently, maybe Council or Roads & Maritime workers were copping abuse from motorist's or people thieving the solar panels on top ?

[Vortex-98]

That's it mate..but why 2??
An what's up with that guy calling it b.s ,what is he 12 yo...like he hasn't seen a speed camera before or the lengths they go to to make there quota

[pursuit57]

Who knows what the roads and highway Nazi's are planning, maybe proposed fixed speed camera locations ?.
If there was 2, obviously for each direction.

But after seeing the newspaper photo of the box, recall seeing similar magic boxes in various locations including central coast & up this way on north coast - but think local council/RMS did these re traffic flow for roundabouts/lights...so it's no BS

[commodorenutt]

Longer-term studies use pole mounted cameras, often with a solar panel attached - up high on telegraph poles. They are small white boxes, and the red LED gives them away at night - lots of local councils use them a lot for local traffic studies. They record peak speeds, average speeds, and vehicle counts, but don't reference numberplates or have fines issued from them.

State governments also use similar ones on larger (state funded) roads for the same reasons.

They also have temporary ones put out to monitor flows & speeds around special events - to help with future events, and for better event traffic management planning.

As noted above - when it's the council or RMS doing it, it's about flow & speed - usually before & after changes are made, like extending a right turn bay, adding speed humps, or reacting to multiple complaints from residents.

If the cops are doing it with temporary cameras, then it will be for speed & flow data - so they know what areas where speed zones are being constantly ignored. Sometimes they will recommend to increase the limit (Bangor Bypass is a good example) other times it may be the result of a serious accident & multiple complaints about dangerous driving/speeds.

Remember - council, cops & the RMS all sit on a traffic management committee who decide what happens to our roads - at local and state funded levels.

But the comment above about the story in the local paper, and the current construction works, puts this squarely at speed & traffic management - the cops may well recommend lowering of the speed limit in that area because of the roadworks surrounding the NWRL construction, or simply as a result of several accidents caused by the changed conditions. As it is an ever-changing landscape in that area (I know it well) there is no real option for a pole mounted monitoring camera.

[Pedro]

Originally Posted by Revolver

I actually saw one the other day. But was confused. Walked down the shop to grab some lunch, saw the unmarked VF ute that sits on Logan road during lunchtime.

On the way back, I saw the copper pick up the "speed camera in use" sign that was in front of the bushes & put it into the tray. Which was completely obscured by shrubs.

I thought it was weird because that car does radar work. Not camera.

I don't understand why he put it out in the first place!

Then you don't understand Qld Police ... he was of course "elephant's trunk"

[Vortex-98]

Well said commadorenutt ,So no fines are issued if its a speed related camera,sure would make people slow down if not just for a look...kinda like when they say on the major radio stations there's going to be a 7 day blitz on drink ,drug driving an speed .first few days there out there then thats all they have to do..much more effective way to control peoples driving than having cops standing on the side of the road an frees them up for real police work..like catching bank robbers,murderers an thieves

[Express]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

Longer-term studies use pole mounted cameras, often with a solar panel attached - up high on telegraph poles. They are small white boxes, and the red LED gives them away at night - lots of local councils use them a lot for local traffic studies. They record peak speeds, average speeds, and vehicle counts, but don't reference numberplates or have fines issued from them.

State governments also use similar ones on larger (state funded) roads for the same reasons.

They also have temporary ones put out to monitor flows & speeds around special events - to help with future events, and for better event traffic management planning.

As noted above - when it's the council or RMS doing it, it's about flow & speed - usually before & after changes are made, like extending a right turn bay, adding speed humps, or reacting to multiple complaints from residents.

If the cops are doing it with temporary cameras, then it will be for speed & flow data - so they know what areas where speed zones are being constantly ignored. Sometimes they will recommend to increase the limit (Bangor Bypass is a good example) other times it may be the result of a serious accident & multiple complaints about dangerous driving/speeds.

Remember - council, cops & the RMS all sit on a traffic management committee who decide what happens to our roads - at local and state funded levels.

But the comment above about the story in the local paper, and the current construction works, puts this squarely at speed & traffic management - the cops may well recommend lowering of the speed limit in that area because of the roadworks surrounding the NWRL construction, or simply as a result of several accidents caused by the changed conditions. As it is an ever-changing landscape in that area (I know it well) there is no real option for a pole mounted monitoring camera.

It’s possible the Police are accumulating traffic related data on their own but in most cases if they were after speed, flow & axle info they’d just bring it up at the Local Area Traffic Committee meeting and the Council Engineer would offer their staff to do it and report back.

The Committee works as a team and there isn’t any them and us attitude.

If it’s a black spot area you’d expect the Cops to ask first as the Council would most likely already have reasonably current data available and it only may need to be topped up.

Maybe it was a couple of boxes of donuts.