NSW reintroduction of aerial speed patrols

Guys, you've been mis-informed. As vertually every car these days are using GPS, it's the satalites that are going to help the cops measure your speed, the lines on the road are a secondary thing to make the fine stick.

[wulos]

Well - let me say that this has indeed been reintroduced, as of last week.
According to the press on the NSW Central Coast, Aerial patrols recommenced on the section of the F3 from Alison Road (nth of Wyong, and Sparks Rd) Section up near the twin Caltex servos.
The system apparently uses a plane flying overhead at between 500 & 1000ft, timing how long it takes motorists to cover a 500m distance. If you are quicker then the alloted time, the plane takes a piccie of your number plate & then sends you a love letter in the mail. I have no idea how sending you an infringement notice somewhere down the track is supposed to modify a drivers behaviour, or provide a visible deterent. This argument has been put forward in front of courts before, and was one of the reasons why mobile speed cameras were abolished in NSW.
I wonder how long it is before some poor sod is killed spray painting additional marks on the freeway in the dead of night.
Before the 'extremists' jump in on this one let me say the following.
- It is blatant revenue raising with poor focus on the speed related causes of accidents. Given the stretch of road, only real instance of accidents was around the servos themselves, having occured in close proximity to the on/off ramps(The servo on/offramps here were the cause). I believe that the NSW police would be hard pressed to put forward a hard case for speeders in this particular area - though obviously rubbery stats can and will be produced as necessary. I believe the stretch of road was chosen due to the close proximity to Warnervale airstrip.
- If people stick to the limit then they have nothing to fear? Even if it means having someone around them run them off the road due to looking out the window with one hand on the wheel & the other holding a pair of binoculars staring at the low flying 'pigs in space' - comment seen graffitied on aerial patrol signage. (previous comment is mere editorial comment & in no way reflects my personal view or those of AFF admin / mod team)

[Ross-b]

p***ed me off majorly when i saw these pop up just before easter between morrisset and ourimbah

the road road on that part of the f3 is dodgy as
cracks along it
and you know they knew about it because the white lines are painted across some of the cracks

[Ross-b]

Originally Posted by BIG_FELL4

Guys, you've been mis-informed. As vertually every car these days are using GPS, it's the satalites that are going to help the cops measure your speed, the lines on the road are a secondary thing to make the fine stick.

note to self:
put phone in flight mode for driving
haha pretty sure theres strict privacy laws against that

[noosacuda]

Whoo Hoo! Pigs in Space in the 21st Century! More blatant revinue raising.
If our State Governments were serious about saving lives a more effective way to deter speeding is more MARKED POLICE CARS AND BIKES, they have to be out there and be seen to slow people down. I know, it'll save lives but not produce revinue,but hey, you can't have it both ways. How many lives have really been "saved" by $peed cameras? A driver still speeds and doesn't know till 2 weeks later he/she was caught. Whereas if he/she is caught by a Marked car and fined on the spot,would they not slow down for the rest of their journey? :

[deesun]

Originally Posted by BIG_FELL4

Guys, you've been mis-informed. As vertually every car these days are using GPS, it's the satalites that are going to help the cops measure your speed, the lines on the road are a secondary thing to make the fine stick.

Unless my UBD has a chip in it I'm safer than those.
I find the area described as one where we have to slow down a bit anyway for people entering and coming out of the servos. Maybe they are trying to catch mr smarty pants who accellerates like a rocket to 150kph after coming out of the servo only to slow down again to 105 so everyone passes him again. If the lines are on the road on the northbound lanes before the servo thats a long downhill run IIRC. : Never seen a prang there yet, so much for being a blackspot.

[calais]

The NSW Government is clearly staffed by a pack of jack-off's.

Not that I have too much to worry about,as I don't speed, but can clearly see the rubbish propaganda being pedalled in support of Aerial Speed Enforcement. A stupid amount of money being spent on a pointless exercise.

I wonder how many hospital beds could have been funded instead of this moronic exercise?

[flappist]

It is unlawful (even for police) to operate an aircraft below 1000agl above roads. Civil Aviation Regs.

Even at 500agl to be able to see a rego plate from above you would require a veiwing angle of less than 30 degrees (NSW traffic act number plate visibility) so the distance between the vibrating bug smasher (c206) travelling at a min of 120km/h (stall speed and they will stay WAY above that) and your moving car MUST be at least 1000ft (>300m) and if the 1000ft rule is obeyed then 2000ft (> 600m).

Anyone starting to see a few technical problems yet?

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by flappist

It is unlawful (even for police) to operate an aircraft below 1000agl above roads. Civil Aviation Regs.

Even at 500agl to be able to see a rego plate from above you would require a veiwing angle of less than 30 degrees (NSW traffic act number plate visibility) so the distance between the vibrating bug smasher (c206) travelling at a min of 120km/h (stall speed and they will stay WAY above that) and your moving car MUST be at least 1000ft (>300m) and if the 1000ft rule is obeyed then 2000ft (> 600m).

Anyone starting to see a few technical problems yet?

Wouldn't it be a better idea to use a Helicopter instead?

[turbo_man]

Originally Posted by Big Damo

Wouldn't it be a better idea to use a Helicopter instead?

hmm you'd think so i wonder why they never thought of that.. it would be cheaper aswell me thinks but then again im no expert

and whats stopping people just slowing down when they come to the lines?
this plan seems pretty badly flawed

[merlin]

Reminds me of the aerial "bear patrol" in the Simpons episode where they used a B2 stealth bomber.

Absolute waste of taxpayers money - how many highway patrol cars would this fund?

[Airmon]

I was driving through one of the areas yesterday and saw a plane that seemed to be circling overhead. I wonder how bad the paralax error would be at such an altitude and speed?

The motorbike officer with his Radar gun though seemed to have a better effect.

[Linz]

Originally Posted by Airmon

I was driving through one of the areas yesterday and saw a plane that seemed to be circling overhead. I wonder how bad the paralax error would be at such an altitude and speed?

The motorbike officer with his Radar gun though seemed to have a better effect.

"Paralax"...sounds like something you'd have prior to a colonoscopy