Fwd: [Politech] Speed camera accuracy challenged, once again [priv]

[Nancy Kramer <nekramer@xxxx>]

Hello All,

I think the forwarded email may be of interest to people in this group 
since we do like to drive our 300s at the kind of speeds they were made for 
and aren't very fond of "big brother". Seems speed cameras are often wrong 
but you still pay. This info might help someone beat a bogus ticket sometime.

Regards,

Nancy Kramer
Webmaster http://www.americandreamcars.com
Free Color Picture Ads for Collector Cars
One of the Ten Best Places To Buy or Sell a Collector Car on the Web

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>
> From: me at richard.org
> Subject: Speed camera accuracy challenged
> Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2004 21:20:12 -0500 (EST)
>
> Camera advocates love to say that the camera never lies. The
> latest news proves otherwise. (Full text of articles appear
> after the summary).
>
> 1. UK: A motorist uses science to prove a speed camera
> issued him a bogus ticket for going 51MPH when he was
> driving only 13MPH.
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/01/07/ncam07.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/01/07/ixhome.html
>
> 2. Australia: A newspaper investigation finds 74% of speed
> cameras reported at least one fault over a six-month period.
> One camera "recorded data in German on May 5 putting all
> motorists at 80km/h"
> http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,8325164%255E421,00.html
>
> 3. Australia: Speed camera goes crazy and flashes everyone.
> http://www.geelonginfo.com.au/readarticle.asp?articleid=9994
>
> 4. UK: Camera tickets are proving a multimillion dollar
> annoyance to ambulance chiefs forced to waste time and money
> fighting, in one chief's case, 150 tickets a week.
> http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004001893,00.html
>
> 5. Even Bahrain is revolting against the cameras:
> http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=70540&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=26288
>
> Full text of articles:
>
> $$$ #1 $$$
>
> Driver proves speed camera was wrong
> London Telegraph
> By Richard Savill
> (Filed: 07/01/2004)
> http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/01/07/ncam07.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/01/07/ixhome.html
>
> A motorist who received a fixed penalty notice saying a
> camera had caught his van travelling at 51 mph in a 30 mph
> zone has had the penalty overturned after the film showed he
> had been driving at only 13.42 mph.
>
> Kris Haskins, deputy mayor of Portland, Dorset, was told to
> pay a £60 fine within 28 days or face prosecution but
> demanded to see the film from the camera.
>
> ...
>
> $$$ #2 $$$
>
> Speed camera fiasco
> By Matt Sun and Kelvin Bissett
> Townsville Bulletin, Australia - Jan 5, 2004
> http://townsvillebulletin.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,7034,8325164%255E421,00.html
>
>
> THE state's network of fixed speed cameras is plagued by
> more than 90 faults and glitches a month that frequently put
> them out of action, documents show.
>
> An investigation by The Daily Telegraph using official
> maintenance logs shows that 82 of the 111 cameras broke down
> or reported a fault at least once over a six-month period.
>
> The information, obtained from the Roads and Traffic
> Authority under Freedom of Information, means hundreds of
> motorists are being let off speeding fines every week.
>
> In one case, a speed camera outside St Patrick's Primary
> School at Kogarah "lost" 535 infringement photos on
> September 25 after 20 days of operation.
>
>
> ...
>
> $$$ #3 $$$
>
> Not smiling for this camera
> Geelong Advertiser, Australia 1/7/04
> http://www.geelonginfo.com.au/readarticle.asp?articleid=9994
>
>
> SMILE YOU'RE ON CAMERA: The red light camera at the Princes
> Highway/Sparks Road intersection was yesterday snapping
> pictures of dozens of drivers, even when the lights were
> green. Photo: Photo: ALISON WYND
>
> Thursday, January 8
> NICOLE MAYNE
>
> DOZENS of law-abiding motorists were flashed by a faulty red
> light camera at a busy Norlane intersection yesterday.
> VicRoads and the Department of Justice were yesterday
> afternoon investigating the fault at the corner of Sparks
> Road and the Princes Highway.
>
> A VicRoads spokeswoman said it appeared to be a minor
> problem with flash, although the exact cause was yet to be
> determined.
>
> Motorist Lee Howell said the camera was flashing every
> Melbourne-bound car when he passed through the traffic
> lights at 6am.
>
> He said this was despite the fact the light was green at the
> time.
>
> ...
>
> $$$ #4 $$$
>
> 999 crews' spy cam fury
> The Sun, UK - Jan 5, 2004
> By DAVID WOODING
> Whitehall Editor
> http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2004001893,00.html
>
> FURIOUS ambulance chiefs are being deluged with speed camera
> fines ? costing taxpayers an estimated £3MILLION a year.
>
> Emergency crews are being sent up to six tickets per journey
> as they dash to answer 999 calls.
>
> One cash-strapped service gets 150 penalty notices a WEEK,
> forcing staff to spend hours on the phone protesting and
> filling in appeal forms.
>
> And taxpayers foot the admin bill at both ends ? paying for
> police to send out tickets and ambulance staff to fight them.
>
> Last night an official in Staffordshire said it wasted
> £10,000 a year battling up to 7,000 fines.
>
> ...
>
> $$$ #5 $$$
>
> Speed camera blaze warning
> Gulf Daily News, Bahrain
> 2 January 2004
> By VINITHA VISWANATH
> http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/arc_Articles.asp?Article=70540&Sn=BNEW&IssueID=26288
>
> Dangerous drivers and those who destroy speed cameras were
> given a tough new warning yesterday.General Directorate of
> Traffic traffic awareness and public relations supervisor
> Captain Mohammed bin Dayna spoke after a camera was set
> ablaze early yesterday morning. The incident happened at 2am
> near Jasmis Restaurant, Arad Highway.
>
> "While the traffic department is taking all measures to
> ensure the safety of the people and to avert major
> accidents, some people are all set to create confusion. If
> caught, they are bound to face severe prosecution. Anyway
> they will not escape every time," Capt Bin Dayna told the
> GDN.
>
> The camera was set on fire with petrol. But timely
> intervention by Muharraq firemen averted serious damage.
>
> ...
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