Not content in having to contend with speed cameras, The Times (261101) reports in the very near future another camera lurking in the bushes and no adjustment of speed will be enough to avoid a penalty.
Its is a Pollution Camera which detects dirty fumes by laser beam. It involves a sensor at the road side which sends a beam through the
vehicle's exhaust gases. The light is able to change depending on what is in the gas and is reflected back by a mirror on the other side of the road. If a failure is noted a camera is activated and takes a pic of the VRM. Two more laser beams measure the vehicle speed to 'calibrate' the reading. This is necessary as the slower the vehicle the thicker the gas trail will be. Best used on hills when the engine is working hard.
So keep well back from heavy lorries and I wonder should I consider fitting a defector tube on the end of the exhaust of the Disco to belt the fumes downwards?
The age of robotic regulation is fast approaching. No doubt somewhere in a little shed a bloke is working on a camera that can tell the difference in the colour and date of an Excise Licence.
You have been warned.
DVD
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DVD
I believe these systems, albeit not automated, have already been used, especially in London. Here the effect was originally an instant fine, but there were many objections from owners whose vehicles subsequently passed a (proper) emission test, and were actually operating correctly. Later, I believe, changed to exclude from a fine those who could show they had a full service record and the vehicle subsequently tested OK. After all how the hell do you know if the emissions are high until the next service or MOT. One problem I believe was that slow moving and idling vehicles allow the cat to cool down, so reducing its efficiency.
Fraught with problems. As you say - vehicle trapped behind a heavily polluting lorry, and what if the car has just been started from cold and the cat isn't at working temperature? What if you'd done the right thing in traffic and turned off the engine?
What standards do they use? There is no 'standard' exhaust emission and I'd hate to be nabbed in my (perfectly legal) Minor because they are assuming catalyst equipped vehicles for example.
Great fun for the lawyers I don't doubt, but it appears like another half baked automated revenue gathering system for the local authorities.
Regards
JS
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DVD Is there a link for this?
This is not possible, as there are usually two lanes of traffic, and there will be 2 sources of pollution (at least, as there will be preceding cars too).
To measure the speed is irrelevant, unless you know the engine speed.
There will be far too much ambient pollutants in the area, for a machine to accurately say what has come out of the exhaust pipe of any individual vehicle.
Atmospheric conditions will also beed to be taken into account.
In theory this is useful for local authorities to measure pollutant levels at certain roads, but this is most unlikely to be able to used as evidence in prosecution.
Jonathan
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I have read this link, and would like to add, that I would consider it highly unlikely that this could be used as evidence alone, and in practice a testing station would probably be further down the road, to test those that are suspecte of failing.
Jonathan
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I'll bet they somehow find a way NOT to test buses and taxis, the biggest local polluters on the road.....
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www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2-2001545032,00.html
New roadside camera focuses on exhausts
BY BEN WEBSTER, TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT
A NEW camera will soon be lurking in the bushes to trap unsuspecting motorists, and stamping on the brake will no longer be enough to avoid a penalty.
Pollution cameras that detect dirty exhaust fumes with laser beams have been successfully tested on Britain?s roads. ...................
.......................At present the inspectorate carries out spotchecks on randomly selected vehicles, a method that is highly inefficient because 95 per cent of cars pass the test. ..........................
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The bloke in the shed?
He's here!
They say that it will be less than 2 years before we all get computer chips which attach to the windscreen, and side-of-the-road scanners will pick up if yours isn't valid...
The system is already in its infancy - used to measure marathon running, with great success.
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have a look at
www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99991607
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Mark
Interesting link, which confirms all the potential problems highlighted here. Even if the problems of excluding external influences and getting even a moderately accurate reading are solved there is absolutely no mention of vehicle identification and it's therefore entirely unclear what emission standard they intend to apply.
As for decrying garage tests, at least these have a degree of standardisation, exclusion of background levels and some hope of repeatability, and that's what the law currently requires. It must be arguable that any prosecution cannot rest on something as inaccurate as a 'drive by' test, unless under controlled conditions. This may be used as a screening test, and so a basis for recommending a more rigorous test, but I have suspision the local authorities will see these as a revenue earner, and the Motoring Organisation legal services might be gainfully employed for a while if it really takes off.
There are plenty of questions about speed cameras, but can you imagine the questions raised here about location, sensor positioning, calibration, vehicle speed etc.
Regards
JS
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