Gatso Camera from other side

Tue 29 Nov 2011 12:55

Gatso Camera from other side - willy123

Basically, was driving down a road which had essentially two lanes (there was also a bus lane on each side). On one side, say that is heading north, the road is marked with distance markers, and a gatso type camera is facing towards those markers, clearly shooting cars heading north. The limit is 30.

I am travelling south on the road, there are no marking on my side, and I am around 20 metres away from the camera when I get a flash in my face. I don't doubt I was speeding. If you had asked me before yesterday the same question I ask you, I would say categorically not possible - the road markings are a legal requirement, and the camera can't take a photo of your front registration (due to bikes etc.)

However now it has actually happened I am questioning it. There was other traffic on the other side of the road, but it didn't look as if they were speeding. Can I set off a camera on the other side but not get caught?

I would really prefer some responses from people who know from experience (from police work, past ticketing experiences, or in the know info), please no speculation and "I thought". Categorically, can I be caught on the other side of the road, with no markings?

thanks.

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Tue 29 Nov 2011 14:08

Gatso Camera from other side - RT

Was it actually a Gatso, with 2 rectangular apertures, or was it one of the other types, with 1 or more round apertures? AFAIK the old Gatso can only take the back of the car going away but the other types can work both ways - that way they get a picture of the driver.

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Tue 29 Nov 2011 14:35

Gatso Camera from other side - willy123

look for yourself!

Edited by willy123 on 29/11/2011 at 14:40

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Wed 30 Nov 2011 10:08

Gatso Camera from other side - Cris_on_the_gas

Reckon your alright as no road markings on your side.

Your excess speed set the camera off and they probaly have a good picture of you. however the camara needs collaboration which the lines give. no line no fine.

Seems like you are lucky, best not push yer luck further and try to keep to speed limits in future.

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Fri 2 Dec 2011 16:18

Gatso Camera from other side - concrete

This happens quite a lot, on certain roads, just yesterday for me in fact. Travelling on the opposite carriageway, facing the camera, hustling along safely on an empty road, but fast enough to trigger the sensor in the camera. Never had a PNC yet. I think that by the time the camera triggers I have travelled past the lens and therefore no clear picture of my vehicle or me. I wouldn't try it the opposite direction though. I wouldn't worry too much. Just calculate the distance you travel in that second between triggering and the flash, I bet it is more than enough to take beyond the field of view of the camera. Good luck anyway. Concrete

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Fri 2 Dec 2011 16:57

Gatso Camera from other side - Bobbin Threadbare

The Gatso is designed to calculate the speed of receeding traffic and not approaching traffic. You should be ok, as you were appraoching, and even if it records you, the lines on the road are not correct for a calculation.

Watch out for Truvelo cameras though!! They work by calculating approaching cars' speeds.

Cameras can be very sensitive and so can radar guns (range about 3 miles!)

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Fri 2 Dec 2011 22:26

Gatso Camera from other side - Avant

I know a Gatso is a square yellow box - but what does a Truvelo look like?

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Sat 3 Dec 2011 07:58

Gatso Camera from other side - RT

It's another square yellow box !!!

From the front, Truvelo's have 2 round apertures while the Gatso has rectangular ones.

My satnav also warns me of DS2 devices but I haven't got a clue how they differ.

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Sat 3 Dec 2011 18:57

Gatso Camera from other side - Bobbin Threadbare

The DS2 cameras work by using piezoelectric strips embedded in the road. They work both ways on the road as well. They connect up to a police van parked a little way away in a lot of cases. It's another time-of-flight calc method really. You press anything piezoelectric and it causes an eleccy current to flow. Two electrical signals 1m apart gives a speed....

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Sat 3 Dec 2011 19:42

Gatso Camera from other side - RT

Thank you for advancing my knowledge - it does explain why I never see anything when my satnav warns of a DS2.

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Wed 7 Dec 2011 15:13

Gatso Camera from other side - jc2

Not all speed cameras require road markings-there are at least five approved types.

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