Speed Cameras 2

[fairy!]

Following on from the question below... if there's a fixed speed camera on a 3 lane motorway, does it only ever take photos of cars in the lane closest to it?

[ICEMANSAV]

I am not sure about the fixed ones but the meausred mile and truvelo ( sp ) can only focus on one particular lane and you can see them angled towards it.

[fairy!]

Oh... well, by fixed I mean they're yellow & look like the permanent one in my village!  Could be wrong!

[MargeB]

It takes the photo across all three lanes.

The ones loaded with film have two circles at the back recessed, not flush (empty).

[Joanne-G]

If you are reffering to the digital speed cameras on motorways like the M11 where they are set at fixed distances and take images of every vehicle within their capture range, then yes, every lane is covered, unless you are hidden behind a vehicle on a lane inside and in front of you, Once you get to the next camera it will check your number plate and calculate the time you took to get there, and if that period of time indicates your average speed is above the limit....TICKET!

Oh, and don't worry, there are helecopters that they can use to do the same thing, the coffers must be filled at GHQ! 

[fairy!]

Joanne... I never knew they did that... v scary!!  So, if you're doing 71mph, you get a ticket?  Or is it not that severe??

[Joanne-G]

Erm 10ClarionSt.

I have several friends who are traffic officers in the Met, these cameras that measure your average speed are REAL, and as it is done digitally there is no film to run out as in a standard Gatso. If the time it takes you to get to the second camera (facing you, and it has two round looking lenses) is quicker than the prescribed time it would take if travelling constantly at the legal speed limit (even if you crawl past at 30mph when you get to this 2nd camera) it knows you have been  travelling above the legal speed limit at some point between the cameras. There IS a buffer that allows for an 10% error so technically you could travel at 77mph constantly, but that doesn't stop the odd bored traffic officer playing "snooker" from catching you with his handheld!

Oh, the "snooker" bit, it is a sort of "game" they like to play where the car to be stopped must be a certain colour, if you have a pink car, don't speed, that is a highly desirable colour to book, you have been warned!