Speed camera accuracy challenged, once again [priv]

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

---

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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