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View Full Version : How do traffic light cameras work?


rustic
23-12-2013, 13:08
A friend of mine went through a junction, at evening time in Birmingham, so clearly dark, the lights went to amber, and this persons vehicle was crossing the line and the traffic light had gone to red in this time.

Do these cameras flash now? so if it had been triggered, do they flash twice?
My friend and the other people in the car, said they hadn't seen any flashes.

No, before you ask... my friend wasn't driving a Maverick or a Terrano...:augie

I looked at the internet, and some say they flash twice, some are digital and don't flash but record it anyway...:doh and other sites say, there is a 1.5-2 second amnesty to give you a chance to cross in case conditions are unsafe to stop abruptly. hmmm.

I guess in 14 days my friend will find out anyway:eek:

Technology is changing all the time, not all red light cameras have cameras in them, but knowing my friends luck...:doh

Any thoughts?:nenau


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Banshee
23-12-2013, 13:43
Not the one near the Barton Arms by any chance is it?

rustic
23-12-2013, 13:51
Not the one near the Barton Arms by any chance is it?

I think it was on the way out on the A38, less than a mile from centre.

clivvy
23-12-2013, 14:23
I don't know about Birmingham but yes, they flash twice because they take two photographs. The only cameras I know of that DONT flash are the VERY new ones for speed checks on Motorways etc...

I saw a wagon go through the lights the other day, similar situation but the huge wagon couldn't have stopped at amber if he tried, the flash was VERY obvious - bright white twice.

Lazy-Ferret
23-12-2013, 14:37
Most speeding cameras flash twice at a known time interval so they can measure how far it traveled in that time and prove the speed you were doing. That is why they have the white dashes on the road.

There is a different one that has two wires in the road and times you over them, so only needs to take one picture.

Traffic lights depend on where they are, and if they think they could get you for both speeding and jumping the lights, but as they already have the sensors in the road for the traffic lights, and they know the distance between them, they only need to take one picture.

sent from my phone, sorry for any typo's.

R1cho
23-12-2013, 14:38
I don't know about Birmingham but yes, they flash twice because they take two photographs. The only cameras I know of that DONT flash are the VERY new ones for speed checks on Motorways etc...

I saw a wagon go through the lights the other day, similar situation but the huge wagon couldn't have stopped at amber if he tried, the flash was VERY obvious - bright white twice.

i've seen the motorway ones flash

clivvy
23-12-2013, 15:11
i've seen the motorway ones flash

I don't think the new ones flash, they are digital etc?

R1cho
23-12-2013, 15:12
I don't think the new ones flash, they are digital etc?

still need a light source

firebobby
23-12-2013, 15:16
i've seen the motorway ones flash

Me too, the ones on the 25 do it

clivvy
23-12-2013, 15:20
still need a light source

oh right, ive not seen one flash on a motorway for years! do those average speed cameras flash? I didn't think they did...

firebobby
23-12-2013, 15:36
oh right, ive not seen one flash on a motorway for years! do those average speed cameras flash? I didn't think they did...

I think the average speed ones work on the ANPR basis

macabethiel
23-12-2013, 17:07
I looked at the internet, and some say they flash twice, some are digital and don't flash but record it anyway...:doh and other sites say, there is a 1.5-2 second amnesty to give you a chance to cross :nenau


.[/QUOTE]

The ones in Nottinghamshire that I have had experience of give you 2 seconds to allow for vehicles who cannot stop safely when they see amber come on as they approach.

I got caught behind a HGV on a roundabout that obscured the red light I followed the HGV and then saw after I was committed to carry on as it was unsafe to stop that the light had been at red.
An NOIP came to the company complete with photo and I saw no flash. Luckily the NOIP registration mark did not match the photo as a Y was typed as a V. Both combinations of letter happened to be registered to our company. Lucy escape for me and I avoid that route as the lights give you little chance to stop if your legally doing 35-40 as you approach the roundabout. Its one of the islands off Junction 26 of the M1 on the A610.

Lazy-Ferret
23-12-2013, 19:17
No they have infrared spot lights by the camera.

sent from my phone, sorry for any typo's.

Dynamics
23-12-2013, 20:44
Bad news. I hope you (Your Mate) don't get a fine. :augie

rustic
24-12-2013, 02:05
Bad news. I hope you (Your Mate) don't get a fine. :augie

Well we went past the same set of traffic lights tonight, and on close inspection, it is just a grey box with an antenna on the top, phewwww, my err... friend can stop worrying. Probably traffic control etc.

However, when we were in Brum this evening, some excuse for a low life scum b*****d tw** decided that out presents in our car boot were better off with him.
They screw driverered the lock, in fact there is a massive hole next to the lock...:doh and took presents that my son had bought, he had borrowed my wife's car, and we met up later with the Mav, in the same car park.
Luckily they decided NOT to attack the Mav:augie
They did several cars, so for the last hour we were in the Brum cop shop :doh
We have a crime number, but it's not worth claiming on the insurance for the damage, as my son's excess plus our excess, plus lost no claims etc etc...

Boy oh boy...
Merry Christmas... Bah Humbug.

At least we are safe.
I hope my son can claim on his credit card...
Anybody with experience of this?:bow

rustic
24-12-2013, 02:37
On some ford cars, I recall seeing Stainless steel plates that cover the door locks to help prevent attack by screw drivers. they are approx 2 " x 2" these would cover the hole, and the damaged paint.

I was thinking, this might be a low cost repair to the area around the lock.
Does anyone know where to get them, or what they are called?

rayf3262
24-12-2013, 08:57
or what they are called?
escutcheon?

firebobby
24-12-2013, 10:20
Sorry to here that Rustic, hope the C#nt who did it, goes blind. Are you thinking of the plastic key hole protectors that stop the paint being scratched ....this type of thing on ebay 161168760673

rustic
24-12-2013, 11:07
Sorry to here that Rustic, hope the C#nt who did it, goes blind. Are you thinking of the plastic key hole protectors that stop the paint being scratched ....this type of thing on ebay 161168760673

Yes I looked at those, but I was thinking of something metal.
I have also looked at replacing the driver's door, this might be the cheapest option, as there are loads of Picassos about, in our silver colour, EZRC but would entail replacing moving parts, and transferring them across, so I could probaly do this for around £70 or less, cheaper than the excess and on going increase in premiums.:doh

OR if I can free the lock, then a dollop of Chemical metal and one of those key hole protectors could be the way to go.

firebobby
24-12-2013, 14:02
I bought a Saxo a few years ago, got it cheap (and played on it) as there was a big dent in one of the back doors, I then looked at breakers on line and found an exact match for my car, all I had to do was unscrew the door pins, release the steady and off it came, new door went on a treat and you could not tell the difference.