It's True! Cats Eye Cameras

[Chris VR6nos 0]

It's true!

I heard about these Cats Eye Cameras some time ago and i now read that they are being trialed in Motherwell in Scotland and in Hampshire!

 

The camera is just 130mm in diameter, and can protrude from the surface by just 5mm; and it is linked to a computer that can read and decode number plates written in both italic and cursive scripts.

But you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll be used against the easy targeted road user to generate revenue!

 

 

 

Chris

[biggerbigben 0]

That just makes me mad... Can someone remind me if we still live in a free society???!!! One isn't going to be able to wipe their own arse soon with out supervision! What is this country coming to? :mad:

[daves16v 1]

That just makes me mad... Can someone remind me if we still live in a free society???!!! One isn't going to be able to wipe their own arse soon with out supervision! What is this country coming to? :mad:

 

My thoughts exactly :x

[Jim 1]

Oh my god!! Stop screwing the motorist! This is getting ridiculous ffs :(

 

The people who can get away with faking their tax / mot etc continue to do so, so all this is doing is screwing the people who forget or the genuine honest motorist who sometimes makes a mistake. Its disgraceful.

 

Try catching some real f'ing criminals rather than just brushing it aside as 'something we can't help' - try spending bloody money on that, putting extra coppers on the f'ing street.

 

B*stards :|

[dr_mat 0]

"Smart Cats Eyes being tested. ... Although the smart studs will be able to detect speeding drivers, no prosecution can result until there has been a change in the strict rules regarding where cameras can be sited. The current trials are being carried out in Kent and Scotland."

 

NO prosecutions possible, under current law, based on cameras such as these.

Of course, that's not saying they won't change the law, but...

[2cc 0]

Or, looking on the bright side, maybe we'll get some footage of us going over 'em all crossed up a la WRC LOL

[pablo_vr6 0]

set of revolving plates a la bond is needed here :)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Oh my god!! Stop screwing the motorist! This is getting ridiculous ffs :(

 

The people who can get away with faking their tax / mot etc continue to do so, so all this is doing is screwing the people who forget or the genuine honest motorist who sometimes makes a mistake. Its disgraceful.

 

Try catching some real f'ing criminals rather than just brushing it aside as 'something we can't help' - try spending bloody money on that, putting extra coppers on the f'ing street.

 

B*stards :|

 

Jim :shock: Never seen you venting steam before, or swear! :lol:

 

I heard whisperings of these covert cameras a few years ago and it's sickening !

[TomB 0]

How will the cats eye cameras be able to just speed over distance? Will they be similar to GATSOs in this respect?

Cheers,

Tom

[Jim 1]

I get fed up of it mate, really.

 

Seems like i'm paying more and more to put the car on the road as each month goes by, and at the same time there are stories in the local rag about Coventry roads being SO out of shape the estimated repair bill is over £60 million... car crime is worse than ever (i've had my car done, my folks had their merc done, my sisters fella had HIS car done) - its just about how much we can give away with basically nothing to show for it and it just gets my goat to be honest.

 

But its ok, because they can put a few more covert speed cameras in the road just on the off chance I manage to find a section of road that I can go above 70MPH on without the suspension self destructing thanks to the potholes, etc..

 

Anyway - rant over ;)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I hear you mate.....

 

It's always been said though that motoring in this country is akin to emptying your bank account into a drain. We're all being screwed over and made to feel like leopars for owning and using a car!

 

You'll probably find they will be destroyed by disgruntled motorists anyway :wink:

[daves16v 1]

What's it gonna take for someone to stop by the road with a BIG hammer :twisted:

[bcstudent 0]

It'll end up like London where loads of people just stick a random plate on their car to avoid prosecution from "avoiding" the congestion charge.

[CoxyLaad 0]

thats it if they come in to action then i am selling up and sticking with my motorbike.

 

Take a photo of of me now you tw*t - what? no front number plate? shame.

 

I might have a badge made up that goes on the front of my bike saying f*ckyou or something equally witty :x

[pablo_vr6 0]

when we got our first gatso in NI some lad in a souped up corsa was raking down towards it. the guy telling the story (in a prezza) was waving at them to slow down as they were a cert to get zapped.

 

the lads just gave the thumbs up tho and tore on. as they passed the prezza guy saw the near plate reading JUST TESTING :D

[biggerbigben 0]

What's it gonna take for someone to stop by the road with a BIG hammer :twisted:

 

Your going to need good eye sight to find them mate...

[dr_mat 0]

Point is, at the moment, the law says that the photographic evidence of a speed camera is not enough without visible, calibrated road markings so that it's possible for the police to calculate the speed FROM THE PICTURES. You can't do that when you're taking pictures from ground level. How are they going to prove it's calibrated without something like this? If they even tried to prosecute someone all they'd have to do is ask for evidence of calibration and ask them to prove you were travelling at the speed they said. It'd get thrown out.

[Henny 0]

why can I see some of the big tub of black paint I have in my garage being used up whenever I see any of these? :D :twisted:

 

Cameras are all well and good, but a little paint doesn't half stop 'em working! ;) :lol:

[Joe M 0]

Point is, at the moment, the law says that the photographic evidence of a speed camera is not enough without visible, calibrated road markings so that it's possible for the police to calculate the speed FROM THE PICTURES. You can't do that when you're taking pictures from ground level. How are they going to prove it's calibrated without something like this? If they even tried to prosecute someone all they'd have to do is ask for evidence of calibration and ask them to prove you were travelling at the speed they said. It'd get thrown out.

 

If there like SPECS cameras in that they measure the average speed between 2 or more of them then the calibration wont be an issue.

[dr_mat 0]

Specs cameras also require calibration points in the photo, you have to pass a given point. You simply can't replicate that with a direct head-on view.

[AKA-Andrew 0]

to slightly change the subject;

 

ever wondered why the new tax disks have a bar code on the front??

 

i know of one camera that picks up tax disks, looking for out of date ones but also it can pick up what car it is, so you can change the plates but the tax disk still gets you. The camera is at the start of a long 2ish mile bridge and if the police are wanting to stop a car the idea is that they should be able to get to the other end of the bridge and block it off before th car gets there, why you may ask?? Well Prince William is just 20 mins away at university in St Andrews.

 

I only found this out from a freind who works on the bridge in the security and safety side of it

[pablo_vr6 0]

is imagaing techonoly good enough to scan a barcode from that distance on a fast moving object?

 

seems a little far fetched to me (no offense intended)

[Reggit 0]

i know of one camera that picks up tax disks, looking for out of date ones but also it can pick up what car it is

These read the number plate, then cross reference it to the car, which then has details of it's tax disc. It takes about 4 seconds for he police to know whether and specific car is taxed or not.

 

The bar code is probably there for the post office (or other issuing body) to enter it onto the licencing system quicker. If you think about it, they would be buggered if the tax disc had fallen onto the dashboard if they tried to read it with a camera.

[dr_mat 0]

I think you're right there, I sincerely doubt that even a very new laser barcode reader could scan the code through a mucky windscreen at an angle of up to 45 degrees (fighting partial beam reflection) on a moving car from over 20 yards...

Think how often they fail to read the bar code from 3 inches away off that tin of baked beans in the supermarket... ;)

[coolrado 0]

the control panel building company i used to work for built a high speed barcode scanner for a large mail order company with a 360 degree scanner, the rep who demonstrated the scanning head had a frisbee with a barcode about the same size as the tax disk one and repeatedly threw it passed the scanner and it read it every time, thinking this guy could have set the system to just read anything that was thrown passed it we experimented by throwing other products passed it like wrinkled crisp packets and tins of beans and it read them every time too, and that was 6 years ago so it could be possible to read one on a car, allthough the bar code is actually for traffic wardens to scan with a hand held reader which will then check all of the details match with the database :roll: