Hidden speed cameras

Discussion about street lighting, road signs, traffic signals - and all other street furniture - goes here.

Moderator: Site Management Team

User avatar
DavidNW9
Member
Posts: 1634
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 18:16
Location: London NW9
Contact:

Hidden speed cameras

Post by DavidNW9 »

As I often do I I was on the Staines bypass yesterday and the 70mph limit was recently dropped to 50 (no idea why, it's like a motorway) but there are regular camera signs but no visible cameras. I know they were trying to stop the yellow camera law some time ago, but at least they were still possible to see. Where would they be hiding them on this stretch and similar ones I've seen elsewhere?
User avatar
kit
Banned
Posts: 2596
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 19:57

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by kit »

There are plenty of examples of people being caught by scamera vans on the Staines bypass which is probably what the camera signs are referring to.

There was never a requirement to paint cameras yellow. It used to be that if police wanted to keep revenue from fines then they had to paint cameras yellow. Now HM Treasury gets all the revenue from fines they get a fixed grant so visibility requirements are only guidelines. Although outside of London there seems to be very few new fixed camera installations going in.

Police do still keep a chunk of revenue from speed awareness courses though so there is still some incentive for police to focus on numbers rather than safety.

Anecdotally Thames Valley have also decreased the number of scamera vans significantly as well though I don't know the reason for this or if it is repeated nationally.
I didn't want to believe my Dad was stealing from his job as a road worker. But when I got home, all the signs were there.
User avatar
DavidNW9
Member
Posts: 1634
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 18:16
Location: London NW9
Contact:

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by DavidNW9 »

Interesting. I think London has its own unified rules so am used to them, although of course we have just got average speed cameras with clear signs and only seen one or two people speeding since they arrived last month. And for the bypass presumably if you don't see a vehicle parked in a layby then there weren't any cameras. We have a regular patrol on the A5 using speed guns on foot but they are fairly blatant so quite easy to avoid, although they still have a line of guilty drivers parked by the side of the road whenever they come out.
User avatar
Truvelo
Member
Posts: 17467
Joined: Wed May 29, 2002 21:10
Location: Staffordshire
Contact:

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by Truvelo »

Reminds me of this I saw ages ago. There was a cop in hi-vis holding a hairdryer on the road that goes left-right in the picture. More cops were waiting by the van flagging down those speeding and making them stop in the side road. The guy in the red top will probably leave with a fixed penalty notice.
Attachments
Camera van.jpg
How would you like your grade separations, Sir?
Big and complex.
User avatar
kit
Banned
Posts: 2596
Joined: Wed May 23, 2007 19:57

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by kit »

Bloody hell, a old Combo van with a non-rusty roof box. Must have been some time ago!

Got stopped by "real" police twice, one Speed Awareness Course and one lost down the back of the filing cabinet and never heard any more about it!
I didn't want to believe my Dad was stealing from his job as a road worker. But when I got home, all the signs were there.
User avatar
Truvelo
Member
Posts: 17467
Joined: Wed May 29, 2002 21:10
Location: Staffordshire
Contact:

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by Truvelo »

The picture is 15 years old so the van wasn't exactly new at the time.
How would you like your grade separations, Sir?
Big and complex.
Toothed Tiger
Member
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2011 19:01

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by Toothed Tiger »

DavidNW9 wrote:As I often do I I was on the Staines bypass yesterday and the 70mph limit was recently dropped to 50 (no idea why, it's like a motorway) but there are regular camera signs but no visible cameras. I know they were trying to stop the yellow camera law some time ago, but at least they were still possible to see. Where would they be hiding them on this stretch and similar ones I've seen elsewhere?
Hi. I work not far from the bypass and as I sometimes drive at up to 70mph on the dual carriageway (where road and traffic conditions permit!) I had a moment of panic when I read this, so much so that I went out and drove along it to check. As far as I can see the section from the M25 to the Crooked Billet Roundabout is still NSL and I couldn't see any "50mph" signs, although the section I haven't used for a while from CBR towards Sunbury (along the A308) is definately 50mph.
User avatar
DavidNW9
Member
Posts: 1634
Joined: Tue Dec 16, 2008 18:16
Location: London NW9
Contact:

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by DavidNW9 »

It's in two parts either side of the A308/A30 junction, the A308 part to the east is now 50 while the A30 to the west does appear to be unaffected.
User avatar
Skermington
Member
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2020 15:01
Location: Welwyn Garden City via Derbyshire and Newcastle

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by Skermington »

Spot the Gatso. (No Hints :lol:)
User avatar
Chris Bertram
Member
Posts: 15744
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2001 12:30
Location: Birmingham, England

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by Chris Bertram »

Skermington wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 13:08 Spot the Gatso. (No Hints :lol:)
Yeah, like that one's gonna catch a lot of victims! The markings on the road are also very worn.
“The quality of any advice anybody has to offer has to be judged against the quality of life they actually lead.” - Douglas Adams.

Did you know there's more to SABRE than just the Forums?
Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
Have you browsed SABRE Maps recently? Try getting involved!
Rambo
Member
Posts: 1056
Joined: Wed Dec 04, 2019 19:56
Contact:

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by Rambo »

This was always a classic https://www.google.com/maps/@53.2880365 ... 312!8i6656 however it appears to have been removed looking at more recent GSV images.
User avatar
Conekicker
Member
Posts: 3754
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 22:32
Location: South Yorks

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by Conekicker »

Skermington wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 13:08 Spot the Gatso. (No Hints :lol:)
What a very thoughtful householder. Not trimming the hedge and so avoiding any potential damage to some very expensive public equipment. 8-)
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.62659 ... 2?hl=en-GB
Patience is not a virtue - it's a concept invented by the dozy beggars who are unable to think quickly enough.
User avatar
L.J.D
Member
Posts: 441
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 06:34
Location: W.Yorkshire

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by L.J.D »

Conekicker wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 17:11
Skermington wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 13:08 Spot the Gatso. (No Hints :lol:)
What a very thoughtful householder. Not trimming the hedge and so avoiding any potential damage to some very expensive public equipment. 8-)
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.62659 ... 2?hl=en-GB
Is that the GSV camera glitching ? I swear the main Gatso box doesn't usually hang that far back from the post on usual Gatso installations.
User avatar
Conekicker
Member
Posts: 3754
Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 22:32
Location: South Yorks

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by Conekicker »

L.J.D wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 19:00
Conekicker wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 17:11
Skermington wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 13:08 Spot the Gatso. (No Hints :lol:)
What a very thoughtful householder. Not trimming the hedge and so avoiding any potential damage to some very expensive public equipment. 8-)
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.62659 ... 2?hl=en-GB
Is that the GSV camera glitching ? I swear the main Gatso box doesn't usually hang that far back from the post on usual Gatso installations.
It's glitching. Go back a few years to see it without the growth all over it.
Patience is not a virtue - it's a concept invented by the dozy beggars who are unable to think quickly enough.
User avatar
traffic-light-man
Member
Posts: 4728
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 18:45
Location: Liverpool, UK

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by traffic-light-man »

Rambo wrote: Tue Mar 29, 2022 16:07 This was always a classic https://www.google.com/maps/@53.2880365 ... 312!8i6656 however it appears to have been removed looking at more recent GSV images.
I drove along here last week, and I think all of the Gatsos have been replaced with the Jenoptik ones that look like average speed cameras. My observations were that most drivers were sticking to the limit in between the camera sites as though they were average speed cameras, but I couldn't really recall if the slow-down-speed-up phenomena was particularly prevalent at these when they were Gatsos, so I don't know if that was down to the camera design or just generally good compliance with the speed limit.
Simon
User avatar
L.J.D
Member
Posts: 441
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 06:34
Location: W.Yorkshire

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by L.J.D »

This is quite a nasty one monitors both directions at same time too if you can spot it.

30 MPH too :evil: Very unreasonable given the location and lack of street lighting.
User avatar
thatapanydude
Member
Posts: 522
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2015 21:35
Location: Bedfordshire

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by thatapanydude »

TfL 30mph camera's hiding here on the A40 !
A1/A1(M) >>> M1
User avatar
Truvelo
Member
Posts: 17467
Joined: Wed May 29, 2002 21:10
Location: Staffordshire
Contact:

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by Truvelo »

Hiding them behind signs and lampposts was common back in the day :@
Attachments
hidden1.jpg
hidden2.jpg
How would you like your grade separations, Sir?
Big and complex.
jnty
Member
Posts: 1727
Joined: Wed Aug 25, 2021 00:12

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by jnty »

thatapanydude wrote: Thu Mar 31, 2022 16:21 TfL 30mph camera's hiding here on the A40 !
Is it really that hidden if there's a big sign on the other side?!
User avatar
thatapanydude
Member
Posts: 522
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2015 21:35
Location: Bedfordshire

Re: Hidden speed cameras

Post by thatapanydude »

jnty wrote: Thu Mar 31, 2022 17:10
thatapanydude wrote: Thu Mar 31, 2022 16:21 TfL 30mph camera's hiding here on the A40 !
Is it really that hidden if there's a big sign on the other side?!
Well not, however its the location of where the specs start and end where the unsuspecting have confusion over.
A1/A1(M) >>> M1
Post Reply