GATSOs

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:20 am

Funny thing, i needed to ask about this straight away when i happened, but other events of the night clouded my mind.

Traditional GATSO type cameras are rear-facing only, right? If you're driving towards them rather than away, they won't go off...?

Like a know it all clever bugger I went thru one at what possibly might have been exceeding the limit (ok if you must know, i was hurrying towards the chav encounter... at least 45 in a wide, dead-as-the-plague 30.. i think it was 30 anyway) --- driving towards the camera face rather than taking it from behind

and the bugger flashed.

Dummy camera/dummy flash on a working one, out of film (again - sunday night..), or am i screwed? That's a definate 3-to-6 points plus-substantial-fine job.

lesson learned - dont try to outwit the things, as their cold unthinking randomly programmed silicon brains will kick your arse

pukka · Post by **pukka** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:46 pm

There are cameras that take a nice photo of the front of the car. But I don't think they flash (the traditional way) to take the photo (maybe for safety reasons). Also some cameras don't require film... the photos are transmitted wirelessly...

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:05 pm

gatsos work 2 way. my mate got flashed (driving away) while he sat at 30mph and the guy driving towards it was speeding like mad so he got flashed. (my mate was worried for quite a while tho!)

Petrified · Post by **Petrified** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:22 pm

I would imagine you should be ok as they have no way of proving your speed, the camera would flash too late on the opposite side of the road and should not be able to tell how fast you were going towards it.

That's if it was one of them yellow jobbies.

I'm going on what someone else has told me and I went through one a bit faster than that. must have been a good few months ago, around the time I got my type-r, atually 10 mins after I picked it up.

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 3:42 pm

well as long as u dont get anything thro the door in 2 weeks, u should b fine

madmatt · Post by **madmatt** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:03 pm

gatso only take photos of your rear they do not take photos of oncoming trafic

truvlos take photos from the front they dont flash and use magnetic strips in the road surface and a lazer

digital avrage speed cams take photos at set points and work out your average speed

i looked in to all these and thought sod it and bought a origin b2 this is the best on the market metz will agree this has helped us no end

Petrified · Post by **Petrified** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:13 pm

I had a deal with my new car to get a Road Angel 2 for less than half price. I didn't take them up on it when I bought the car, but after the camera incident I felt like turning around... Just that it was a sunday and I wanted to get to Santapod...

I got the road angel 2 a week later

I've even been "lucky" enough to test out the laser detector. I bet the policeman on the (motorway) bridge was gutted when he found I was only doing 72

James.

jrw · Post by **jrw** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:28 pm

I've had one flash me like that, they can't do you cos I asked a copper (the murder sqaud actually! When they came to interview me cos my mates old car had been involved in a drive by!) and also the fact that if they did you'd win in court cos they can't do bikes!

Also the fact my road angel doesn't beep like mad when they're on the other side of the road.

Don't worry about it!

Petrified · Post by **Petrified** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:33 pm

My old car was used in an armed robbery (I knew that car was bad news) then apparently run off the road by an enthusiastic policeman.

I found out as the car was still in my name, they knocked on my door to break the bad news, I thought someone had died.

James.

jrw · Post by **jrw** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 7:40 pm

LOL that wasn't your FSI was it.

it's my g/f's sister and apparantly he absolutely S**t his pants when 2 6.5 foot murder squad coppers landed on his doorstep.

I started the rumour mill at work though cos they came round my work to interview me, I had them going for weeks.

It's been on Crimewatch as well! A drive by Murder in Brum last november with a green MGF (my mates car).

They can't find the car but its still registered to my mate so if they do find it he'll get it back!

Petrified · Post by **Petrified** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 9:04 pm

Noooo! it wasn't the FSI (If GaryUK is reading this he can relax now

) it was a Golf GTi 16v. Only had it a short while.

James.

GaryUK · Post by **GaryUK** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 10:09 pm

* Gary picks himself up after having a heart attack *

Petrified · Post by **Petrified** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 10:15 pm

heheh

Nice sig mate, I'm missing those wheels.

GaryUK · Post by **GaryUK** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 10:24 pm

Bet you don't miss cleaning them!

I'll accept a swap for your ctr if you like!

Tahrey1043 · Post by **Tahrey1043** » Thu Nov 04, 2004 11:38 pm

Kaaaaaaaaaa..... so the jury's out, but erring on the side of "don't worry"??

It was definately a normal GATSO, or at least something in the same style body, and it gave me a nice double flash about a half to full second apart as i went towards it. Dunno what the angle of view is like on them. I'll be going back the same way for a fireworks show tomorrow eve so I'll have to examine the spot (it's quite a distinctive place) and see if the white calibration lines are on both sides of the road. If it's just on the one side i'll breathe easier.

If on both sides... well... is there a solvent that can be used to remove old road paint?

(often thought about doctoring the calibration lines in front of gatsos anyway)

Normally quite wise to both truvelos (almost always in the most completely inappropriate places, but visible from far enough away to slow down for) and regular GATSOs (never had one go off as i've driven towards it before, at any speed..), but who knows if they're getting sneaky. If the average-speed cameras & digital jobs start getting to infestation levels then I may just take my plates off and be done with it. Sorry officer.. some chavs must have nicked them, and i approached the car from the side.. i'll get them replaced right away. (not)
It just encourages the unlicensed, unregistered, and car theives doesnt it... A decent level of warning signs and road engineering could solve a lot of hassle (no more blind bends, etc)

Given that apart from fussing over wobbly wheels, a good 10 mile stretch of the travel home from college wednesday was spent on country roads hanging back from a reasonably rapid line of cars and not checking the speedo at all for most of the duration apart from towards a tricky corner, and it was the most enjoyable and also safe sensation, I still can't see the benefit in keeping to a rock solid 30mph or whatever. Its a total george bush of a law.

Just a case of playing the waiting game again...