Speed Camera Myths
Posted on: 26/08/2014Speed Cameras, or ‘Safety Cameras’ to give them their official moniker, have been part of our road-scape twenty-two years.
To some, it may feel longer. Red light cameras have been around a little longer, since 1988, but what we recognise as ‘speed cameras’ started out in West London, being trialed on a section of the M40. Before the days of digital, these cameras used up their allotted 400 pics in just 40 minutes, so common was speeding at the time.
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There are now somewhere in the region of almost 6,000 static cameras in use on the country’s roads, plus another 3,000 mobile units, raking in well in excess of £100m in fines for the Treasury per annum. No small potatoes then.
Unless your speed is silly-excessive, being caught by one generally means a fine and three points on your licence, with almost half the drivers on the road carrying speeding points and the knock-on effect to their insurance costs.
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Not surprising then that stories of people evading the dreaded double-flash have spread virally and indeed, some of the stories are true, however, either legislation or technology has sealed the hole, once it was discovered. Take the Swedish driver who evaded several old-style cameras by speeding in excess of 186mph to beat the flash. He was caught doing this speed by a new digital model and awarded the biggest fine ever handed out anywhere in the world for the offence
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In Australia, it was discovered that the latest plastic bubble-covers used by young fashionable types actually reflected the light from the camera flash, making the otherwise readable reg plate indiscernible on the resultant photo. The covers were duly banned.
However, myths are born of these and other success stories. So here we are to debunk any misinformation out there.
It’s possible to slow down before a camera then speed up afterwards without getting caught.
As with many of these myths, it was perhaps true in the past. Nowadays, it very much depends on the type of camera you are passing. SPECS cameras for instance, measure the time it takes you to pass two separate points and then works out your speed, so in that case, you’d obviously still get done. SPECS cameras are the ones you see on gantries, often across motorway lanes affected by additional speed limits due to roadworks.
With average speed cameras, I can change lanes and avoid detection.
There was a loophole in legislation which dictated that drivers need to be observed speeding in just one lane, but this hole was stitched up and now it doesn’t matter how much lane changing you do, SPECS can bring you down.
I’m able to buy a detector to warn where the camera is.
This is true and they are often included in ‘off the shelf’ satellite navigation systems. They are not however, allowed to indicate whether a camera is active or not.
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It’s possible to avoid prosecution by scrambling or blocking Police radar.
In the past, it was discovered that garage or gate opening devices could actually block some police radar systems. However, although not actually illegal, you better be lucky. In 2007, a Yorkshire businessman John Eady was convicted of perverting the course of justice for using such a device, resulting in a year-long ban and a £5,000 fine.
If a camera hits you, you’re done.
Not necessarily. The figures are purported to be somewhere in the region of one in four leading to prosecution, although that number is a lot higher from a mobile unit. Some cameras are dummy and others are sometimes switched off. You need to ask yourself though, do you want to risk it?
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If you don’t hear anything for a fortnight, you’re in the clear
Generally this is true, although with hire cars, or when you aren’t the vehicle owner, it can take longer for the penalty notice to reach you.
If I pay for the fixed penalty with a cheque that pays 1 or 2p over the cost, I’ll get away with not paying it.
The argument being that when sent the penalty notice, you pay over the asking price and then, when they send back the overpayment cheque, you never cash it, meaning that the payment transaction is never completed.
This myth, which even now is still doing the rounds, was banking on the concept that the Police could only award points to your licence once all financial transactions had been completed.
The reality is that you actually leave yourself open to additional charges of wasting Police time and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Oh dear.
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I can avoid points on my licence by taking a speed awareness course instead.
Sometimes true, if there is such a course running in your area, if the severity of your offence is minor, if you are beyond the initial two-year probationary period on your licence and if it’s your first offence, this is possible, but don’t bank on it.
There are sprays or paints I can use to hide my number-plate.
There are a few products out there that make such claims, however, with digital technology now able to get the most detailed info from very little, even if it were true before, it isn’t now.
If I drive fast enough, I can avoid the camera…
Well, as highlighted in the story of our speeding Swede, in theory, with some older cameras, this was indeed true. You would need to be driving in excess of 177mph to avoid a Gatso from catching you, however, Safety cameras are there for a purpose, the majority of them placed in accident blackspots. You need to ask yourself whether this really is, on balance, a good idea. Doing that kind of speed, even if you did survive a crash, the inevitable fine, ban and possible prison time for dangerous driving has got to be a bit of a downer, no?
Speed cameras have to be clearly visible, with fluorescent paint.
No, they don’t. Basically, a local safety camera partnership between the local government and Police paint theirs yellow, however Police speed checks and cameras on a National scheme do not. And neither do other cameras for red lights, bus lanes infringements, etc.
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If you don’t declare the driver, you can’t be prosecuted.
The Road Traffic Act clearly states that you must disclose the name and address of the driver responsible for any offence. You are also required to know who was in control of your vehicle at any given time. So, err.. yuh. You can’t be claiming the Fifth here. And this ain’t America.
You don’t have to bother telling your insurer.
Well, actually you do. If you don’t, you nullify your insurance cover. Also, be aware that even though you may be able to clear your licence of points after three years, many insurance companies want to know about your previous five year’s history and speeding points will most definitely affect the premium you’ll need to pay.
