What Radar / Laser speed measuring devices are used in Vic?
Firstly, it needs to be
explained that there are four different RADAR bands (frequencies)
used throughout the world plus LASER (which is
completely different to radar).
The four radar bands include:
X-Band (10.275GHz up to
10.775GHz) - not used anywhere in Australia
K-Band (24.050GHz up to
24.250GHz)
Ka-Band (33.400GHz up to
36.000GHz)
Ku-Band (13.175GHz to
13.675GHz) - not used anywhere in Australia
Radar (short for radio and ranging) works by transmitting a pulse of
electromagnetic (EM) energy, also referred to as RF energy at a moving object.
Using the Doppler principle the radar
gun ‘listens’ to the change in pitch of the radio waves
as they reflect off the moving vehicle and thus determines the speed.
Similarly, when a train blows its whistle as it passes you – you can hear
the change in pitch of the whistle, as the train moves past.
The radar beam starts out as a
small diameter pulse when it leaves the radar gun, but grows quite rapidly
as the distance increases from the gun. At a distance of 300 metres, the radar beam is now 100 metres tall and 200 metres wide! If
6 cars were simultaneously hit by a radar beam (six vehicles driving down the
freeway), 6 pulses would come back to the radar gun, and the radar gun would
detect (and report the speed of) the largest signal of the 6 signals
present. To overcome this shortfall, the latest radar units with Digital
Signal Processing (DSP) can identify the strongest and the fastest targets to try and help the police officer identify which vehicle's speed is being displayed on the radar gun.
Because the radar beam is so large when traveling down the road, a radar
detector can be located almost anywhere in or on the vehicle, and it will
detect the radar signal. Radar will penetrate glass, plastic, even
people, but is reflected by metal and metallic objects. Radio waves
will only travel in a straight line, so you are relying on reflections of
other objects to give you advanced warning if you do not have a line of sight
with the radar gun.
Traffic radar uses a radar beam to measure speed. Think of the beam as a
searchlight. It’s invisible because it’s made of microwaves instead of
light, but otherwise it acts very much like a light beam. It travels in
straight lines. It’s easily reflected. It scatters as it is passed through
dust and moisture in the air. And — this is essential — it has to hit your
car before it can determine your speed. Radar can’t see around corners or
through hills. It can’t see you when you are behind another vehicle. When in
the clear, how strongly your vehicle reflects determines at what distance the radar
can detect your speed. Generally, larger vehicles reflect more strongly than
smaller vehicles. Trucks are more “visible” at further distances than cars. The
principle on which radar operates is absolutely reliable. Radar equipment,
on the other hand, is only as good as the quality of its design and
manufacture. Traffic radars tend to be unreliable. They’re cheaply made and
therefore vulnerable to many interferences that cause false readings. And,
compared to the military and weather radar which have rotating antennas,
traffic radars are vastly simplified. This simplification means that traffic
radar cannot tell one car from another. The operator has to do that, and
since the operator can’t see an invisible beam any better than you can, he
frequently doesn’t know which vehicle’s speed is being read. This is a
source of many undeserved tickets.
As a defense against
radar detectors, many police radar units can be
operated in the Instant-on mode, also called the Pulse
mode. This means the radar is in position, but it is not
transmitting a beam. So it cannot be detected. When the
target is within range, the radar operator switches on the
beam and the radar calculates the speed, usually in less
than a second. This calculation happens too quickly for
the target (you) to respond in time. Still, you can defend against
Instant-on by recognizing it when the operator zaps traffic ahead of you.
As well as radar, there is also LASER (also known as LIDAR, - LIght Detection And Ranging), which operates at a frequency of 904nm ‡ 33MHz. A police laser (LIDAR) gun emits a
highly focused beam of invisible light, in the near infrared region of
light, at 904nm of wavelength, with the beam being around 50cm in diameter
at a distance of 300m from the laser gun. Unlike RADAR which determines a
vehicle's speed by measuring its
Doppler shift, police laser (lidar) calculates speed by observing the
changing amount of time is takes to "see" reflected pulses of light over a
discreet amount of time.
Because the laser beam's diameter is so narrow, if a laser gun is aimed at
the license plate, the beam is so small, that most times, none of the
laser signal would actually “spill over” up to the windshield, where your
detector is mounted. Thus, a radar detector with laser detector mounted on
the windscreen would not even detect the laser beam targeted on the license
plate (or headlights or bumper for that matter). This means the beam of a
laser gun is accurate enough to target a single vehicle out of, let’s say,
six vehicles driving down the freeway. The laser gun can target and detect
that single vehicle in less than ½ second after the trigger is pulled, while
the surrounding vehicles would not detect the laser beam as it passed
right beside their vehicle!
Other than radar and laser, there are other ways of calculating a vehicle's speed
being:
Vascar - This is not a
radar or laser, system; rather it is a glorified stopwatch that relies
on the policeman's honesty and accuracy. They are mounted in the police
car and are often used when following the target. When the target car
goes past a landmark (usually a white marking across the road), the
timer is started and when the car goes past the second landmark, the
timer is stopped. It is hooked up to the patrol car's speedometer to
give a target speed reading. It relies on the button being pushed at the
right time and the pacing distance to be long enough to overcome any
timing errors. The only countermeasure is careful observation, or a GPS
unit if it's a regularly used Vascar area.
Piezo-electric strips - pressure-sensitive strips embedded in the roadway (a set distance
apart if speed is to be measured - typically 1-3 metres).
Inductive Loops - embedded in the roadway detect the presence of vehicles, and with two loops a set distance apart vehicle speed can be measured.
In Victoria, the police use
the following speed measurement devices:
Dash Mounted
radar (aka moving radar) set up in police cars:
The
early dash-mounted radars used in Vic were the KR10-SP
manufactured by Kustom Signals Inc in the USA.
These units can
be used in stationary and moving mode, and can be used in "instant on" mode
or "constant on" mode. One antenna for front only or two antennas for
front / rear.
The current dash-mounted radars used in Victoria are the Silver
Eagle radars also manufactured by Kustom
Signals Inc of USA. The Silver Eagle radar also operates on
K-band radar around 24.150GHz. There has also been unconfirmed reports
that in Early 2007, a Ka-band radar will be used in Vic patrol cars. The Ka-band has a
smaller antenna head and operates around 35GHz
Hand-held
laser (aka lidar):
The
Victorian police first used the Prolaser 2 and more recently,
now the Prolaser 3 as
their choice of hand-held laser. The
Pro laser hand-held Lidar guns operates at a
frequency of 904nm, and as per all speed lidar guns, have
an extremely narrow divergence compared to a radar beam,
as well as being able to acquire a vehicle's speed in less
than one second. The Kustom Prolaser does not
utilize jamming codes, and thus will not alert to a
laser jammer being operated (at) the laser gun, as well
as being one of the easiest laser guns to jam.
Mobile Speed
Cameras:
Victoria has
been dubbed the Speed
camera capital of Australia, and certainly been the
speed camera scandal capital of Australia.
In September
1989 the Victorian Government announced a new road
safety strategy to help combat
a rising road toll. This included the introduction of 54
new mobile speed cameras. Police were already
using cameras to enforce road safety at some
high-accident intersections. These cameras took a
photograph of vehicles which did not stop at a red
light. With the new mobile speed cameras there came
an additional 20 red light cameras - bringing the
total to 35. An integral component of this
road safety package was the establishment of the
Traffic Camera Office in June 1990. The Traffic
Camera Office (a division of the police), became
responsible for the administration and management of
the speed, red light and bus lane cameras throughout
Victoria. In 1998, the operation of the
traffic camera equipment was handed over to a
private company, Tenix Solutions. This decision
meant that police resources could be used in other
areas, rather than operating cameras - a job better
suited for technicians, rather than law enforcement
officers.
Download the Victorian Mobile Speed
Camera Site Selection Guidelines
While the administrative functions
were being handled by a private company, the
police's Traffic Camera Office retained all their
core functions - including the power to prosecute
infringements. For example, mobile camera operators
are trained and certified to operate under the
delegation of the Chief Commissioner of Police.
Victoria Police also make all decisions about the rostering of times and locations of all safety
cameras. The company who operates the cameras
does not receive bonuses for catching more
motorists. Instead, a bonus is paid (or penalty
applied) to encourage high levels of quality images
taken by the cameras so that infringements are
possible.
The mobile cameras in Victoria use the Gatsometer MRC
system, referred to as the "Gatso Type 24 MRC Slant
Radar". The mobile Gatso speed cameras
operate on low powered K-band radar at 24.125GHz and
will only give a couple of hundred meters warning to the
best radar detectors. Gatsometer is a Dutch company that
provides many types of speed and red light cameras (watch a flash demo of a Gasto speed camera in action. The mobile
Gatso measures
the speed of a vehicle travelling in either or both
directions, and takes a photograph of anyone going
faster than the speed limit. The
camera and speed measurement device is mounted
inside an unmarked car, which is often parked on the
side of the road. Sometimes, the camera is mounted
on a tripod. An operator sits in the vehicle to
monitor the camera while it is operating.
Tenix
Solutions is the company who has been given the
contract to operate mobile cameras in Victoria.
Victoria Police, through their Traffic Camera
Office, retain all the core functions including the
power to prosecute infringements.
Before operating the cameras, the staff must
complete a special training course. Operators sit an
exam set by police and are tested in both theory and
practical aspects of speed camera operation.
Set-up of cameras
The
radar unit may be set up on a tripod or mounted in a
vehicle parked on the side of the road. The radar
beam is transmitted at an angle of 20 degrees across
the road.
Each
time the camera is positioned somewhere, the control
unit is programmed with specific information. This
includes the time, date, film magazine number, speed
zone, film type, the direction of the traffic to be
covered, as well as the threshold speed.
The
control unit is then connected to the camera.
The
camera is just like an ordinary 35mm film-based
camera. Instead of the operator pushing the shutter
to take a photo, the radar control unit checks the
speed of the passing vehicle, and tells the camera
when to capture the image.
The
camera can photograph two speeding vehicles every
second.
How
your speed is checked
Once
properly set up, the control unit transmits an
invisible radar beam across the road.
As a
vehicle travels through the beam, the radar
frequency is changed (Doppler
effect)
and the beam is reflected back to the radar antenna.
The
antenna receives any signals which arrive from the
same 5 degrees by 20 degrees and converts this into
the speed of the vehicle. If the vehicle's speed is
greater than detection speed set by the operator, a
photograph is automatically taken.
Location of cameras
Cameras
are only operated in areas which have been
identified as having speed-related problems. These
may be identified as "high risk" roads, based on
complaints from members of the public. Mobile
cameras are also placed in accident black spots.
Mobile
cameras can be used anywhere throughout Victoria at
any time of the day or night.
The
camera operator is not allowed to disguise their
vehicle in any way. Placing a "For Sale" sign on the
camera car, or opening the bonnet to give the
impression of a vehicle that has broken down is
forbidden.
Download
a fact sheet that explains the mathematic and physics
principles behind how mobile cameras work.
Fixed Speed
Cameras:
There
are currently fixed speed camera sites located on
the Monash Freeway and in the CityLink tunnels.
These speed cameras take digital images. Instead of
using film like a normal 35mm camera, they capture
images directly to computer. The system
measures the speed of a passing vehicle using
sensors buried in the road surface. There are three
strips of sensors that are spaced at regular
intervals. The sensors work using
piezoelectricity. Each sensor outputs an electric
pulse as the wheels of the vehicle pass over them.
As a vehicle passes over the top of the piezo
sensors in the road surface, an electric signal is
sent to the camera system.
The speed measurement device measures the time
between the arrival of the first and second pulses
between the pulses and the time it takes a vehicle
to travel between the sensors. If a motorist is
travelling too fast, the system tells the camera to
take an image of the passing vehicle.
Finally,
Victoria hare
incorporated a fixed point to point speed camera system. The
system comprises of two linked cameras, many km apart.
The first camera will digitally record the number plate of a vehicle as it passes. The second camera will take another, time-recorded, snapshot when the vehicle passes it.
The cameras know how long it takes to legally cover the
distance between the two points, so If the vehicle has reached the second camera too soon, it must have travelled
above the speed limit for some of the way. Five cameras will monitor
a stretch of the Hume Freeway between the Western Ring
Road to about 80 kilometers outside Melbourne. Large
flashing signs will mark all cameras.
"They're highly visible,"
said Assistant Commissioner Noel Ashby. "They're
mainly situated in the median strip area and there's
nothing at all covert about them. They're quite
substantial structures."
The cameras will be
introduced in conjunction with parabolic cameras on the
Western Ring Road. Police hope the new cameras will
reduce the Easter holidays road toll.
"The difference with the
point to point (cameras) is that it's a simple
mathematical equation," said Mr Ashby. "It will catch
those motorists that slow down for the single site
cameras and speed up in the areas between."
Mr Ashby said police had
consulted widely before deciding to introduce the
cameras, and would publicise their introduction.
As with existing mobile
and fixed cameras, the new cameras will include a
"legislative tolerance" for motorists who have exceeded
the speed limit by
a small amount.
A multiple infringement
policy means motorists will not be booked several times
over the same stretch of road.
RACV general manager for
public policy Ken Ogden said he supported the new
cameras but called on police and the State Government to
ensure the public
knew about their benefits.
"We don't object to
automated enforcement where there is a clear road safety
benefit," Dr Ogden said. "I think it is absolutely
essential that the
Government explains to
the public what the road safety benefit is of this
technology."
Is a
statewide program that is not focused on a single
community. The photo enforcement operation is on a
much larger scale of operation than in Edmonton. Victoria is considered a leader in photo
enforcement and employs mobile photo radar vans, fixed photo radar cameras and intersection
safety cameras that include "speed on green" violations. Another type of photo enforcement uses
point-to-point cameras on rural roads to photograph a vehicle passing a stationary camera at
one point on the road and 60 km down the road a second photograph is taken. The time needed to
travel from the first camera to the second camera at the speed limit is calculated and if the
vehicle passes the second camera before the calculated
time elapses a photograph is taken for a
speeding offence. This type of photo enforcement is used
to decrease the point in time measurement
of a vehicles speed and to mitigate against drivers increasing and decreasing their speed
along rural roads. As long as the average speed of the vehicle across the 60 km is equal to the
speed limit a second photograph will not be taken. If a second photograph is not taken the first
is automatically deleted from the memory card to protect the individual's identity. The State of
Victoria currently has identified almost 3,000 photo
radar locations as well as eighty intersection
camera locations that monitor speed through the intersection and red light infractions.
Currently, the total number of hours of operation of all cameras is 7,500 hours/month with a
predominant distribution of cameras in urban rather than rural areas. The population covered by
photo enforcement in the State of Victoria is approximately 5 million people.
Victoria's operation is much more "covert" than
Edmonton's. The presence of photo enforcement is not
indicated by signage and units are hidden from the sight of drivers. The following is a
description of photo enforcement in the State of
Victoria, broken into the processes outlined by the value
chain.
Deployment is under the control of the
Victoria Police Service (VPS). The VPS has created operational policy guidelines, similar
to Alberta's guidelines, which are used to determine locations for photo enforcement. These
guidelines include:
Trauma history.
Risk of
road trauma
Consideration of
local conditions relating to technical operational
feasibility.
History and risk of
motorists breaking the law at a particular location.
Guidelines specifically for mobile speed
camera locations include:
A documented history
of serious and major injury collisions within the
previous 12 months.
The subject of a
validated written complaint of excessive speeds,
resulting in a written assessment by a Victoria Police Traffic
Management Unit officer indicating that driver behavior demonstrates a significant risk
of speed related collisions.
Assessed by a Victoria Police Traffic Management Unit officer as posing a significant risk of speed related collisions.
Guidelines specifically for fixed photo
radar camera locations include:
Confirmed high
incidence of speeding.
High traffic volume.
Victoria Roads assist in deployment by
supplying crash and collision data to the VPS.
Delivery
Photos taken by the intersection safety
cameras and the fixed cameras are downloaded daily from the location to a central site for
processing. As well, van operators bring the photos and
data from the mobile cameras back to the central
site for processing. Tenix Pty Limited (Tenix) is responsible for processing the photos
and determining if a violation has occurred. Once the photos have gone through final
processing they are linked to Victoria Roads database,
which brings up the data for the vehicle's
registered owner to check against the photo and the
recorded data from mobile cameras. If there is
any doubt about the vehicle in the photo or there are obstructing objects the photo is
discarded.
Issuance
Violation tickets are printed by Tennix
and include the actual speed measured and the alleged speed, which is three kilometers below
the measured speed. The violation ticket is sent to the vehicle's registered owner without a
photograph. The vehicle's registered owner has the
option to nominate a different person as the
driver and the nominated individual receives the
demerits with the fine.
Adjudication
The person nominated for the violation
ticket is able to pay their fine through a virtual court
system. If the fine is paid within 28
days there are no additional charges. If the fine is not
paid within 28 days then an administrative
fee is added to the fine and another 28 days are granted
for payment. Following this period the
violation is referred to court.
Fines are paid to the Department of
Justice and become part of general revenue that is
allocated to all areas of the government.
Analysis
Tenix produces monthly reports that
include:
The number of cars
passing a given camera;
The percentage of
cars exceeding the speed limit by
7km/h
10km/h
over 10km/h
Graphs of the
percentage of offenders in an area over time;
The number of hours
of camera use in a zone; and
Spider graphs are
used to analyze crash rates and the number of hours
cameras are used in an area. Spider graphs plot aggregate data
over a 24-hour period for a single day. The graph displays concentric circles indicating
the number of hours of camera use against the crash rate in a zone. A mismatch in the number
of camera hours and the crash rates in the area indicate the need for increased
enforcement in the area.
Maintenance and Installation of
Equipment
The Department of Justice is responsible
for calling tenders, developing the required specifications for the photo enforcement
site, executing contracts and ensuring that installation
is correct as per design. Justice is also
responsible for camera installation and operation
quality assurance and for maintaining the
equipment, although maintenance is currently contracted
out to Tenix. Maintenance and installation is
the responsibility of Tenix and they maintain all photo enforcement equipment. Cameras are
recalibrated and sealed by Tenix and the accuracy of the photo radar equipment is validated by
the VPS to ensure that the equipment is accurate.
Innovation
The VPS contract with Tenix provides an
incentive for innovation. The contract consists of two parts: (1) a flat fee structure; (2) a
sum of money that is tied to the percentage of
successful traffic violation tickets. The higher the
percentage of successful tickets (those tickets without
spoilage) the more money Tenix receives from its
photo enforcement contract. This provides an incentive for Tenix to identify and use the latest
technology that provides the best quality for photo enforcement. This has moved Tenix to use
the most recent digital technology for their cameras phasing out wet film cameras.
What are the
guidelines for use of this equipment?
Contrary to what the government or police would have you believe, the
accuracy of these "speed measuring devices" can be somewhat doubtful,
particularly if the manufacturer's guidelines for use are not strictly followed.
Police officers, and mobile speed camera operators are trained in the proper
use of these devices, but that isn't to say these guidelines are always
followed.
It is estimated that 10% of all LIDAR infringements are incorrect and up to
30% of all moving radar speed readings are also incorrect!
The Australian standards AS 2898.2-2003:
"Radar speed detection - Operational procedures" - can be purchased HERE
Download the Victorian Mobile Speed
Camera Policy Manual
What does all this mean? It means that there are requirements for the
correct placement and setup of speed camera devices as well as guidelines
for the use of radar devices. Rules
that must be followed for setup, placement and testing! But are they?
How do
Police Radar, Laser & Speed Cameras make mistakes?
Moving Radar mistakes:
The Texas Department of Public
Safety produced a comprehensive manual based on the Federal tests. It
cautions operators, "...the radar does not generate 'false' readings.
Anytime a reading appears, the radar has sensed a signal. The radar operator
must be familiar with situations that can produce 'error' readings." If the
operator does not detect the error, a ticket will be wrongfully issued.
Here are the radar "errors"
detailed by the Texas manual:
1. Antenna Positioning Error
The radar beam travels in a straight line, neither bending around curves nor
following the contour of hilly terrain. If the antenna is not properly
positioned, it may seem to clock an approaching car when, in fact, it's
clocking another car in the background.
2. Look-Past Error
Even if the operator aims his antenna properly, radar is still subject to
"look-past" error. This is caused by the radar looking past a small
reflection in the foreground to read a larger reflection behind. This error
is all the more insidious because poorly-trained operators assume it can't
happen.
Texas instructors warn, "It is a
widely-held misconception that the reflected target signal received by the
radar antenna will always be that of the closest vehicle to the antenna.
There are times, due to traffic conditions, that the closest vehicle is not
returning the strongest signal."
The Texas instructors confirm
this problem with radar, saying "It is not unfair to say that the reading
you register could be a larger, better target three-quarters of a mile down
the road."
3. Vehicle Interference Error
Texas tells its radar operators
that this "...situation becomes more critical if difference in patrol speed
and interference-vehicle speed is five to ten mph. A target vehicle moving
61 mph may be recorded at 66-71. These borderline speeds are more difficult
to detect with the eye."
4. Cosine Error
Cosine error produces a result similar to Interference error except no
moving traffic need be present. A stationary object adjacent to the road,
such as a building, or road machinery, or even a sign, makes a more
efficient reflector than horizontal pavement. Therefore the radar uses that
reflection as the basis of patrol speed.
If this reflector were
positioned straight ahead on a collision path, the patrol speed estimate
would be close enough. But the further the object is located off a direct
line to the target, the lower will be the estimate of patrol speed. This is
a simple trigonometry problem relating to the cosine of the angle between
the target and the ground reflector, hence the name Cosine error. Since
Cosine error always makes patrol speed seem smaller than it actually is, it
always acts to raise the reading of target speed.
5. Double-Bounce Error
Microwaves are easily reflected. That's what makes radar possible. But the
operator must be aware of the difference between an ordinary reflection and
a bad bounce. Big objects such as trucks are very efficient reflectors, and
it's possible for the radar beam to bounce off several moving trucks at
once, always producing erroneous readings.
6. Beam-Reflection error
Because microwaves are so readily reflected, Texas instructors recommend
caution, even in mounting the antenna within the patrol car. They say it's
possible that a reflective path can be set up through the rear-view mirror
that will produce radar readings on vehicles behind the patrol car when the
radar is aimed forward. And those vehicles behind can be either coming or
going, since radar does not distinguish directions.
7. Road-sign error
The ready reflectability of microwaves means that road signs are also source
of errors.
8. Radio-Interference Error
According to the Texas course, "UHF radio now in use can force radar to read
various numbers when you transmit, or just key the mike. Citizens band radio
transmissions from within the patrol vehicle can cause ghosting (false
readings)." It recommends that no radio transmissions be made while clocking
target vehicles.
9. Fan-Interference error
When the antenna is mounted inside the patrol car, the Texas course says,
"Radar will have a tendency to read the pulse of the fan motor (air
conditioner, heater, or defroster)." The instructors go on to say, however,
that the fan reading will disappear when a target comes into range, and that
the fan will not distort the speed reading of the target car.
However, in the case of moving
radar, they say, "Sometimes a steady fan speed will override patrol car
speed reflected from the roadway." When this happens, the false speed
reading produced by the fan will be substituted for patrol speed in the
moving radar's calculation of target speed. Since the calculation consists
of subtracting patrol speed from closing speed, if the fan reading is less
than patrol speed, then the speed displayed for the target will be
incorrectly high.
Police LIDAR can also make errors if not operated according to the
manufacturer's guidelines.
1. Stationary - Laser cannot be used in moving mode, they must be used
whilst stationary.
Similar to radar, laser cannot be used in the rain, snow, or high dust
environments.
2. Interference - If for any reasons intended signal returns are interrupted, it may not
be able to determine target velocity. Bright lights (such as Halogens)
beaming directly into a laser aperture may desensitize or entirely masks
target's echoes. The brighter and closer the light source the greater the
chance of interference.
3. Cosine Error - Is the angle from 0* perpendicular to the target vehicle. The greater
the cosine angle the greater the error. However, cosine error is always in
favor of the motorist, one of the speed readings will be will be
proportionally less than the actual speed of the target vehicle.
4. Sweep Error (also known as pan or slip error) - Is manifested when the laser is
aimed at one part of the vehicle, say the license plate, and due to the
motion of the operator, the laser also targets a side mirror during the same
trigger pull. Sweep Error adds to the real speed of the target vehicle. See
videos below.
5. Reflection Error - On very hot days with low humidity a visible mirage/reflection of the
target vehicle is created. In many cases, when the laser is aimed at the
target vehicle the infrared beam also receives readings from both the target
vehicle and the mirage causing a Sweep Error.
6. Overexposure Error - When a laser gun receives an extremely powerful reflective signal, such as
a sun flare off a vehicle, the computer's timer can't see return of the 904
nanometer signal it sent. It can't compute a speed reading. In general, the
laser gun is looking for the strongest return reflection of its own emitted
beam for speed computation.
Experts and two investigations by the BBC's Inside Out program and The Daily Mail have revealed that the police's favourite speed gun, the LTI 20-20, is flawed and can produce incorrect and unreliable speed readings.
The device is used in some 3500 speed traps around the UK, but motorists have been prosecuted for speeding when they're adamant that they weren't over the limit. However, the main expert witness called by the CPS to defend the equipment in court is the boss of the UK importer, Frank Garratt, a former police officer and now a millionaire.
In tests the speed gun recorded a wall speeding at 44mph. (Yes, a brick wall, that's not a misprint) Other tests showed a bicycle doing 66mph and a parked car doing 22mph. The Daily Mail reports that even when the camera is set up following the police's own guidelines and the manufacturer's handbook some of the readings were wildly off the mark.
The newspaper wrote "The Mail can expose the scandal of a speed enforcement industry in which the collection of fines is considered paramount - whatever the consequences for innocent drivers caught in police traps by faulty readings." Lawyers told the paper that motorists are now rebelling by refusing to pay fines and fighting their cases through the courts. One solicitor, Barry Culshaw from Southampton, is representing 15 clients who all claim to have been a victim of faulty LTI 20-20 readings.
Another discovery, writes The Daily Mail, is that vital video film, often taken as secondary evidence, is often mysteriously withheld from accused motorists by the CPS. On at least 10 occasions the CPS has suddenly dropped the case against a motorist when ordered by a judge to hand over the revealing footage.
Dr Michael Clark is Europe's leading expert on laser technology and a former directory of a company making laser detection equipment for traffic lights and car parks. He's also a fierce critic of the speed gun and has acted as an expert witness on behalf of many motorists since he defended himself after being caught for alleged speeding.
Dr Clark says the gun is defective because its wide beam can easily pick up the wrong vehicle and if not held firmly on the target (which is a difficult task itself) it can produce an erroneous speed result because of "slippage".
Reflections from road signs and from other cars, even stationary ones, can also make the laser device misinterpret the true speed of the vehicle. The LTI 20-20 works by sending out a beam to measure the distance of the target from the officer operating it and also how long it takes for the beam to reflect off the target and bounce back. The operator looks through the sights and sees a red dot which he aims onto the target and presses a trigger. Critically the beam must be held firmly at the same point on the moving vehicle. But if slippage occurs and the beam moves up, down, or along the vehicle the gun will measure an inaccurate reading.
In tests in the USA, it was shown that if the beam slips from the windscreen of a car down to its grille on the bonnet it can add 8mph onto the vehicle's measured speed. If it slips along the length of the car - which is possible when a vehicle comes around a corner into the speed gun's sights - a whopping 30mph can be added on to the reading.
The BBC's experiments with the LTI 20-20 were dismissed by both the UK importers and ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) saying it was impossible for the gun to make any errors and that the BBC used an American version of the gun which they claim has less reliable software.
However, that claim was been rejected by the Daily Mail who obtained a UK version of the gun - a LTI 20-20 Ultralyte certified by Tele-Traffic, the UK importers based in Warwick.
Dr Clark points out during the experiments that the gun uses a multi-mode laser which uses 3 beams, not one. Over a long distance the beams widen so if it's targeted onto one vehicle it can unintentionally hit another vehicle nearby by mistake. Dr Clark said "A policeman can't tell from 400 meters away - or even at a longer distance in many cases - exactly which car he is marking." To demonstrate his point they parked a car at the side of the road and drove a white van past it at just 3mph. The laser gun was pointed at the car from 371 meters away which, according to the handbook, is easily within its capabilities.
As soon as the van drove past the parked car the laser gun picked up the moving van. It was impossible to target just the parked car along and as a result the car was recorded as travelling at 3mph, even though it was really stationary. The experiment was repeated with the van doing 26mph and the gun clocked the parked car at 26mph.
Another problem is reflection from other vehicles. They pointed the gun at a different parked car and slowly drove the white van past. It recorded the parked car doing 22mph. Dr Clark explains "The beam sometimes catches the reflection of a nearby car. It zig-zags to this car before carrying on to the target vehicle and returns by the same route."
In their final experiment they pointed the gun at a brick wall with no moving vehicles in the area. They moved the beam along the wall instead of keeping it perfectly still on a single point to create the slippage effect. The gun was confused and showed a speed of 44mph. Dr Clark said "This shows how a traffic officer can mistakenly pick up a reading from a wall by the side of a motorway or even an empty road if he doesn't target a vehicle properly. Of course there's no record to prove if an officer had targeting the vehicle properly or not. Assumption of accuracy is always taken for granted even if the officer had unwittingly made a mistake.
ACPO state that the gun shouldn't be used at distances more than 500 meters, but Dr Clark says that it's being used in some cases at double that distance.
Despite the recent media interest in these issue the shortcomings of the gun was discovered nearly a decade ago in 1996 in the US state of New Jersey. The state temporarily banned the gun after a court witnessed someone targeting the gun on a wall of the courtroom and it measured 4mph. The lawyer, Joe Maccarone, defending a motorist accused of speeding called on an expert from NASA. The expert said that at just over 300 metres there was only a 60% chance of a human operator hitting a 12 foot wide target with a laser gun. Cars are only 6 foot wide so the chances of hitting something other than the target are very high indeed.
Hand-held
laser mistakes videos:
If you have been given a ticket from a laser
gun when you were positive you weren't doing the alleged speed, then
YOU
MUST WATCH THIS VIDEO!
Part Two
This
video also shows how "reflection" can
also create errors in speed readings, as well as the slip error as featured
in the first video
This
video
from a speed laser hobbyist also shows how a slip error can generate an
erroneous reading.
The police and the government
would like to have us believe in their "utmost confidence in the accuracy of
speed cameras". Of course they would, as a proven fault could cost
them millions of dollars in repaid fines and loss of revenue, not to mention
a loss of confidence. Victoria was the first state to set
a precedence with the Government having to repay 26 million
dollars in unjust fines from faulty speed cameras.
VICTORIAN Police Minister Tim Holding
has overturned the Government's
longstanding resistance to revealing the
locations of speed cameras, listing 2593
potential mobile camera sites statewide.
Despite his predecessor's claim that
divulging the locations of mobile speed
cameras would undermine their deterrent
effect, Mr Holding said yesterday he
wanted to reassure motorists the cameras
were deployed properly.
But the locations of cameras on a daily
basis would not be revealed because
motorists should not be encouraged to
slow down only at specific locations.
"We believe it's time to move on from
the debate about where potential speed
cameras can be located and instead focus
the debate on the things that we can do
as a community to get motorists to slow
down," Mr Holding said.
He said more than 30 per cent of serious
crashes in Victoria were related to
speeding, and the Opposition's policy of
encouraging greater tolerance of
speeding would lead to more accidents.
Releasing the Victoria Police speed
camera manual, which sets out where
mobile cameras may be located, Mr
Holding said he wanted a "transparent,
open and accountable" policy and to show
cameras were not put in "sneaky
locations".
"This manual puts to bed some of the
myths about the deployment of speed
cameras," he said.
The manual suggests that speed cameras
not be located on downhill sections of
road, on bends, or within 200 metres of
a change in the speed limit. But
exceptions are made for sites with a
history of major speed-related crashes,
children's crossings and school zones.
Speed camera vehicles are not to be
disguised as breakdowns and camera
equipment is not to be hidden by posts,
rubbish bins or vegetation.
Opposition Leader Robert Doyle said the
Government's changed stance demonstrated
"breathtaking hypocrisy". He said the
Opposition had repeatedly called for the
sites to be made public.
"A little more than two years ago, Labor
was accusing the Liberal Party of
encouraging speeding with this policy,
but is today prepared to adopt that
policy following a Liberal Party and
media campaign," Mr Doyle said.
RACV public policy general manager Ken
Ogden applauded the release of the
camera sites and said a mix of overt and
covert enforcement measures was the
right approach for road safety. He said
the public would now know where the
cameras could be without knowing whether
they were functioning on a given day.
"Our view is that enforcement is an
important part of road safety but the
cameras should be located at sites where
there is a speed safety problem," Dr
Ogden said.
NSW police alert drivers to the presence
of mobile speed cameras with warning
signs, and in specific campaigns during
holiday periods will alert drivers to
speed camera locations.
A NSW police spokeswoman said the
warning was considered appropriate
because drivers would not necessarily
know they had been caught speeding as
they would not receive an on-the-spot
fine. "A lot of these cameras are placed
at black spots where we need people to
slow down, and if that's happening,
that's a good thing," she said.
Victorian Assistant Commissioner Noel
Ashby said police took account of
practices interstate, but set policy
according to what was best for the
state.
"Victorians ought never forget that we
are world leaders in road safety," Mr
Ashby said. He said the mobile cameras
were supported by hand-held radar and
mobile radar equipment in rural
Victoria.
Mr Ashby denied that releasing mobile
camera locations was a response to
public pressure.
Police have ordered tests on all
Victoria's speed cameras after another
suspect camera was detected and taken
out of operation.
In the latest incident, a fixed camera
in the Burnley Tunnel recorded a truck
travelling at 174 km/h in an 80 km/h
zone on October 23. The Volvo F Series
truck has a maximum speed of about 140
km/h.
Last month a fixed speed camera on the
Western Ring Road at Deer Park came into
question after it recorded a small
Datsun sedan, almost 30 years old,
travelling at 158 km/h.
Vanessa Bridges doubted her car could
travel that fast and paid to get it
professionally tested. Mechanics said
the car's top speed was 117 km/h.
After that first incident, acting
Assistant Commissioner (Traffic) Bob
Hastings expressed confidence that there
were no problems with the rest of the
speed camera network. "There's no
evidence to support that any of the
other cameras are malfunctioning . . .
in any other way," Mr Hastings told
reporters last month.
Yesterday Mr Hastings said the latest
incident was an embarrassment. "It's
embarrassing for everybody," he said.
"Technology is technology and I think we
have had indications where it doesn't
say the right thing."
Mr Hastings said he wanted the community
to have confidence in speed enforcement.
"Most of our cameras are doing what's
required of them and that is detecting
speed at the right speed," he said.
All speed cameras in Victoria -
including the 65 new red-light/speed
cameras now being installed - are to be
tested following the latest incident.
RACV public policy manager Ken Ogden
said Victorians were disillusioned with
speed cameras. "The public disquiet with
speed enforcement has to be addressed
and the best way to do that is to put
the proceeds from speeding fines back
into road safety," he said.
Premier Steve Bracks said yesterday that
he maintained full confidence in the
speed camera system despite revelations
about the inaccuracy of the Burnley
Tunnel camera.
"The fact that the police verification
system found there was an error and have
corrected that and not issued a fine is
proof that the system is being monitored
. . . effectively and well," Mr Bracks
said.
He said Victoria was on track to record
its lowest road toll in years and his
Government would continue to focus on
speeding motorists. The state's road
toll is 288, compared to 338 at the same
time last year.
State Opposition Leader Robert Doyle
yesterday said he would not be surprised
if motorists launched a class action
lawsuit against the Government over
inaccurate speed cameras.
"These speed cameras need to be
accurate, their readings need to be
valid or else the public will completely
lose confidence. I think we're already
on the way to that," Mr Doyle said.
"This does nothing to prove up what
Steve Bracks is saying about speed
cameras being about road safety - they
are not," he said. "Obviously they're
about revenue. Why can't they even get
this right?"
Mr Doyle said the Government should
reconsider the contract with speed
camera operator Tenix, given the recent
problems with inaccurate readings.
There's enough resentment of speed
cameras amongst Australia's motoring
community that the saga of Victoria's
nightmare over faulty speed cameras
hasn't attracted much public sympathy.
In fact, the Government's been left with
a whopping bill and a public relations
disaster.
Critics say failed technology may have
created the problem, but Government
mismanagement turned it into a
full-blown disaster.
Mick Bunworth reports.
JILL COLGAN: It's a breach of trust
that's left Melbourne motorists
questioning the very system that is
supposed to make their roads safer.
CHRIS DALE, VICTORIAN LAW INSTITUTE: I
think where perhaps great amounts of
revenue are being derived through speed
cameras, there's perhaps an
unwillingness to think that modern
technology could be defective, but
clearly it was.
MICK BUNWORTH: Vanessa Bridges was one
of the first to challenge the accuracy
of fixed speed cameras on Melbourne's
Western Ring Road six months ago.
Vanessa's car was clocked at 158km/h by
a fixed camera - a speed she knew was
well beyond the 4-cylinder Datsun 120Y
which has been putting along for close
to 30 years.
After unsuccessfully querying the fine,
Vanessa faced a mandatory loss of
licence, but rather than trusting the
technology she sought another opinion.
VANESSA BRIDGES: We got the car tested
not only for the maximum speed it could
go, which we found out it could only be
117km/h, but we also did a test on the
actual speedometer and we found that
when the needle was on 100 the car was
actually only doing 90.
This is the fine that I received.
The police still dug their heels in and
they said, "Oh, no, no no, the fine
still stays.
We're not dropping the fine at all," and
I even ended up receiving a letter in
the mail saying that, "Oh, yes, the
letter of rejection has been accepted
and your court date will be advised
shortly."
So, it was very stressful and I was
basically treated like a criminal, and
it was horrible - absolutely horrible.
MICK BUNWORTH: It was only when more
motorists complained of inaccurate
readings that the cameras were tested
and found to be faulty.
As if that wasn't bad enough, Poltech,
the company the Government had
contracted to supply the cameras, went
into administration.
VANESSA BRIDGES: We'll be investigating
all legal options against Poltech
International, which was contracted by
Vic Roads to install, to maintain and to
fix the cameras while they were under
warranty.
MICK BUNWORTH: But Poltech's
administrator says as far as he's aware
when the company offered the Victorian
Government a maintenance contract it was
rejected.
The reason's not clear, but it's not as
if money was an issue.
In the previous year, the Government had
managed to recoup around $176 million
from speed cameras.
STEVE BRACKS, VICTORIAN PREMIER: You
can't just sheet home the responsibility
onto the operator and say, "Well, you
know, it was a delegated
responsibility."
I think the Government needs to ensure
that there is proper maintenance and to
oversee it.
We're talking very large sums of
revenue.
MICK BUNWORTH: In the past six months,
motorists using other roads - the
Citylink tollway and Monash Freeway in
particular - have also reported
discrepancies.
The Law Institute says the Government's
tardiness in dealing with faulty speed
cameras would be unacceptable in the
commercial world.
CHRIS DALE: Companies every day have to
respond far more quickly to product
fault and take it upon themselves - a
self-imposed plan - to communicate to
consumers, recall product and disgorge
any monies obtained from those products,
and they do so voluntarily and they do
so far more speedily.
What we say is that in the total context
a 6-month period is a very long time and
it's certainly led to a great deal of
inconvenience, and in some cases a
sustainable loss.
MICK BUNWORTH: The Victorian Government
has announced it will reimburse fines
paid by 90,000 motorists on the Western
Ring Road at a cost of almost $14
million.
It's also established a $6 million fund
for motorists seeking compensation for
hardship suffered due to incorrect
licence cancellation.
CHRIS DALE: As this experience has
shown, if things go wrong it's
government that gets it in the neck.
MICK BUNWORTH: While the Victorian
Government has appointed former
Auditor-General Ches Baragwanath to
investigate the handling of the Western
Ring Road's contract, the RACV says
fixed speed cameras need a more
permanent watchdog.
DR KEN OGDEN, ROYAL AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF
VICTORIA: This has always been our
concern about the accuracy and indeed
the deployment of speed cameras, that
it's very important that it is seen by
the public as being related to road
safety, that it's accurate, and that
it's not about revenue raising.
MICK BUNWORTH: Like Victoria, the ACT
uses fixed Poltech cameras but they're
independently certified and calibrated
by the CSIRO.
NSW Roads and Traffic Authority took six
months to test its fixed cameras, some
of which were supplied by Poltech, and
says the review turned up no
inaccuracies.
Tasmania also has some Poltech fixed
speed cameras, but, again, no problems
have been reported.
Fixed speed cameras are not used in
South Australia or Western
Australia.
The RACV's Dr Ken Ogden says
transparency is the key.
DR KEN OGDEN: Independent auditing is of
course perfectly normal in the private
sector with the books being audited.
We would like to see that analogy
carried over here so that if somebody
has a complaint there's an independent
body that they can appeal to.
MICK BUNWORTH: Victorian Premier Steve
Bracks declined the 7.30 Report's
request for an interview.
The Opposition argues the Government
rushed fixed speed cameras into service.
ROBERT DOYLE, VICTORIAN OPPOSITION
LEADER: Because they wanted these big
dollars, they rolled out all of these
speed cameras far too early without a
proper maintenance schedule, and now
they've been caught with a bill of $26
million to pay back motorists who have
been unfairly fined.
MICK BUNWORTH: With fixed speed cameras
gradually being introduced across
Australia, there seems little doubt
other jurisdictions will be
double-checking their maintenance
systems in the wake of Victoria's costly
speed camera fiasco.
VANESSA BRIDGES: I think a lot of
innocent people will be less trustworthy
of these cameras and I - yeah, I think
it will take a long while before people
regain their confidence again in the
camera system.
14/11/2003
VANESSA Bridges was celebrating
yesterday - right on the bonnet of the
little old Datsun that helped bring down
Victoria's speed camera system.
Months after being snapped at an
impossible 158km/h in 30-year-old
"Charlie", she was told that a $430
speeding fine, which carried eight
demerit points and a one-year licence
cancellation, had been withdrawn.
"It's just unbelievable," Ms Bridges
said. "I'm so stunned at how far it's
gone."
In July, Ms Bridges was booked at 41km/h
above the speed limit on the Western
Ring Rd at Deer Park.
She contested the fine after checks
found her car could not go faster than
117km/h.
Two weeks ago, police conceded the
camera that nabbed Ms Bridges was
faulty.
Now, fines from the state's 47 fixed
speed cameras have been frozen after a
third malfunctioning camera was
detected.
"I think it's a long time coming. They
should have withdrawn it ages ago, when
we proved the car couldn't do that
speed. It's silly," Ms Bridges said.
VICTORIA'S hidden speed traps will be
scrapped and there will be greater
tolerance in the enforcement of speed
limits under a future Liberal
government, the party's state leader
says.
Opposition Leader Robert Doyle pledged
to "end Victoria's covert speed camera
regime" by making speed camera vehicles
identifiable and by publishing the
location of speed camera sites.
He also said a future Liberal government
would reintroduce the 10 per cent speed
zone tolerance whereby drivers caught
exceeding the speed limit by up to 10
per cent would not be booked.
Mr Doyle said it was unfair to fine
people travelling a few kilometres over
the speed limit, "particularly when the
equipment cannot be measured that
accurately".
"While we want people to slow down, we
don't want to slug them unfairly," Mr
Doyle said.
"At the moment, the Bracks Government is
just collecting revenue, it's not about
road safety."
Mr Doyle said highly visible speed
camera vehicles were a better deterrent
than receiving a fine in the mail one
month after speeding.
The Liberals' plan also includes setting
up speed cameras at dangerous, not high
revenue, sites and rationalising
"confusing" speed zones, he said.
Other measures include a plan to
establish six driver education centres
around the state, setting aside $4
million so learner drivers can receive
three professional lessons and a
requirement for learners to record 120
hours of driving practice in a log book.
The Liberals would also abolish the CBD
and inner suburbs long-term parking tax,
which began on January 1 at $400 and
will double next year, reinstate the $80
car registration rebate for pensioners
and encourage the use of public
transport through free park-and-ride car
parks at railway stations and bus
interchanges.
Victorians are distrustful of speed
cameras and disdainful of their ability
to save lives, a survey released today
shows.
Figures from motor insurance company
AAMI show 64 per cent of Victorians
believe speeding fines are primarily a
revenue raising exercise, while 58 per
cent of those surveyed indicated they
didn't trust the accuracy of the
machines. The state ranked first in both
categories.
Victorian Opposition transport spokesman
Terry Mulder believes the statistics
show people are confused about laws
regarding speed cameras.
"There is an awful lot of unknown with
the system at the moment and that
distrust has been created out of failure
of equipment, failure to maintain
equipment and a hidden law that no one
understands," Mr Mulder said.
"They are also angry about the fact that
there have been so many mistakes with
speed camera equipment. They have no
assurances that it's now operating
accurately," he added. In a policy
launch last week, the Opposition
announced it would, among other things,
publish the locations of all speed
cameras in Victoria and fix the cameras'
tolerance levels at 10 per cent.
In a statement, a spokesman for
Victorian TAC Minister John Lenders said
drivers put their lives at risk by
breaking the speed limit and that it was
never safe to speed.
Police declined to comment on the
survey, with a spokeswoman saying police
normally didn't comment on surveys done
by outside bodies.
The new statistics were gleaned from the
claims data of the car insurer and a
survey of 2,400 people nationwide.
The release of the data follows an
Easter holiday period marred by three
road deaths in Victoria, and police also
caught a P-plate driver travelling at
more than 80kph over the speed limit.
"The weekend toll, and our research,
suggests Victorians are failing to
respect the laws and the value of human
life, including their own," AAMI public
affairs manager Geoff Hughes said today.
"We have seen drivers of all ages, both
on motorcycles and in cars, driving at
ridiculous and excessive speeds."
Meanwhile, 29 per cent of Victorian
motorists also admit they will
"sometimes speed to get to work or home
sooner", according to the data.
"Speed cameras and speeding fines
clearly have an image problem on
Victorian roads," Mr Hughes said.
"But it is still no excuse for speeding
and putting lives at risk."
The research also found 17 per cent of
Victorian motorists admit to speeding
more on country roads, and 11 per cent
often sped on local suburban roads and
around schools.
The
Speed Cameras have returned to CityLink and the
Monash Freeway in Melbourne.
The
Victorian State Government is confident about the
accuracy of fixed speed cameras coming back into
operation. The cameras were removed in May when
faults were detected with cameras on the Western
Ring Road. At the same time, police expect the
number of motorists detected speeding in the city
link tunnels to return to the levels prior to the
cameras being removed.
The Assistant Commissioner for Traffic, Bob
Hastings, says the cameras had detected around 150
speeding motorists per day, although the majority of
drivers do seem to be getting the anti-speeding
message.
The Police Minister, Andre Haermeyer, says a back-up
verification system has been installed on the camera
system and drivers can have faith the speed readings
are accurate. "If they challenge the first test,
there's a second test that can tell us whether they
have or haven't been speeding, so we're very
confident about the accuracy of these cameras, we're
very confident about the reliability" he said.
The Police Minister, Andre Haermeyer, says fixed
speed cameras are yet to be reinstated on the
Western Ring Road, but 'mobile' cameras will be used
for the time being. "We expect them to come back on
line by late next year, however, in the mean time we
have constructed some bunkers along the Western Ring
Road which will enable mobile cameras to operate
with relative safety," he said.
Do you trust them? Have you noticed any change in
the way people have been driving while the cameras
haven't been working? 774's Derek Guille explored these questions with plenty of road users
calling in with their opinions.
Hear these conversations by clicking on the
'Audio 30/11/04' link below.
But the story doesn't stop there!
The State Opposition says figures released under
Freedom of Information further undermine confidence
in Victoria's speed cameras. It has released
documents showing a three kilometre an hour
difference between the readings on many mobile speed
cameras and the readings on hand held cameras when
pointed at the same car.
Police Minister Andre Haermeyer says the difference
between the readings on the cameras is not how their
accuracy is determined. However, Transport
Spokesman, Terry Mulder, says the desparity between
negates the discretion given to motorists before
they're booked for speeding.
The State Government has defended the procedures
used to test the accuracy of mobile speed cameras.
The Opposition has released documents it says prove
motorists continue to be booked by inaccurate
cameras.
The Police Minister, Andre Hayermeyer, has told
Parliament, if the difference between the two
cameras is more than three kilometres and hour, the
camera is removed from operation.
Each camera is verified a number of times a day so
each time it relocates to a new location it is
verified against a hand held camera, they are not
required by legislation to do this but they do this
themselves anyhow to give themselves the
satisfaciton that those cameras are accurate.
Virginia Trioli continued the discussion the
following afternoon asking listeners if they are
confident in the new cameras?
Hear these conversations by clicking on the
'Audio 1/12/04' link below.
What is the
best defence against each of these speed measuring devices??
Simple! - "Don't speed" - I hear echo amongst the narrow minded.
That's fine, and we agree whole heartedly, but "Don't speed and you won't
have to pay a fine" assumes three very important things:
1) The speed limit is clearly indicated (Kwinana Freeway road works with two
different posted speed limits on either side of the road ring a bell?)
2) Your car's speedometer is accurate.
3) The radar, laser or speed camera that measures your speed was accurate.
"Speed cameras play an important role in detecting
speeding motorists and I think everybody would love to
think the cameras play a good deterrent role. But the
problem is you have to have confidence that they work
properly and if they don't than the public will lose
confidence in them and they'll lose their deterrent
value."
So what happens when you are driving down the road, sitting on 80km/h
(according to your speedometer) in an 80km/h stretch of road, but you cop a
speeding fine?
Dash Mounted
radar (aka moving radar) set up in police cars:
The Silver
and Golden Eagle dash mounted radars are manufactured by
Kustom Signals Inc in the USA. When transmitting
in "constant on" you will be able to detect the
long-range radar beam with any reasonable radar
detector. Due to the laws governing the use of
radar detectors in Vic, only stealth radar detectrors are unable to be
detected by the Stalcar RDD
If
the Ka-band Silver Eagle II does indeed come out in Vic,
then similarly to the K-band unit, a decent radar
detector will detect this radar when used in "constant
on" mode. If the radar is only switched on when a
vehicle is in range, you are relying on a vehicle in
front of you begin targeted, thus setting off your
detector. If you are the only vehicle on the road
and you're targeted with "instant on" your toast!
At this
point, some people have asked the question about radar
jamming.
Your most important question
in purchasing a so-called radar jammer should be "does it work?"
You may have seen them advertised on other websites and some magazines:
the passive radar/laser jammers (also known as radar scramblers).
Some passive jammers are
Phantom, Phantom II, Phaser or Phazar, the Phantom III and The Black Widow.
Passive radar Jammers DO NOT WORK!
These "jammers" are usually manufactured by a company called Rocky Mountain
Radar (RMR). We have tested many of their units and we have yet to find one
that works as advertised.
Know what to avoid before you purchase such a passive
jammer, consider reading the "Jamming Testing Report" by Radar Roy first to
find out why we do not sell and/or recommend them.
Active Radar Jammers - Not Much Improvement! You may have also heard of the active radar jammers with the name of Phantom RCD XP or The Scorpion. These do work to a
limited degree.
Active radar jammers like those named above, only jam X, K with any success
and have difficulty jamming Instant on radar. Their effectiveness
against Ka radar is even less, especially at close range. Read a test
report on active radar jammers here.
Hand-held
laser (aka lidar):
Laser guns are another "deadly" device in
that they can calculate your speed in less than a second. Although
most radar detectors include a laser sensor, they usually offer little more
than a "ticket notifier" when they go off. Having said that, there ARE
circumstances where a laser (detector) can and has, provided adequate
warning...although these are few and far times in
between. Click on the video below to watch just how quickly a laser acquires a vehicle's speed.
So what is the best defenses against laser?
Well, as far as a detector goes, the best at detecting laser is the Valentine One.
Granted we
just finished convincing you a detector is useless against laser, but the
Valentine One, will give you the best chance of detecting "off-axis"
laser from the car in front of you being targeted.
For proof that the
Valentine is the best unit at detecting laser, read our 2008 Laser Detector test:
"That being stated, these
results suggest that, especially in close-range laser encounters, the
Valentine 1 is the top performing laser detector, by a wide-margin,
followed by the Escort 8500 X50 and more closely, the STi Driver, and the
Beltronics RX65 Pro.."
But as aforementioned, just detecting the laser won't be enough.
The most cost effective solution is with the use of Veil anti-laser paint.
Veil will give you additional seconds warning time when used in conjunction
with a good laser detector. You can read more about Veil in our laser
jammers section.
The best defense against laser is by the
use of an active laser jammer. Unlike
most active radar jammers, active laser jammers do work. An active
laser jammer will prevent a speed being displayed for a brief time whilst
you adjust your speed if necessary. The best laser jammers for the
Australian model LTI
Ultralyte according to the Guys Of Lidar 2007 test are
the Laser Interceptor and the Blinder. You need to look at the results
for the Ultralyte 100pps as these are
the laser guns used in Australia. The Laser Pro Park finished fifth in
the test against these laser guns.
Mobile Speed
Cameras:
Gatso mobile speed cameras in
Vic operate on K-band and
are always transmitting ("constant on"). For that reason, they are
detected with reasonable ease with a decent radar detector. The best
radar detector for picking up K-band radar is the Valentine One, but this
detector is NOT invisible to police RDD. The only radar
detector that is invisible to RDD is the Bel STi.
Download a complete list of Victoria
Police mobile speed camera locations
Fixed Speed Cameras:
The
best product for alerting to a fixed speed and red light cameras is a GPS device that
stores these locations in a database. Many GPS manufacturers offer
products that add this service (called "point of interest") to their
navigation products. A GPS based device is perfectly legal to own and
operate in Victoria at the time of writing.
Download a
list of fixed speed camera locations
Download a list of
fixed red light / speed camera locations
How does each radar detector
perform detecting Vic radars, lasers & cameras?
BTST
Detector
Bel RX55
Bel RX65
Bel RX75
Bel Vector 940
Bel Vector 955
Bel Vector 965
Bel Vector 995
Bel 966r
Bel 975r
Bel 990i
Bel STi driver
Bel XR **
Bel STi-R
Bel XR70 **
Cheetah
Mirror
Cheetah
Sentinel
Cobra 9330
Cobra 9930
Early Warning
Escort SR7
Escort X50
Escort 9500ci
?
?
?
Escort 9500i
Navalert GPS
Pro-78
XTR-690
Valentine 1
Summary for
best radar detector for Vic:
Due to the laws banning the use of a
radar detector in Victoria, we cannot recommend the purchase of
any "speed evasion article". There are, however, drivers who choose to
ignore these laws, and purchase a radar detector anyway. Those doing so, would most likely choose a stealth radar detector, as
only stealth radar detectors are 100% invisible to the Stalcar
police radar detector detector (see below)
What are the laws governing the use of radar detectors in
Vic?
(1) A person must not own, sell, use or possess a device
the sole or principal purpose of which is to prevent the
effective use of a prescribed speed measuring device or
to detect when a prescribed speed measuring device is
being used.
Penalty: 20 penalty units.
(2) A person must, if required to do so by a member of
the police force or an officer of the Corporation or an
employee in the Department of Infrastructure (being an
officer or employee authorised in writing by the
Corporation or the Secretary of the Department of
Infrastructure, as the case requires, in that behalf),
surrender to that member or officer or employee any
device referred to in sub-section (1).
Penalty: 5 penalty units.
(3) A court that convicts a person of an offence
against sub-section (1) or before which a person is
charged with an offence against sub-section (1) of which
the person is found guilty or to which the person pleads
guilty and in respect of which a conviction is not
recorded may order that the device by means of which the
offence was committed be forfeited to the Government of
Victoria.
(4) All devices forfeited under sub-section (3) must be
destroyed or otherwise is posed of as the Chief
Commissioner of Police directs.
Can the police determine if you are using a radar detector?
YES!
There are two ways a police officer can tell if you are using a radar
detector in your vehicle:
1) By visual detection
If a policeman is operating
in-car radar from behind you, and triggers an "instant on" burst, then
sees your brake lights ahead, this could suggest you are operating a
radar detector
If a Highway Patrol Car is
coming towards you and again, turns on it's radar, the sudden "nose
dive" of your vehicle's front end is a dead give away
Suction cup marks on the
front windscreen
2) By detecting it
electronically
All radar detectors (except Stealth Radar Detectors) emit some
electronic noise, even though they are a passive device. Thus a product
was created to "listen" for this noise congruent in all radar
detectors...and so the RDD was born.
A radar
detector detector (RDD) is a device used by police to determine if a
vehicle is using, a radar detector. RDD's were brought
about by the need for law enforcement officers to determine if a driver
was using a radar detector in a state or country where they are illegal.
The
first RDD used in the NT was the VG-2 which "listened" for the radio frequency
leakage (around 10.5Ghz) emitted by the local oscillator - inherent to
all radar detectors. Most radar detectors are now immune to the
VG-2 (often referred to as "shadow-technology" but there is a newer RDD
out, made by an Australian company; Stealth Micro Systems (SMS) of Australia
developed the Stalcar (known as Spectre outside of Australia) and later followed with upgrades, the Spectre
2 and Spectre 3. The Spectre II and III were so successful, that many
law enforcement agencies around the world submitted large orders for
these devices.
In 2003 the NT began adding
the new Stalcar RDD to their arsenal which effectively made all units (except stealth radar detectors) vulnerable to detection. If you
don't have a stealth radar detectori, expect your old radar to be detected by this
RDD unit at a distance of anywhere between 50 and 1000 feet. See our
latest Spectre RDD / Radar detector test results using the very latest RDD model - version IV+. As you can see in
this test, most radar detectors can be detected several hundred meters away.
If I wasn't speeding, how can I challenge/beat a speeding fine?
If you have been booked for speeding, and you were, then you should face the
music and cough-up. But what if you weren't actually speeding?
Remember that when you are pulled over and booked for speeding, the incident
is alleged… not proven! The following rules will ensure you do not make the
mistake of answering the police’s questions the wrong way.
Quite often the first question a policeman asks you is "Do you know why I
pulled you over"? Here, the policeman is looking for an admission of
guilt. By answering him "because I was going too fast?" immediately
incriminates you by admitting you were speeding (even if you weren't).
The other question commonly asked by a policeman when he pulls you over is "Why were you speeding?"
Again, he or she is looking for an admission of guilt. Do not admit that you were speeding or may have been speeding. There will be no chance of defending yourself in court later on. Remember that you are not under arrest and your only obligation is to hand over your driving license and registration.
Remember the 3 rules when pulled over:
Rule number one is your answer to the question, "Why were you speeding?" Simply reply:
"I was not speeding Officer, I was sitting exactly on the posted speed limit"
Rule number two is your answer to the Officer
if he persists in repeating question 1 by saying his equipment (Radar /
Laser) has shown that you were speeding. Simply reply,
"I was not speeding Officer, if your equipment says I was then I would strongly suggest that it is faulty. Will you show me the last infringement notice you issued so I may compare to see if their speed was the same as the one you are claiming I was doing?"
In most cases, the policeman will show you your reading but refuse to show you
his or her previous infringement fine, citing that he is not obliged to do so.
The third rule is perhaps the most important of all. Under the National Safety Committee
guidelines for the use and implementation of Police Speed detection devices,
the police are only supposed to be operating them in known "Black Spot" or
high accident areas. Innocently ask the question to the policeman,,
"Why
are you operating this speed detection device in this area? Is it a known
black spot or high accident risk area?"
If you follow the above rules you will stand a good chance of winning your case in court
should you wish to defend the infringement. The justice system is there for all of us, not
just the police. If you win it costs you nothing! For further information
and consultancy about how to defend yourself against and a police Laser
(lidar) gun , the mobile radar or a speed camera, contact speeding fine consultants
Remember that when you are pulled over and booked for speeding the incident is
Summary for police radar, laser and speed cameras in
Vic.
If radar detectors
were legal to use in the Victoria then the
best radar detector would be the Valentine One.
However due RD's being banned in Vic, Delonix cannot and
will not making any recommendations to you. As
mentioned earlier, there are those that choose to ignore
the laws banning radar detectors, and buy a Stealth Radar Detector being 100% invisible to detection by police RDDs.
For more information on
speed cameras and fighting fines in Vic, we suggest you
visit Fight Fines