Question on The Trusty Gatso Camera

russ9898 · 15 Jan 2006 at 22:06

hi could do with this quick question answering (well reasurance really)

ive just been driving along a stretch of dual carrageway with a camera on the opposite side of the road.

it flashed as i was going past, there were no lines on my side of the road so im a little confused as to why it flashed (was a touch over the speed limit)

dodgy diagram to illustrate as im not the best when it comes to describing situations..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/russ9898/gatso.jpg

russ

NickXX · 15 Jan 2006 at 22:09

You wouldn't have been caught.

It's weird, i've had a Gatso flash me in the face too at night. Seems rare but does happen.

Fr0dders · 15 Jan 2006 at 22:12

depends what type of camera it was

if its this

its a Gatso and can only shoot you from behind

if its one of these, a forward facing one. it's probably got you

Dangerous · 15 Jan 2006 at 22:17

It seems there was no point in me posting a reply

lmfy2k · 15 Jan 2006 at 22:23

Gatsos are not allowed to flash you from the front, only from the rear, if you see a gatso flashing out of the blue its probably the flash discharging i think? anyway russ9898 as you were on the other side of the road then you are safe mate.

the other camera shown above is a Truvelo, its forward facing and uses an invisible IR flash so you cant see it being flashed.

Dangerous · 15 Jan 2006 at 22:24

How about have a read of this

Freefaller · 15 Jan 2006 at 22:39

They sometimes go off if you go towards them a bit too quick. The radar can't tell if you're going towards it or away from it. You won't get a letter in the post. I often set one off on a road near my house - have done for the past 5 years.

Fr0dders · 15 Jan 2006 at 22:51

lmfy2k said:
the other camera shown above is a Truvelo, its forward facing and uses an invisible IR flash so you cant see it being flashed.

that part i didnt know

leicestershire dont have em so never seen one of em

russ9898 · 15 Jan 2006 at 22:54

lol ive read the speed camera article before...wanted reasurance

it was defoa gatso...had the lines on the other side of the dual carrageway but not mine. also camera was 4 lanes away from me

just confuzled how it can go off lol

so does the radar react differently at night than in the day? sure ive gone past the camera before and it not flash

cheers for the reasurance

energy · 15 Jan 2006 at 23:56

It just happens, don't think it has anything to do with night or day, though every time I've had it happen to me it has indeed been nighttime but no NIP in the post, thankfuly. I think you have to be going pretty damn quick to set them off in the opposite direction though.

iCraig · 15 Jan 2006 at 23:59

I have set off 3 GATSO's in an oncoming car, even if you have lines on the road, you cannot get done. It simply isn't accurate enough.

From behind is the only way, err take that how you like.

Altered Corpse · 16 Jan 2006 at 00:01

Funnily enough i did exaclty the same thing today. Driven past the same speed camera 100 times before over the speed limit and i've never set it off before. No idea why it went off this time. :confused:

May have to have a go and try to set it off again.

Ultra_Extreme · 16 Jan 2006 at 02:20

Sue, say it distracted you and caused you to spil your cup of...erm molten lead all over your car and you'll now need a new one.

russ9898 · 16 Jan 2006 at 07:14

im gona have a go at setting the camera off again....if it means the goverments piggy blank fires out a few blank photos im all for it

Malachy · 16 Jan 2006 at 09:27

lmfy2k said:
the other camera shown above is a Truvelo, its forward facing and uses an invisible IR flash so you cant see it being flashed.

i must be very special and have IR eyesight then as when i got caught by one in dunstable coming back to oxford from luton airport it flashed like i was a celebrity confronted by the media after his wife had be knocking the neighbour off.

cyclopopcicle · 16 Jan 2006 at 09:38

MrLOL said:
depends what type of camera it was

if its this

its a Gatso and can only shoot you from behind

so why do they have lines on both sides of roads?
i thought that they could be positioned to take either left or right side of road, but not both, is this wrong? is there definate proof that they cant do you from the front?

as to them flashing you in the face what about when they are doing an offending car going away from it and at that same time a driver on other side of road is going towards the camera it will still flash will it not?

VBDub · 16 Jan 2006 at 10:33

ive set loads of them off driving towards them with the camera on the other side of the road. its quite fun with my mum in the car, she goes a bit mad.

lukechad · 16 Jan 2006 at 10:50

cyclopopcicle said:
so why do they have lines on both sides of roads?

Purely to slow down the traffic on both sides.

They are gits with them trevelo (sp) cameras, they put the lines after the unit so you slow down for them, people are unaware they have probably already been caught.

Dangerous · 16 Jan 2006 at 10:53

cyclopopcicle said:
so why do they have lines on both sides of roads?
i thought that they could be positioned to take either left or right side of road, but not both, is this wrong? is there definate proof that they cant do you from the front?

So they can still catch you if you overtake or go on the other side of the road going away from the gatso.

Lowe · 16 Jan 2006 at 10:55

Just for reference, Gatso's can get an accurate reading front on, they're just not licenced by the home office for head on prosecutions. If the HO ever approved em, then you'd be getting a letter