The mystery traffic device
December 11, 2008 by Paul Maric
Several of our readers have sent in photographs of what appears to be a mobile speed camera device, masquerading as a traffic counter. Located on several on and off ramps on Victoria’s Western Ring Road, the devices have been operating for the past few weeks.
As you can see in the photographs, the device has been angled appropriately to photograph passing traffic.
The traffic counter portion of the device is hidden behind the box, fooling drivers into thinking the device is actually there to count traffic.
We’ll keep tabs on this one and let you know if we hear about any further developments.
Print it: 
now that the Thais has finished disposing their own government, perhaps they would like to come here and do a state by state tour to do the same for our respective Offices of State Revenue
How about some just stops and moves it to face the post, or even relocate it to the dumpster. Bolt cutters should do the trick.
Agreed – it’s simply more revenue raising. What correlation a box on the side of the road has over road safety I’ll never know.
The only way to get the message across is to start pulling people over – a novel idea I know – but it’s time to stop milking motorists and get serious about drivers who simply don’t have a clue.
Camera issued speeding tickets are simply a scape goat and nothing more.
Well said Flying High, couldn’t agree more. State governments, especially Victorian government is using speed kills as an excuse to milk more money out of average motorist. I support speed cameras to encourage reduction in speed, but disgusing a speed camera as something else is deceiving, and nothing but an exercise to collect money.
On another note, i reckon we need more red light camera instead of speed camera. I’ve seen too many near miss of idiots running a red light just changed from amber and nearly colliding with a right turning vehicle. Yes, rules say right turning vehicle should give way to on coming traffic, but when the light has turned red, the on coming traffic should stop to give right turning vehicle a chance to turn right and not stuck in the intersection.
Ha Ha Ha anti spam = Faster*****
I can definately see how this is going to save lives….
Such a wonderfull invention in road safety.
I’ve oftened wondered if the people that work at civic compliance ever tell anyone they work there. I don’t think their friends and family would look at them the same if they knew what they did for a living.
Just another money box for the state pollies who would obviously fail in their own business if they had one… thay cannot even stay in the green “stealing” money from the public with these rediculous cameras as well as overtaxing all of us !!!!
This is a speed measuring device. It is usually used to measure the speed of vehicles over a period of time. If the speeds are high then the Police will install a speed camera. The two strips measure the time it takes for the vehicle to pass over both and calculates the speed. Police in South Africa use them to actually catch drivers as there is a police car lurking about 10 metres up the road. However here I am pretty sure it is to monitor speed to determine if a speed camera is required. There are a number of these in the Lane Cove area of Sydney I noticed last week, however I have never seen one which takes photographs. This could be easily “knocked” out of calibration.
A couple of these with the guts scraped out of them would make nice tool boxes on the back of my ute :)
Can I suggest that someone from CarAdvice email this to the police media unit and ask for comment if you have not already.
Let’s get the offical word.
I agree with the statements about revenue raising, but you can’t complain, especially in NSW where they have to warn you about speed cameras, if you get caught speeding (how can you fight a speeding ticket in NSW when there is ample warning to SLOW DOWN).You are breaking the law so therefore you should be punished, though the current means of punishment are insufficient.
In Adelaide they put the camera in a wheelie bin, a bit sneaky. Originally speed cameras were introduced to be used only in areas considered as dangerous or risky. I remember reading the article that said they are purely a tool to encourage people to slow down in high crash zones. I guess they got addicted to the revenue it can raise. Have we actually seen a reduction in road fatality’s? I would like to see the figures.
Insufficient !!!!! i beg to differ as would many i am certain. A lapse of concentration for mere seconds or a simple distraction 3 times in 3 years can cost you your licence job and mortgage and put you and your loved ones in a terrible position… The punishment can and does way outstrip the crime
Nothing a large hession bag won’t fix!
The problem with all these “road safety” revenue raisings is, that they raise revenue only from victimless “crime”.
When you commit a crime where there is a victim, be it granny bashing, mugging, dangerous driving which kills someone, etc, the punishment is ridiculous – 90% get off scott free.
The system is very wrong.
I think Mistertwo is onto something, because if it is a speed camera, it contradict’s government policy:
“‘Unsigned’ (mobile) cameras
Mobile cameras are not signed, although they are not deliberately hidden. Mobile camera operators are not allowed to disguise the vehicle or their camera in any way.”
^^ Yet they hide behind tree’s and other obstacles that make them impossible to notice until you pass them
^^^BMW,
but techniclly speaking they have a sign out to announce themselves.
maybe its too late by the time you see the sign, but techniclly speaking, 99% of the time they are operating to the set rules
Alan,
if the car turning right is left stranded in the intersection when the light turns red, then he/she must have entered a congested intersection in the first place.
never rely on the courtesy of other drivers because it is rarely seen
I think a $5 can of black spray paint will help in pissing these little buggers off!!
Please confirm what that is please guys?
Is it or isnt it a speed detector?
Cheers,
F-O
Yeah good on you frugal one. Did that require a post? I think if they knew what it was, they would tell you.
Please car advice… stop holding out on us! We know you are in on it! ****sarcasm****
Bit cheeky but if you speed you pay the price.
Looks like a water tight box to a level. Mmmm how about filling it with petrol and chucking a match in it. Did I really suggest that, no never.
I’m actually surpised its still there and a passing semi hasn’t tail whipped it.
I bet if heaps of people in trucks just keep side swipping them thay will stop putting them on the road
All you have to do is cary a couple of cans of black spray paint, then proceed to spray over the lenses…
lol
Andy M = no idea.
It’s a traffic counter. The tubes are hooked up to a gadget that counts traffic. They use two tubes to determine how fast the vehicle is going as well as to help categorise what ran over the tubes. They work this out but figuring out how many axles went over the counter and at distance apart. eg normal car two axles, truck is greater etc
I’m guessing the camera is there to validate the counts. Note that it’s pointing at the back of the cars so that it knows when a vehicle has passed so that it’ll snap a photo. Then a guy back at the office to checks the photos against what the counter thought was there.
Give the police a break, no one likes to be caught speeding. They are there to do a job. If you reckon they’re deliberately out there to get you then you are living one paranoid life.
I doubt it would be an actual speed camera. It couldn’t possibly be accurate enough with the differences in wheelbases between cars. How could it give an accurate reading on both a small two door hatch and a station wagon, let alone trucks, vehicles towing a trailer, motorbikes etc.
On the topic of speed cameras though, as with most (if not all, or at least near enough to all) I find them ridiculous. You can go flying up to them, jump on the brakes when you see the sign, and then get straight back up to speed once you pass it. And even if you do get caught it doesn’t stop anyone from speeding, bar losing your licence.
The same goes for cops hiding behind trees, signs etc. I saw one the other day sitting on an entry ramp to the highway, which happens to have a large wall in front of it. In other words he was literally impossible to see from the highway unless you spend your time looking out the back of your car. Who is that stopping? No one.
These things have a time – school zones – and a place – blackspots. And yet they continue to put them in areas that will raise the most revenue.
This is sounds like revenue raising taking precedence over road safety. The Northern Territory has introduced reduced speed limits in the name of “safety” while our road toll is now higher than ever!
These hidden speed cameras do not stop or prevent speeding. Logic dictates that if speeding is indeed dangerous, then stopping and preventing speeding must be the absolute first priority, NOT issuing fines! And to do that, we need highly-visible Police-presence that can deter and stop the offenders. At the very least, these devices should be blatently obvious and signposted, so as to discourage drivers from speeding. Hidden speed cameras DO NOT deter speeding and absolutely do not stop the offender from continuing to speed.
A day will come when a speeder is caught on a speed camera, yet allowed to continued at speed and plow into a crowd or a school. The fact that a speed camera may catch a speeder but not stop one, may open the government to a law-suite/class-action suite.
@ joe
its nto about he wheel base they measure the time it takes for ur front(or even rear) wheels to go over both lines
If these cameras are operating in violation to their operating manuals then i don’t see anything wrong with every motorist using fake number plates.