Point-To-Point Speed Camera Makes First Mistake
23 Jul, 2007
12 Comments 
Victorian residents beware, the State government’s latest and most expensive speed camera has been proven wrong, by a bus driver. Victoria Police admitted last week that the new point-to-point speed camera system recently installed on the Hume Highway had issued a ticket to an innocent man.
The new system works by photographing a vehicle as it passes between two camera stations, it then calculates the time taken and works out the average speed of the vehicle! At least, that’s what it’s suppose todo.
The system recently caught a bus belonging to Seymour Coaches driving 123km/h in a 110km/h zone. Although the $250 fine didn’t bother the driver, Seymour Coaches managing director Peter Louchnan wasn’t going to admit fault, especially when all his buses are speed limited to 100km/hr!
After indicating the company was going to fight the fine, government inspectors came and verified the limiter prevented the bus from exceeding 100km/h and the charge was dropped.
Victoria Police Superintendent Shane Patton was quick to put the blame on human error and not the camera equipment. Mr Patton told reporters two similar buses with similar number plates were traveling on the road at the same time. Mr Patton blamed the ticket on human supervisors who are supposed to verify the automated ticketing process.
Source: The Age
Location: Home / Victoria, Speeding / ...
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July 23rd, 2007 at 7:44 am
The last paragraph reeks of typical ignorance from them Govt. In fact, it infuriates me.
I’m not sure how this system works, if it’s being put down to human error. Does a police officer sit at one camera and take photos of every single car going past with another officer at the camera further down the road taking the second photo?
I would have thought the police farce makes double checks the photographs and then verifies the number plates and time between photos.
Steve
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July 23rd, 2007 at 9:35 am
No, they sit in an office and check the photos when the computer sends an alert.
Problem is, if the dopey humans they get for this kind of mind numbing job can’t tell two buses apart (reading the 2 different plates might be a clue to a more intelligent person) how are they going to tell apart the endless numbers of similar cars on the road? How many white Commodores or Falcons will pass in a day?
Of course, one scenario is, based on the report that the driver was happy to pay, you could assume that the driver had bypassed the speed limiter. Most drivers are not happy to pay when they know they couldn’t have been over as in the case of a limited vehicle.
The other scenario is the Govt is lying about the second bus and/or the “human” error to cover up the fact that the technology doesn’t work.
If there hadn’t been a second party (the bus owner) hurt by this fiasco, it would have been hidden like the hundreds of “one party” errors which can’t be contested.
“Victoria, the place to be” or is it “Melbourne, the world’s most livable city”
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July 23rd, 2007 at 9:37 am
Actually i think you will find it was the software they use to convert ” Photo Recognition ” which takes the pics from the camera to the computer and the software decides whats what but being the same model etc etc obviously it stuffed up! Its a bit like typing the same word in a word document it wont change the mistake but it will let you know and its up to you to fix it before you send the document!
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July 23rd, 2007 at 10:03 am
Just a bit of “inside info” for users of the Hume Fwy (of which I am a regular) covered by these point-to-point cameras know.
The threshold of the average speed taken over the 110km/h posted stretch is 116km/h. Average 116km/h or more and you will be happy snapped.
I travel the full length of this stretch in both directions about twice a week and sit on exactly 115km/h (until the cameras stop) and am yet to be booked. Get a reliable speed reading (eg: from your GPS), set your cruise and enjoy.
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July 23rd, 2007 at 10:05 am
Just another example of the farce that is the speed camera campaign, not just in Victoria but around Australia.
The Australian Government continues to jump to the defence of this flawed technology (or flawed use of this technology) on the name of “public safety”.
It has been reported, and observed that mobile cameras have commonly been set up out of accordance to Tenix’s own operators manual. (Which as a matter of interest is now unavailable under the freedom of information act, disallowing the public information that may clear them of an erroneous infringement.)
When these cameras have been deployed in this way EVERY reading is inaccurate and therefore void, but how many people have just paid the fine and taken the demerits?
And here comes the kicker, if these cameras are deployed in the name of safety and not revenue, why are they not clearly marked? I know if i saw a sign advising of a speed camera ahead, I would be checking my speed. They are not, and the first thing a lot of people know about being caught is a fine in the mail 4-5 weeks down the track.
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July 23rd, 2007 at 10:51 am
Whats most annoying about this is that many people would have been fined when they werent speeding! The bus company is lucky because they have evidence to prove they couldnt be speeding, your avg Joe is up shyte creek without a paddle. Worse yet if it was a P-plater they would lose their license on the spot… because of a faulty camera.
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July 23rd, 2007 at 10:54 am
If buses are being confused by the operators, then white Camry owners had better look out!
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July 23rd, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Further to Ben’s final paragraph, tere was a major outcry in the UK some years ago with the public and motoring groups accusing the Police of revenue raising with speed cameras. Especially when the police were allowed to keep a portion of the money collected. They also found that the cameras were not slowing down the traffic as you only know you have been speeding after the fact. Now all speed cameras are visible, panted bright yellow and roadmaps now have te locations of the cameras printed on them. There has been a significant reduction in speed related accidents. They also put police cars on freeway bridges which is very effective, much more effective than plod hiding behind a bush!
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July 23rd, 2007 at 1:24 pm
^
Statistics can be manipulated easily for both sides. I personally find it hard to believe making speed cameras visible reduces crashes, if anything the opposite as in those areas people focus on their speedos more rather then the road and brake harshly if they are speeding.
Furthermore I think having them unmarked would have more of an effect, if you didnt know where speed cameras where, would you speed? NO WAY. You wouldnt becaue you dont know if the road your on has one or not. When they are marked on the other hand you speed on 99% of our roads and go the limit when you see that 1% that has a camera (which not only is marked so its obvious if you are paying attention but ALSO GPSs these days tell you when you are approaching them!)
And Im not saying I want them to be umarked, very much the opposite… but I think making them marked is more for revenue raising while at the same time not outraing the public (who suprise suprise also keep the govt in power… so its in their best interest to get revneue while not pissing them off with unmarked cameras which make them slow down or get caught).
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July 23rd, 2007 at 11:16 pm
Speed cameras - I hate the things as much as I hate speeding Camiras- but in relation to the last point; I think marked speed cameras serve as a great reminder and, really, if you get caught speeding by one (that’s as clearly marked as the NSW cams) then you deserve the ticket as you are not paying attention. Why not be reasonable and send warning letters for a few kays over- to me it’s absurd that when you set cruise on 100 (you have the intention to do the limit) but due to a slight incline the cruise cranks it up a bit and you get done for doing 106- wipe off 5? I’d rather wipe out 5- oh and regarding those hoon laws, fair enough but then why not confiscate cars of drunk drivers… Oh, no another headline; hoon car confiscated, caught doing 155kmh in a 100 zone at 336am on Midlofnowere Hwy- well I’d rather you take drunks of the road that mix in peak hour traffic but you probably wouldn’t have a car park big enough thoug with a wipe off 1km/h (or even 0.1kmh) campaign we might pay for it in no time- Greetings from Victoria
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December 5th, 2007 at 12:32 am
why must we continue to bend over and take this. i wonder what the final straw will be, when australians finaly say together enough is enough.
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July 30th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Like Matt above, I too travel the sections of the Hume that have been fitted with these cameras, and have been over the last 30 years twice a day 5 days a week. What have I noticed since they have been installed. Firstly I no longer see any driver passing me doing 130Km and much more like they used to years ago. Secondly, and this pisses me off as I use a cruise control, the number of people who hit the brakes and slow to 90km at the cameras, and then go back to 110km again :-(
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