Safety Cameras

[ehunter]

Not being happy with the sounds that are played when a traffic camera alert plays, I have created my own voice recording to alert me of the situation.

I can successfully attach my sound to the list of safety camera POI types, but I really don?t understand the descriptions of the safety camera POIs. I think these descriptions are conjured up in Europe which is why here in California I am perplexed what they exactly refer to.

In the SF area we have lots of red light and now speed cameras(very very few though). I have lived in Germany so I am aware of some of the different types of applications. I am curious though, anybody here know what is meant by:

Fixed safety camera - not sure?
Mobile safety camera ? huh?
Redlight safety cameras ? running red light and illegal right hand turns?
Restricted road safety cameras
Average speed check ? Speed enforcement only
Bidirectional safety cameras ? huh?

Thanks

 

[mikealder]

Fixed safety camera - not sure?

A speed camera that cannot move i.e. secured in to the ground. Various different types, some triggered by inductive strips in the road others by Radar. Can use file of digital for storing the pictures.

Mobile safety camera ? huh?

Often fitted in to a van with an operator, if speeding he will manually capture the offence on camera.

Redlight safety cameras ? running red light and illegal right hand turns?

Correct

Restricted road safety cameras

Roadworks

Average speed check ? Speed enforcement only

Where the distance between two cameras is known it is easy to know whether a vehicle has been speeding between the cameras. These systems employ ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) camera networks can exceed two cameras, in the UK these are often used for roadworks on the Motorway network although they have been deployed on certain lower class roads for permenant use.

Bidirectional safety cameras ? huh?

Often a fixed radar style camera where the actual camera box can be rotated through 180 degrees making it easy for the operators to change the direction of use - Mike

 

[ehunter]

Often a fixed radar style camera where the actual camera box can be rotated through 180 degrees making it easy for the operators to change the direction of use - Mike

Interesting, and I am proud to say I have gotten tickets in the mail with photographs displaying my ugly mug on them for three out of the six methods you noted.

I guess I don't need to create unique alerts for each one. I will consider it for the next time I cross the pond to see all my buddies over there.

 

[mvl]

Also, "temporary cameras" are used for the most common type in the USA: a cop hiding with a radar gun.

Problem is, temporary cameras have to be reported by Tomtom owners, and Tomtom has such a small market share in the USA that you never have enough reports to be useful.

All the safety camera vocabulary is from the UK, and this is one of many areas where Tomtom didn't bother to Americanize the language in the user interface.

 

[ehunter]

... and Tomtom has such a small market share in the USA that you never have enough reports to be useful.

Only after I bought the unit have I been noticing Tomtom TV commercials. I am seeing about 4 every day now. Marketshare in the US will surely increase. They are going to need to stabilize the units and increase quality control else word of mouth will kill them.