"Canberra News, Views and Opinion"
This speed camera van was parked about two hundred metres from the 80 kmh sign at the end of a long down hill stretch on the Monaro Hwy just before Isabella Drive north bound.
Do Rioters know what guide lines are used to determine the positioning of such vans?
And no, I didn’t get done.
I stopped to take the photo.
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LMGTFY.
It used to be that they had pre-approved positions which they could set up the vans. These days it’s where ever they feel like it…
I believe there is some sort of unwritten rule that after a speed zone sign change they need to allow a reasonable distance for which you need to be doing the new speed (I think it’s 100m). That said that it is but an urban legend and I would not be putting too much faith in that.
Not knowing the laws of speed camera placement, i actually think that’s good positioning.
davo101 said :
yeah, thanks – remarkably unhelpful results and a smattering of outright lies;
“whenever possible, a camera will operate in both directions (both sides of the road, vehicles approaching or departing)”. I don’t recall *ever* seeing two camera operating in tandem.
Years ago there seemed to be an unwritten rule that speed checks wouldn’t happen on significant downslopes. This was completely kiboshed when I saw one at the bottom of Springvale Dve.
No idea re. closeness to speed limit changes, but it seems dumb to be at all close, given that they can be targetted any old distance from the van itself.
It would be hard to argue you didn’t know the speed limit if you got caught!
It amazes me that people get caught at all by these things. They are out in plain view!
shirty_bear said :
A single speed camera van can operate in both directions at the same time if they choose to and if the sides of the road are close enough to each other (ie median strip isn’t too large). No need for 2 vans.
So…..how far after a sign saying 80 do you have to do 80?
NoImRight said :
Pretty sure you are supposed to be doing the speed limit from the moment you pass the sign.
The placement looks pretty fair to me. It is visible from a long way back, on a straight bit of road, and there is a great big speed sign visible so you can be certain that you are doing the correct speed. Also, that bit of road (or just down hill from there) is one where carrying a bit of extra speed really is quite dangerous (unlike many of the place that fixed speed cameras have been placed….).
From the ACT Gov site http://www.justice.act.gov.au/page/view/3057/title/act-government-safety-camera-program
•Fixed and mobile cameras should not be positioned to detect vehicle speeds within 200 metres of a change in speed zone.
If the camera is front facing then it is likely to be compliant.
NoImRight said :
About 1 mm, give or take.
The van is parked as traffic comes up to a round-a-bout .. if you’re still doing 80++ you deserve all you get.
It is also worth noting that the 200m distance referred to on the ACT Government website is a guideline – there is no legislation to say you can’t be next to a sign.
Also, the guideline is only for camera vans, so cops using laser and radar detection don’t have to follow any sort of 200m thing.
So according to the list of camera sites, providing it is still current, that camera van is operating out of the guidelines…..
Monaro Highway – Dairy Road to Johnson Drive
dks00k said :
So you should be allowed to just hammer it down that hill and into the roundabout? A guideline beats an appropriate speed anyday.
Sometimes the speed limit is common sense and should be the case even if a “guideline” is there or not.
harvyk1 said :
or
http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/sl/2000-10/default.asp
Section 108.
Only 177 approved locations to set up wherever they like.
dks00k said :
Dairy Road is to the north of the van, and Johnson Drive to the south. So, whilst not smack-bang in the middle of where it is allowed to operate, it is within the guidlines.
A bit devious mind.
Pretty basic really. You can see the sign from a distance. Slow down so you are doing the limit before you pass the sign.
schmeah said :
not necessarily. unless you are a really conservative driver (nervous nelly) or the traffic is really heavy, you should still be doing 80kmh as you pass the van. my braking would occur after I had passed the van.
Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :
And if you’re being tailgated make sure your doing at least 20km/h less than the limit on the sign well before you pass it, right?
Alderney said :
Not really. A speed drop on a downhill slope seems like a supremely obvious place to put a speed camera, and as you mention its entirely within the zone as defined. I’ve often seen one on the Barton Hwy (eastbound) just around the corner past where 100 becomes 80 as you approach the GDE.
Of course, a little Google Earth-ing says that 200m from that sign is about halfway through the rumble stripping, and that van itself seems barely at the rumble stripping.
dks00k said :
How so? The van is parked between Dairy Road and Johnson Drive
tommo said :
Sure, but only if the tailgater is too half witted to stop tailgating before I get to 20 kms under.
I assume/hope that the OP wasn’t actually stupid enough to park where he took the photo – that is a bike lane at that point isn’t it?
mcharlton said :
While I don’t have any problem with speed cameras, this is interesting; quite often (including the other day) speed vans are placed just after Woodcock Drive changes from 60km/h to 80km/h. Never knew that was a problem (although since its an increase in speed limits it’s hardly going to disadvantage any drivers).
RB78 said :
Yes my apologies. Didn’t read it properly and a cursory glance had me thinking the van was parked south of Johnson Dr rather than Isabella Dr. Classic case of engaging mouth before brain.
Also I have no idea how it was construed that I think it acceptable to ignore the limits and “hammer it down that hill to the roundabout”. In fact I deal with morons doing exactly that each afternoon negotiating that roundabout into Isabella Dr. I’d be happy if the van was there everyday..
However if you’re going to play the game, you need to play by the rules. Applies to both sides. Again, in this case, they were….
Did you stop by at the van and ask the nice man for a boiled lolly?
I wonder if anyone still has a copy of the original mobile speed brochure/guidelines produced by the ACT Government when the mobile speed cameras where introduced into Canberra. It has not been published for many years but if memory serves me correct, contained some guidelines as:
Operate 200m past a posted speed sign.
Can only operate for up to 30 minutes in one spot.
Out of the 30 minutes the automatic mode should not be used more than 15 continuous minutes at a time. etc.
Jono said :
Agreed, and a very good pickup.
You wouldn’t believe how many people I see who think that, because there is enough room to pull over, that they are entitled to stop in cycle lanes. Mostly on the phone. Here’s a tip, turn the f(*^en thing off.
As a cyclist, I stop and tap on their window and educate them to the laws of the road. Bent the mirror back on a security (brambles or the like) van one day. Bet they thought it was a stick up . Sod them I say.
If you don’t want cyclists to be on the road, stay off of theirs.
End of rant.
Alderney said :
Oh dear, my apologies to the thinking ones among us for my brethrens pathetic attitude. As a cyclist I am more than happy to cut motorists some slack. It’s no skin off my nose to move to the edge of the vehicular lane to pass a stopped vehicle.
And while we’re on the subject, since when have these shoulder/breakdown/whatever lanes become cycle lanes? I think you will find they allow cyclists to ride along them left of the traffic while vehicles cannot, but it doesn’t give exclusive ownership or rights to cyclists unless clearly signposted as a dedicated cycle lane, which i don’t believe this one is.
mooo_cow said :
Wouldn’t matter if anyone did – it would likely be completely inaccurate by now. This government’s approach to introducing potentially unpopular laws is to start with them completely watered down, then incrementally toughen them over the next few years.
They assuaged early mobile speed camera fears by telling us they’d only be permitted in a handful of “black spots”. Then, once everyone was used to seeing them, they expanded that list of sites until it included pretty much everywhere. Monaro Hwy, Dairy Rd to Johnson Dve? That’s basically the entire Monaro Hwy.
Same approach worked a treat when it came to reducing the default speed limit to 50; start off with a handful of “black spots”, then incrementally expand until it’s everywhere.
I don’t have a problem with these laws per se, but it troubles me that this government’s default mode of operation is sneaky and/or deceptive.