[eye30]

A speed camera on the A4 near Bath which has earned £100,000 in six weeks is breaking visibility rules, say drivers – because it’s hidden by foliage.

 A permanent speed camera has caught more than 1,000 speeding motorists in just six weeks – because, say drivers, it’s hidden behind a tree.

The once de-commissioned camera was reactivated in February and has since flashed 1,000 drivers for exceeding the 30mph speed limit, netting £100,000 in fines in the process.

Speed camera hidden by trees is unfair on motorists, says driver - BT

[AlanHo]

Fat chance they have of getting a refund.

They should have bought a Garmin Nuvi which displays speed limits for each road and chimes if you are exceeding the limit.

[Wingerdave]

I could have sworn that the fixed camera's had to be visible in the UK, that's why they paint them like hi-vis jackets or warn about them with signage. There are even warnings for the mobile camera's.

But then again, you shouldn't speed 

[Surferdude]

Yep.
Don't speed.  No fine.
Easy peasy.

[FatBoy]

Poor motorists, "I broke the speed limit and got caught!!  How dare they put a speed camera on the road and then catch me breaking it."

No sympathy from me.  It is a voluntary payment of revenue.  If you not speed, you don't have to pay it.

[Wingerdave]

 

[Phil №❶]

I could have sworn that the fixed camera's had to be visible in the UK, that's why they paint them like hi-vis jackets or warn about them with signage. There are even warnings for the mobile camera's.

But then again, you shouldn't speed 

All for speeding cameras, never been fined by one yet, however, our mob paint them tree green where there are trees, or leave them silver in the city and although in full view, they're hard to see. If you get caught speeding no point in complaining about it.

[The Gonz]

Keep'em coming, I say. Eases the tax burden on us law abiding folk.

[Doggie 1]

  + + + + =

[rustynutz]

Good to hear so many of us are such law abiding citizens...   

[FatBoy]

Good to hear so many of us are such law abiding citizens...   

Not at all.  It's just that when I'm caught breaking the rule, I don't whinge about it.

[Doggie 1]

Good to hear so many of us are such law abiding citizens...   

Not at all.  It's just that when I'm caught breaking the rule, I don't whinge about it.

 

[The Gonz]

I so often hear some bleating motorists cry foul about 'fair play' whenever a camera is discovered to be somewhat 'sneaky', crying about how it's all about revenue and not an effective deterrent if the motorist is unaware of its presence. What hogwash!

Not knowing where they are and being a prudent driver at all times is much more the desired outcome.

[Surferdude]

^^^
What Fat Boy, Doggie and Gonz said. 

[Shambles]

Thing is, there are visibility rules that govern placement, forewarning and colour. The camera's disposition shows it's breaking some visibility rules.

I'm all for "commit the crime, do the time" believe me

[Doggie 1]

The visibility rules are only put in place to appease the whingers in society though. 

[FatBoy]

Yes, it is the "They didn't tell me that they might catch me if I break the law" whinge.

[rustynutz]

Of course in reality they don't actually want us not to speed... 

[beerman]

How are they going to plug the hole when self drive cars are introduced????

[Phil №❶]

Random number generator in the speed software 

[Wingerdave]

Same thing with smoking......... if everybody stopped they'd just invent some other tax to compensate.

[potnodleman]

''"There is a speed camera warning sign and the camera is within a clearly-marked 30mph area; there are also clear markings on the road next to it.''

but what if those signs are also hidden from the foliage too since the council cant be bothered to cut back the trees/bushes at the camera....I've also seen traffic lights hidden behind trees too.

[Doggie 1]

Er, don't speed?   

[Just Rick]

Good to hear so many of us are such law abiding citizens...   

Not here.but I don't whinge about them HIDING the multi nova's(the few fixed camera's we have here are not hidden)I just pay the fine and give myself a kick in the posterior for being so stupid for getting caught 

[baroudeur]

Thing is, there are visibility rules that govern placement, forewarning and colour. The camera's disposition shows it's breaking some visibility rules.

I'm all for "commit the crime, do the time" believe me

There are no "visibility rules" in the UK and never were. Neither are warning signs needed. Most Camera Partnerships appeased the whingers by painting them yellow but the latest types appearing (sic) are now grey.  The new HADECs on motorways are hidden on posts behind gantry pylons and raking it in.

My local council publishes their speed camera results which are quite interesting.  One camera recorded only two offences in 12 months whilst the top earner recorded over 8000.  The results are also split into penalties and speed awareness courses which shows about 50/50.

They have invested in replacing all the old Gatso cameras with the latest digital  type capable of multi lane, bi-directional, operation and these are grey.  They are quite obvious by the adjacent flash lighting post required in poor light  by digital cameras.

We now have average speed cameras in town in residential areas with the intention of even more as funds become available whilst potholes are swallowing cars on a daily basis!.  These cameras are grey and 5 metres up on poles. Despite a multitude of signs indicating "average speed cameras throughout the borough" they still bring in huge sums of money.  What is it that people do not know how average speed cameras work or even fixed cameras.  Recently, on a stretch of single carriageway trunk road with a number of fixed cameras I followed a car at 45 mph in a 60mph limit.  Approaching  every camera he braked and his speed dropped to 40mpg.

[Shambles]

There are no "visibility rules" in the UK and never were.

Why do you say that, when Parliament rules governing them contain specific sections on visibilty and conspicuity?

http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN00350.pdf

[baroudeur]

Fat chance they have of getting a refund.

They should have bought a Garmin Nuvi which displays speed limits for each road and chimes if you are exceeding the limit.

The Garmin speed camera database is never up to date and you can do better if you  load with Pocket GPS World  www.pocketgpsworld.com speed camera database.  £19 per year and update as many times you want. It even provides  the European camera datasbase

[baroudeur]

There are no "visibility rules" in the UK and never were.

Why do you say that, when Parliament rules governing them contain specific sections on visibilty and conspicuity?

http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN00350.pdf

The link is guidance not legislation but  most Safety Camera Parnership schemes followed the guidance.

It also states that only non-Safety Partnership schemes are now affected by them therefore police and Highway Authority schemes are not.
However, there are many new cameras which are  grey so something has changed!  Locally, a residential road was reputed to have average speed cameras installed and it took me three passes to locate one of them...grey at the top of a 7 metre pole..

A camera can never be hidden in the true sense as, at the point a vehicle is within its operating range,  the camera "sees" the vehicle and the driver will/should see the camera.  The French operate real hidden cameras which are placed behind an obstruction and use a 90° beam.

Edit:

Found the details.......

 The regulations were changed in April 2007 after which date  cameras no longer have to be  yellow nor warning signs placed.