Safety camera detectors
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: 4DME
Posts: 2,382
Safety camera detectors
Previously know as speed cameras! As every country lane bush on the edge of a 30 limit has become a hiding hole for safety/speed camera operators are the cheap camera detectors any good as a warning?
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: South Africa
Age: 85
Posts: 1,326
Have you thought of a TomTom satnav and a subscription to them?
https://www.tomtom.com/en_us/drive/m...afety-cameras/
https://www.tomtom.com/en_us/drive/m...afety-cameras/
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: 4DME
Posts: 2,382
Couple of interesting replies. Have used sat navs with speed trap warnings in other vehicles, would be interesting to know how quick they are updated to roaming cameras. Saw one in June guy was on a push bike so not even a van to spot! I am not a mad speed person wanting to be on the edge of speed limits its just that casual moment when you take your eye off of the speedometer.
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Midlands
Posts: 32
I hate this term "Safety" camera. They contribute nothing to safety, do not achieve any meaningful reduction in speed beyond their location and are actually dangerous in some situations. Please can we go back to calling them speed cameras, or revenue generators 
Re Updates.
Some systems have a button you push which updates the central computer system immediately and this is then rebroadcast from thereon. Other systems capture your own updates which are loaded onto the system when you reconnect the speed camera unit to the website. Generally they require at least two reports I believe to add and more to remove.
https://www.speedcamerasuk.com/ has a downloadable database that you can put on your satnav, and this is actually pretty accurate.
Many Police Forces now actually have a schedule showing where speed camera vans will be deployed.
Re Updates.
Some systems have a button you push which updates the central computer system immediately and this is then rebroadcast from thereon. Other systems capture your own updates which are loaded onto the system when you reconnect the speed camera unit to the website. Generally they require at least two reports I believe to add and more to remove.
https://www.speedcamerasuk.com/ has a downloadable database that you can put on your satnav, and this is actually pretty accurate.
Many Police Forces now actually have a schedule showing where speed camera vans will be deployed.
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Southport
Posts: 1,259
My car has a TomTom built in that warns of permanent and some common mobile locations, but to be honest the best detector is the mk1 eyeball. Local Facebook groups are also very good at picking up the mobile ones!
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: uk
Posts: 1,715
I find Waze pretty good. It also tells you how fast you are going, in bright red if it is over the speed limit. I am not sure yet how good it is at finding the best route but it certainly tries to take you round where it thinks any heavy traffic is.
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: world
Posts: 3,424
What is the tolerance factor in the UK? For instance here in the country I live in they deduct 5 kmph from a reading above 120 kmph. Additionally to that they won't prosecute if you are only 2 or 3 (sometimes even more) kmph after the correction. I can quite happily set my cruise control to 128 when in a 120 zone.
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Midlands
Posts: 32
Tolerance is a minefield in the UK.
Legally, there is no tolerance, however in practice most police Forces work at 10% + 2 mph, e.g 70 =7+2 = 79mph however most Police will stop you above 78mph if so minded.
However, in the ACPO Speed Enforcement Policy Guideline 2011-2015, Section 9.7 it underlines how, despite there being a tolerance, that does not override the final decision of a police officer.
To further confuse matters Police Forces such as West Midlands will ignore 40 in a 30 in the peak hours but will issue a speeding ticket outside of those hours - reason - If everyone followed the speed limits Birmingham would gridlock.
On a Motorway where the speed is 70 mph, most Police seem to follow the 80mph rule - eg if you are doing 80mph and its safe they will turn a blind eye. Above 85mph they will always stop and prosecute in Court
Fines are now balanced between earnings and the speed excess, so 1-10mph is band 1 above that the multiplier will be higher. At 10mph above the speed the Police will always stop you.
Like I say it's complicated and not worth the bother of treading through THAT particular minefield for what little it saves.
And of course the Insurance companies wet their pants at speeding because it is yet another opportunity to raise your premium.
Legally, there is no tolerance, however in practice most police Forces work at 10% + 2 mph, e.g 70 =7+2 = 79mph however most Police will stop you above 78mph if so minded.
However, in the ACPO Speed Enforcement Policy Guideline 2011-2015, Section 9.7 it underlines how, despite there being a tolerance, that does not override the final decision of a police officer.
To further confuse matters Police Forces such as West Midlands will ignore 40 in a 30 in the peak hours but will issue a speeding ticket outside of those hours - reason - If everyone followed the speed limits Birmingham would gridlock.
On a Motorway where the speed is 70 mph, most Police seem to follow the 80mph rule - eg if you are doing 80mph and its safe they will turn a blind eye. Above 85mph they will always stop and prosecute in Court
Fines are now balanced between earnings and the speed excess, so 1-10mph is band 1 above that the multiplier will be higher. At 10mph above the speed the Police will always stop you.
Like I say it's complicated and not worth the bother of treading through THAT particular minefield for what little it saves.
And of course the Insurance companies wet their pants at speeding because it is yet another opportunity to raise your premium.
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Living In The Past
Age: 74
Posts: 291
I use TomTom plus the databases provided here (subscription required though)
Pocket GPS World - SatNavs | GPS | Speed Cameras
Pocket GPS World - SatNavs | GPS | Speed Cameras
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: The Winchester
Posts: 6,308
......depending on the country which you are in.
Speed Camera Detector Laws in Europe - Sixt Car Hire
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Hampshire
Age: 74
Posts: 820
My brother swears by Waze and the warnings given via this app. Well, he did until he got a warning of a van on a bridge about 50 msecs before the camera flashed!
When he received the notice of intention to prosecute (he was at 72mph in a 60mph limit), the police actually got the road wrong. The notice stated he was on the A5 when he was actually on the A483, a few miles north of the A5. Still, he will be paying the £100 and taking the points!
When he received the notice of intention to prosecute (he was at 72mph in a 60mph limit), the police actually got the road wrong. The notice stated he was on the A5 when he was actually on the A483, a few miles north of the A5. Still, he will be paying the £100 and taking the points!
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Right here, right now
Posts: 265
Originally Posted by KelvinD
My brother swears by Waze and the warnings given via this app. Well, he did until he got a warning of a van on a bridge about 50 msecs before the camera flashed!
When he received the notice of intention to prosecute (he was at 72mph in a 60mph limit), the police actually got the road wrong. The notice stated he was on the A5 when he was actually on the A483, a few miles north of the A5. Still, he will be paying the £100 and taking the points!
When he received the notice of intention to prosecute (he was at 72mph in a 60mph limit), the police actually got the road wrong. The notice stated he was on the A5 when he was actually on the A483, a few miles north of the A5. Still, he will be paying the £100 and taking the points!
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Slovakia
Age: 56
Posts: 173
Originally Posted by Small cog
No. Best solution is to stick to the limits.
It is important to be warned because some drivers will brake in a panic reaction when they spot the camera in front of them. There were in fact some crashes due such unexpected manoeuvres and it is an irony that this devices are supposed to increase the safety...
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Cambridge, England, EU
Posts: 3,438
Originally Posted by N707ZS
Previously know as speed cameras! As every country lane bush on the edge of a 30 limit has become a hiding hole for safety/speed camera operators are the cheap camera detectors any good as a warning?
