As Americans are well aware, angry drivers are a dedicated, relentless, and unpredictable bunch. Angry drivers in Britain, fed up with the scourge of Gatso speed cameras, have destroyed them in all manner of ways. How are the authorities (or rather, capitalism) fighting back? A Dutch company has created a camera it wants to sell in Britain that could actually survive a day on the corner of a Baghdad street, let alone whatever purturbed British motorists can throw at it.
The camera is 13-feet tall, sits on a steel base placed in the ground, has cameras hidden behind strengthened glass, and has a fire-resistant body. It can monitor four lanes of traffic moving in both directions and doesn't use flashes so you don't know when you've been caught. And due to new regulations, it can be painted to blend in with its surroundings. Not only is it practically indestructible, but if it senses a threat via onboard smoke and vibration detectors, it will alert the nearest police station and upload all of its data to a central database so that no scofflaw gets away. Pending Home Office approval in England, it will be one giant leap for law enforcement, and one step closer to Robocop. We can think of only one achilles heel for this indestructible speed camera... a setp ladder and some spray paint.
Thanks for the tip, Spluch!
[Source: This London]
New KITT Attack Mode revealed at Comic Con
London 2008: Honda OSM concept roadster says, "Cheerio!"
London 2008: Lotus unveils the Evora
2010 Chevy Camaro - Official Details and Images
2010 Chevy Camaro - LIVE from the reveal
In the Autoblog Garage: Aprilia RSV 1000 R
First Drive: Maserati Quattroporte S in Europe
First Drive: 2008 MINI Cooper S JCW
In the Autoblog Garage:2009 Nissan GT-R
North American Exclusive First Drive: Alfa MiTo
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Gardiner Westbound @ Aug 31st 2007 7:08PM
"When you invent a better mousetrap, the mice tend to get smarter." - Willie Gingrich
F451 @ Aug 31st 2007 7:09PM
A 13th feet high dark condom should do the trick.
Don @ Sep 1st 2007 3:37AM
Geeze. Mandingo!
Logik @ Sep 2nd 2007 1:05AM
:-D Ha, ha, ha.
origereh @ Aug 31st 2007 7:15PM
Can it be defeated with $0.01 of duct tape ?
EM @ Sep 1st 2007 9:08AM
Pretty much my thoughts exactly.
British Parliment: Neener Neeener Neeener, beat that citizens!!
Citizens: *****rrrrriiiipppppp********
6 rolls of duck tape later...
Citizens: Ha Guvnah! Clean that mess up.
jas12niss @ Aug 31st 2007 7:15PM
A car mounted spotlight would help.
PRC @ Aug 31st 2007 7:54PM
I was going to suggest a little bit of spraypaint, but duct tape should work just as well...
seoultrain @ Sep 1st 2007 1:30AM
lol, i was thinking paintballs
naggs @ Aug 31st 2007 8:04PM
i hope that the government does try to spend astronomical ammounts of money to protect its cameras. it wont help. i dont care how thick the steel is or how tall it is. the second you turn your back, its done.
btw, the recipie for thermite is all over the internet
Ken @ Aug 31st 2007 8:25PM
Arm the British Youth with duct tape/Sharpie's/spray paint and let the games begin. 50 quid per camera taken out of service.
saneAppraisals @ Aug 31st 2007 8:26PM
Nothing a ladder and some duct tape won't cure!
Chris Ice @ Aug 31st 2007 8:37PM
Two words: paintball gun
Takeo @ Aug 31st 2007 8:37PM
Of course it's only a matter of time before explosively formed penetrators start showing up turned away from the street (at these things) rather than toward them (as in Iraq).
Should make for a helluva fireworks show.
RWD fan @ Aug 31st 2007 8:47PM
I wonder how safe one of these fortified things are when impacted by a vehicle. Doesn't the UK have all sorts of safety signs and lightposts that collapse and self destruct in the name of vehicle safety? Is there a UK equivalent to the US DOT (MOT?) that might have something to say about something 13 feet high with a "thick steel base driven into the ground"? Sounds like just the thing to launch a speeding Jag into low earth orbit when struck...
phil @ Sep 4th 2007 2:52AM
Exactly what I was thinking. Don't they test roadside things by running cars into them? Perhaps they just want to put a bunch of energy dissipating water barrels in front of all of them. Sounds like a bad idea to me though, the more immovable objects on the side of the road, the more people will be rendered immobile.
Rob @ Aug 31st 2007 8:47PM
Before I even got to the bottom, I was thinking "Spray paint". :) Then "paintball gun". I'm glad the USA isn't dumb enough to invest heavily in these things around here, because I'd definitely be destroying them.
Tom @ Aug 31st 2007 9:17PM
don't come to New Jersey then. they're starting to show up. they like to put them over the traffic lights.
sauberkraut76 @ Aug 31st 2007 9:14PM
how about saran wrap? that oughta drive them nuts.
alex @ Aug 31st 2007 9:40PM
yes this will work.... Can anyone say thermite, duct tape, spray paint, paint, and im sure you could also drill through the back if motivated enough. And yes putting an armored steel pile into the ground just sounds like the safest thing ever....