Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: D.C. police chief says drivers who use iPhone to find speed traps are "cowardly"]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/18/report-d-c-police-chief-says-drivers-who-use-iphone-to-find-sp/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/18/report-d-c-police-chief-says-drivers-who-use-iphone-to-find-sp/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/18/report-d-c-police-chief-says-drivers-who-use-iphone-to-find-sp/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

D.C. police chief Cathy Lanier, frustrated that iPhone technology is one step ahead of the red-light and speed cameras in her jurisdiction, has announced that those who use their hand-held electronic devices are "cowardly" and "...are going to get caught" in one way or another.

The subscription-based software that has Lanier shaking her fists and blurting out names is called PhantomAlert. In a nutshell, its GPS-enhanced database of law enforcement "points of interest" mimics alarms similar to those common to radar detectors (remember, radar detectors are already illegal in Virginia and D.C.). Drivers are alerted to approaching speed traps and photo enforcing locations on in their iPhone, or portable GPS units, enabling them time to slow down.

Not surprising when you consider that the greater D.C. area is home to nearly 10 percent of all traffic cameras in the U.S., according to experts. Chief Lanier is frustrated that the innovative technology is "designed to circumvent law enforcement -- law enforcement that is designed specifically to save lives." What Lanier seems to be forgetting is that attentive drivers using PhantomAlert will be slowing down at all 290 enforcement zones... saving countless lives in the process.

[Source: Washington Examiner, Photo by Michael Harley]

REPORT: D.C. police chief says drivers who use iPhone to find speed traps are "cowardly" originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Beat the photo radarBeatThePhotoRadarCathy LanierCathyLanierGPSiPhoneLaw EnforcementLawEnforcementPhantomAlertphoto radarPhotoRadarRadar DetectorsRadarDetectorsspeed cameraSpeedCameraWashington D.C.WashingtonD.c.Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:39:00 EST<![CDATA[Feed For Speed: Restaurant issues free pizza for speeding tickets near Ferrari HQ?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/16/feed-for-speed-restaurant-issues-free-pizza-for-speeding-ticket/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/16/feed-for-speed-restaurant-issues-free-pizza-for-speeding-ticket/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/16/feed-for-speed-restaurant-issues-free-pizza-for-speeding-ticket/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Officials in Maranello, Italy are cracking down on speeders outside the famous Ferrari factory, as bi-directional radar cameras have been placed on Via Giardini leading to and from the factory. The cameras are sure to nab plenty of Ferrari test drivers, as well as some of the 200,000 patrons who visit the Ferrari museum each year. The speed limit on Via Giardini is 50 kmh (31 mph), which is an unconscionable speed to drive one of the finest machines on earth.

One pizzeria is looking to gain a little publicity from the multitude of tickets destined to be issued from the speed cameras. Ristorante Teatro Caruso di Papozze is giving away a free Velox Pizza to anyone who presents a copy of their Maranello speeding ticket. In order to cash in on the offer, though, you'll have to drive about two hours from Maranello to Rovigo, where the restaurant resides. We can think of few better trips than a two hour drive through Italy for some free, authentic pizza.

There is plenty of resistance to additional speed cameras in Italy, as the area has had more than its fair share of controversy surrounding the devices. 50 cameras were recently confiscated and 81,000 tickets ripped up after it was discovered that calibration documents were falsified. In January, officials from T-Red cameras were arrested and countless city officials are battling corruption charges. Thanks for the tip, Richard!

[Source: The Newspaper | Image: Jalopnik]

Feed For Speed: Restaurant issues free pizza for speeding tickets near Ferrari HQ? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ferrariferrari factoryFerrariFactorymaranellospeed cameraSpeedCameraspeeding ticketSpeedingTicketTue, 16 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Teens copying enemies' license plates to get revenge via speed cameras]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/24/teens-copying-enemies-license-plates-to-get-revenge-via-speed-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/24/teens-copying-enemies-license-plates-to-get-revenge-via-speed-c/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/24/teens-copying-enemies-license-plates-to-get-revenge-via-speed-c/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Teens are known for having a lot of time, some seriously outrageous ideas for filling that time, and a slightly obsessive need for revenge. Add a few residential speed cameras into that mix, and what you have is a creative perversion of the entire speed camera system. Teens in Maryland have evidently been printing out the license plates numbers of rival teens, putting them on their own cars, and then purposely blasting by speed cameras posted in residential neighborhoods. The rival teen -- or his parents -- then gets a $40 citation in the mail.

The police say they haven't heard anything about it, and the local government doesn't sound like it has come up with any way to prevent or limit the habit. Which means that teens will be teens, and parents will be left to complain about it and fight the citations in court. Said one parent, "I hope the public at large will complain loudly enough that local Montgomery County government officials will change their policy of using these cameras for monetary gain. The practice of sending speeding tickets to faceless recipients without any type of verification is unwarranted and an exploitation of our rights." Oh, these kids today...

[Source: The Sentinel]

Teens copying enemies' license plates to get revenge via speed cameras originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>etchumormarylandprankpranksspeed cameraSpeedCameraspeedingspeeding ticketSpeedingTicketteenagersteensWed, 24 Dec 2008 17:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Man moons speed camera, fine won't be so funny]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/07/man-moons-speed-camera-fine-wont-be-so-funny/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/07/man-moons-speed-camera-fine-wont-be-so-funny/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/05/07/man-moons-speed-camera-fine-wont-be-so-funny/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

There are times in everyone's life when you have an idea that sounds brilliant when explained in the audience of friends, but in practice is "exposed" as pure idiocy. The passenger of a BMW X5 gave a Cramlington, UK speed camera an uncensored view of his backside in an obvious attempt at humor, but in the end (no pun intended) the stunt could result in some hefty fines. Since local authorities weren't amused by the Braveheart salute, the passenger could receive tickets for public indecency and for not wearing a seat belt. Well, that is if the driver is willing to rat on his or her offending comrade.

While we admit this is kind of funny at first blush, mostly because we never before noticed that a BMW grille looks a little like a human butt, mooning a speed camera is stupid for a couple reasons. First, it's not cool to expose yourself in public. That's the kind of thing that will get you on a sex offender list if you're not careful. Second, speed cameras are really good at taking pictures of cars, giving authorities the plates of the vehicle as they pass through intersections. Third, and perhaps most important, why would the owner of a Bimmer want someone to press their bare ass up against their windshield? Lets just hope someone remembered to sanitize the soiled glass. Thanks for the tip, everyone!

(Source: BBC News)

Man moons speed camera, fine won't be so funny originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 May 2008 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bmwmooningspeed cameraSpeedCameraUKX5Wed, 07 May 2008 12:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Pittsburgh police refunding speeding fines given by mistake]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/pittsburgh-police-refunding-speeding-fines-given-by-mistake/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/pittsburgh-police-refunding-speeding-fines-given-by-mistake/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/16/pittsburgh-police-refunding-speeding-fines-given-by-mistake/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A pair of Pittsburgh Revenue Officers misunderstood the rules surrounding the use of some LIDAR gear loaned to the department for testing and issued a raft of tickets that the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police now has to retract. Apparently LIDAR is only approved for use when teamed with other systems like VASCAR and ENRADD, which measure speed in different ways, and these boys in blue were using it solo. Their mistake instantly invalidates about 650 speeding fines that were issued on account of the loaned LIDAR equipment.

Pittsburgh police chief Nate Harper has apologized for the erroneous tickets, and motorists with LIDAR-only tickets were encouraged to request a court hearing. If the citation has already been paid, the unlawfully caught speeders will be reimbursed. A full refund for a speeding ticket is novel, but our sarcastic side wants to make a crack about the payouts being funded by shortening yellow lights at intersections with camera-bots. Thanks for the tip, Eddy!

[Source: WTAE, Photo: nist.gov]

Pittsburgh police refunding speeding fines given by mistake originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lidarlidar ticketsLidarTicketspittsburgh policepittsburgh speeding ticketPittsburghPolicePittsburghSpeedingTicketspeed cameraSpeedCameraspeedingspeeding ticketspeeding ticket refundspeeding ticketsSpeedingTicketSpeedingTicketRefundSpeedingTicketsticket refundticket refundsTicketRefundTicketRefundsWed, 16 Apr 2008 11:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Big refund for Brits: Busiest speed camera deemed unlawful]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/09/big-refund-for-brits-busiest-speed-camera-deemed-unlawful/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/09/big-refund-for-brits-busiest-speed-camera-deemed-unlawful/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/09/big-refund-for-brits-busiest-speed-camera-deemed-unlawful/#commentsFiled under: ,


Photo: Nicholas Bowman

Most people have pretty weak arguments for speeding. Everything from having a broken speedometer, going with the flow of traffic, or desperately needing to find a bathroom are usually feeble excuses that generally don't hold up. Simon Grills's case is unique. Despite being caught by a speed camera and slapped with a £60 fine, his case was dropped because the speed limit sign, which changes the allowed speed from 70 mph to 50 mph, isn't lit at night and was extremely difficult to see. While one case wouldn't necessarily make the news, it's been found that Simon isn't alone. The lights for the sign have been broken since November of 2005, and approximately 214,000 motorists have received tickets for speeding with the sign unlit. Despite the promise that the lights will be fixed, speed cameras are still ticketing motorists at a rate of 500 per day. Grills' legal battle, for which he has spent over 300 hours, has opened up the possibility of other motorists to receive refunds.

Thanks for the tip, Fernando!

[Source: SundayMirror.co.uk]

Big refund for Brits: Busiest speed camera deemed unlawful originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>british speed camerasBritishSpeedCamerasspeed cameraspeed camerasSpeedCameraSpeedCamerasWed, 09 Apr 2008 09:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Njection and Garmin partner to identify speed traps]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/27/njection-and-garmin-partner-to-identify-speed-traps/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/27/njection-and-garmin-partner-to-identify-speed-traps/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/27/njection-and-garmin-partner-to-identify-speed-traps/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Njection is a website for guys like us. In addition to their forums and picture resources, they have compiled a database of more than 50,000 speed traps worldwide -- areas with high radar use and speed cameras -- that works with Microsoft Live Maps. Njection is now offering owners of Garmin GPS units the ability to download speed trap and red light camera information to their portable navigation units.

A SpeedTrap-enhanced Garmin portable GPS unit will be a great companion on a road trip, long commute, or while traveling in unfamilar areas. However, as sophisticated as the technology is getting, GPS still won't find your lost keys.

[Source: PRNewswire via Winding Road]

Njection and Garmin partner to identify speed traps originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>GarminGPSNjectionspeed cameraspeed camerasspeed trapspeed trap exchangespeed trapsSpeedCameraSpeedCamerasSpeedTrapSpeedTrapExchangeSpeedTrapsThu, 27 Mar 2008 17:41:00 EST<![CDATA[Mythbusters fail to foil the speed camera]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/08/mythbusters-fail-to-foil-the-speedcamera/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/08/mythbusters-fail-to-foil-the-speedcamera/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/08/mythbusters-fail-to-foil-the-speedcamera/#commentsFiled under:

Last night's episode of Mythbusters was wonderfully auto related. The show's hosts, Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, take on the myth that a speed camera can be foiled. They attack the myth from various angles, including testing various types of license plate covers that claim to obscure one's plate from the prying eyes of a roadside speed camera. Of course, every mailorder plate cover fails miserably.

The real myth behind this segment, however, is that one can drive so fast that a speed camera will be unable to snap a pic before the car moves out of frame. They begin with an average car, the late-model Dodge Neon. On an abandoned airforce runway the Neon manages to hit 100 mph, clearly not fast enough to foil the camera. Their best shot is with a Lamborghini Murcielago, but they make the mistake of using a drag strip this time that doesn't offer enough room to get up to speed. A professional driver manages to reach about 140 mph, though it's still snapped with ease. Their conclusion is that the speed camera cannot be foiled just by going faster. Really? The Top Gear crew actually managed to foil a speed camera back in their first on-air episode back in 2002, when a TVR Tuscan S driven by the Stig passed a speed camera at over 170 mph, and the camera never went off (check the video here). Now, speed camera technology has no doubt advanced in the past five years, so perhaps the Mythbusters crew is still right and it is impossible to beat a speed camera in 2007.

Adam and Jaime have so much fun testing cars that at the end of the show they implore their viewership to send in more auto-related myths. You can do so here, and tell them Autoblog sent you. Maybe we can get a walk-on roll or something.

We've left some surprises if you still plan to watch the show, which will now enter the pantheon of Mythbusters reruns on the Discovery Channel, and can also be downloaded as a torrent here (NSFW).

Mythbusters fail to foil the speed camera originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adam savageAdamSavagejamie hynemanJamieHynemanmythbustersspeed cameraspeed camerasSpeedCameraSpeedCamerasThu, 08 Mar 2007 12:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Not again: Blind man caught going 100 mph in Barcelona]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/24/needs-posting-not-again-blind-man-caught-going-100-mph-by-spee/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/24/needs-posting-not-again-blind-man-caught-going-100-mph-by-spee/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/24/needs-posting-not-again-blind-man-caught-going-100-mph-by-spee/#commentsFiled under:

A blind man was recently caught by a speed camera doing 98 mph on public roads in Spain. The man had lost his sight in a car accident in 1996, and, as he explained to the court, wanted to drive just one more time. So, just like the last time we heard about a sightless driver, the man had his wife sit shotgun and dole out verbal directions on which way to turn the wheel.

In this case, however, the courts tried to strip the man of his disability benefits, citing the fact that he successfully drove the car as proof his accident didn't leave him blind. In the end, however, a Barcelona court believed the man truly had an earnest desire to hop behind the wheel one more time and threw out the case.

Frankly, we're surprised at how many times people who have lost their sight felt it's a good idea to get behind the wheel. We can understand wanting nothing more than to feel the power and control that driving offers, especially when a disability does so much to remove those feelings from your daily routine. Nevertheless, there are other innocent people on the road, and sight is one of those gotta have senses when it comes to driving. Smell and taste on the other hand...

[Source: Piston Heads]

Not again: Blind man caught going 100 mph in Barcelona originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blindblind manBlindMancaughtsightlessspeed cameraspeed trapSpeedCameraSpeedTrapWed, 24 Jan 2007 11:58:00 EST<![CDATA[New navi in UK guarantees no speeding tickets]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/04/new-navi-in-uk-guarantees-no-speeding-tickets/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/04/new-navi-in-uk-guarantees-no-speeding-tickets/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/04/new-navi-in-uk-guarantees-no-speeding-tickets/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Though the isle of Britain isn't that large in terms of square miles, it still contains 24,000 potential speed traps (about the same number in Ohio, we think). The Rossini Navigator and Camera Spotter is a satellite navigation unit that has each one of those traps plotted on its digital topography and will audibly warn a driver if one is fast approaching. The unit also does the whole door-to-door, turn-by-turn navigation thing, but the addition of such comprehensive camera spotting technology moves it to the head of the class. The distributer of the Rossini Navigator, Car Parts Direct, has also decided to guarantee the device will keep you ticket free in the UK by offering £60 cashback if the device offers no warning of a speed trap and a ticket is issued. Those purchasing the Rossini Nav system will also get free camera updates emailed to them through January of 2009, since most people don't bother to go get updates on thier own when they're made available. The unit costs £399 and is ready to use right out of the box.

[Source: Car Parts Direct]

New navi in UK guarantees no speeding tickets originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 04 Dec 2006 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cameracar parts directCarPartsDirectnav systemnaviNavSystemrossini navigatorRossiniNavigatorsat navSatNavspeed cameraspeed trapspeed trapsSpeedCameraSpeedTrapSpeedTrapsMon, 04 Dec 2006 16:37:00 EST<![CDATA[British man Ka-Blew it trying to blow up speed camera]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/28/needs-posting-aussie-caught-blowing-up-speed-camera-to-escape-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/28/needs-posting-aussie-caught-blowing-up-speed-camera-to-escape-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/28/needs-posting-aussie-caught-blowing-up-speed-camera-to-escape-t/#commentsFiled under: ,

Nobody likes a tattletale, but is that any reason to blow up a speed camera that just caught you breakin' the law? A 28-year-old British man who had just gotten snapped by a speed camera thought so, and believed he could beat his ticket by blowing up the witness to his crime. Wrong. The hard drive of the camera survived and showed police the man returning to the scene in one frame and "sparks and flames" in the next. Here's a thought, did he have to walk in front of the camera to blow it up?

[Source: Drive.com.au]

British man Ka-Blew it trying to blow up speed camera originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Aug 2006 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blow upBlowUpbritaindestroypolicespeed cameraSpeedCameraMon, 28 Aug 2006 17:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Audi has fun at speed camera's expense]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/07/audi-has-fun-at-speed-cameras-expense/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/07/audi-has-fun-at-speed-cameras-expense/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/08/07/audi-has-fun-at-speed-cameras-expense/#commentsFiled under: ,



Audi's advertising agency, Ogilvy, decided to have a little fun with a speed camera in South Africa by placing in front of it an ad for the Audi RS6 with the line, "say cheese!"

One might find need for such a warning/laugh in an RS6, which at the time of this pic boasted 450 hp from a twin-turbo version of the 4.2L V8 in the A6. That makes for one very photogenic sedan.

[Source: German Car Blog]

Audi has fun at speed camera's expense originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Aug 2006 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AudiBMW MBmwMM-seriesMercedes AMGMercedesAmgRS6speed cameraSpeedCameraMon, 07 Aug 2006 19:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Speed camera catches Hyundai doing the impossible]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/18/hot-rodder-to-take-on-the-system/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/18/hot-rodder-to-take-on-the-system/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/18/hot-rodder-to-take-on-the-system/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



A man accused of driving at speeds up to 147 mph is about to get his day in court -- and many are looking at the case to challenge the freeway photo enforcement program in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Lawrence Pargo of Goodyear was supposedly running late for work and was caught by speeding cameras on Loop 101 going 102, 105, 128 and 147 mph between 5:47 and 6:20 a.m. The city of Scottsdale and its speeding camera vendor, Redflex Traffic Systems, both say that the readings were accurate; however, an unmodified Sonata is speed limited in accordance with federal regulations to 137 mph. If found guilty, Pargo could face jail time and get his license suspended.

Steve Spence, managing editor of Car and Driver magazine, said that the cameras were likely wrong -- the Hyundai Sonata, he said, topped out at 137 in a test drive for the magazine. And for those who think Pargo may have modified his Hyundai to reach speeds higher than intended, the car wasn't even his, it was a rental.

[Source: East Valley Tribune]

Speed camera catches Hyundai doing the impossible originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jul 2006 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>moving violationsMovingViolationspointsspeed cameraSpeedCameraspeedingspeeding ticketSpeedingTickettraffic violationsTrafficViolationsTue, 18 Jul 2006 12:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Europeans can avoid speed cameras with Inforad]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/07/europeans-can-avoid-speed-cameras-with-inforad/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/07/europeans-can-avoid-speed-cameras-with-inforad/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/07/07/europeans-can-avoid-speed-cameras-with-inforad/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Speed cameras in Europe are fast becoming a royal pain in the ass, which makes a device like Inforad a stroke of genius. It's a little black box that sits on your dash and plugs into your cigarette lighter like a radar detector, but instead of detecting cops with quotas to meet, it uses GPS positioning hardware that links up with satellites to pinpoint your car's location relative to known areas covered by speed cameras.

If a user encounters an unknown speed camera location, he/she can press a button on Inforad that saves those particular coordinates and uploads them later to a central database where mobile engineers can verify them before being released to fellow users. Genius! The box itself costs £79.99 with yearly subscription for updates going for £24.99 and a lifetime subscription is just £49.99.

[Source: Inforad via Ubergizmo via Foursprung]

Europeans can avoid speed cameras with Inforad originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Jul 2006 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Global Positioning SatelliteGlobalPositioningSatelliteGPSspeed cameraSpeedCameraFri, 07 Jul 2006 12:05:00 EST<![CDATA[UK insurer offering policy geared toward speed camera reality]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/11/uk-insurer-offering-policy-geared-toward-speed-camera-reality/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/11/uk-insurer-offering-policy-geared-toward-speed-camera-reality/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/11/uk-insurer-offering-policy-geared-toward-speed-camera-reality/#commentsFiled under: , ,

UK car enthusiasts' struggle with the kudzu-like spread of speed cameras has been well documented, but to those outside of England, the scale and scope of the issue is hard to get one's head around without experiencing it firsthand. That said, perhaps news that an auto insurer has just authored a plan specifically designed with speed cameras might give readers some sense of the scale of the issue.

Isle of Man Assurance has just begun offering LicenseGuard to its clients for a premium. The basic gist of the package is that it covers transportation costs for one year if you have your license revoked due to speeding offenses.

According to the UK's financial times, there are 8,000 cameras in use for plate recognition, and a further 6,000 dedicated speed cameras. With nearly one million motorists a single conviction away from losing their license, it's no wonder that certain offenders are seeking out accomplices that will admit to committing speeding offenses that they didn't actually commit, paying them in cash or by favor.

[Sources: The Financial Times; Art by Andy Davey]

 

UK insurer offering policy geared toward speed camera reality originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jun 2006 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto insuranceAutoInsurancegatsoIsle of Man AssuranceIsleOfManAssurancelicenseguardmoving violationMovingViolationphoto radarPhotoRadarSpeed cameraSpeedCameraSpeedingSun, 11 Jun 2006 20:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Scotland puts speed camera movement on two wheels]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/03/scotland-puts-speed-camera-movement-on-two-wheels/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/03/scotland-puts-speed-camera-movement-on-two-wheels/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/03/scotland-puts-speed-camera-movement-on-two-wheels/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Scotland's motorists had better keep their eyes peeled for a certain 'brightly marked' Honda 650 Deauville motorcycle. Those passing through Edinburgh at extralegal speeds had better beware, because local authorities have just outfitted a speed camera to the aforementioned motorbike, and it works in much the same way as the pole-mounted Gatsos and unmarked vans that litter Europe's roadsides.

The idea behind the motorcycle is that it can be quickly deployed to areas in which roadside conditions make it impractical and/or unsafe to use a van for revenue collection speed monitoring.

[Source: BBC News]

Scotland puts speed camera movement on two wheels originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Jun 2006 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DeauvilleGatsoHonda 650Honda650motorcyclespeed cameraSpeedCameraSat, 03 Jun 2006 13:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Charlotte NC speed cameras could unwittingly cost city $4.6 million]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/29/charlotte-nc-speed-cameras-could-unwittingly-cost-city-4-6-mill/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/29/charlotte-nc-speed-cameras-could-unwittingly-cost-city-4-6-mill/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/29/charlotte-nc-speed-cameras-could-unwittingly-cost-city-4-6-mill/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Authorities in Charlotte, North Carolina have switched off their red light and speed camera units. The move stems from a May 16 decision by the NC state appeals court directing some 90 percent of proceeds to state schools, not to the city or the company that operates the cameras.

Peek Traffic Inc., the firm responsible for operating and monitoring the cameras had been receiving a whopping $35 out of every $50 for every ticket for blowing a red light, or $39 for those snapped speeding. The new ruling means that the city would have to shell out $30-$34 per ticket, something they obviously aren't keen to do. By this ruling, Charlotte now owes the school system $4.6 million dollars.

City council members are set to convene June 5 to figure out a way to get out of its contract with Peek Traffic, as well as figure out how to pay the $4.6 million dollars, provided officials don't take up the ruling with North Carolina's Supreme Court.

[Sources: TheNewspaper.com; Art by Andy Davey]

 

Charlotte NC speed cameras could unwittingly cost city $4.6 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 May 2006 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CharlottegatsoPeek TrafficPeekTrafficpolice cameraPoliceCamerared light cameraRedLightCameraspeed cameraSpeedCameraMon, 29 May 2006 18:01:00 EST<![CDATA[UK policeman doing 91 mph in a 30 mph zone, crashes upon seeing speed camera]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/20/uk-policeman-panics-upon-seeing-speed-camera-crashes-doing-trip/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/20/uk-policeman-panics-upon-seeing-speed-camera-crashes-doing-trip/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/05/20/uk-policeman-panics-upon-seeing-speed-camera-crashes-doing-trip/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A British police officer is licking his wounds after balling up his Ford Galaxy patrol car. That fact alone wouldn't be terribly noteworthy, except for the spectacular manner in which he crashed. As the story goes, PC Scott Warburton was doing 91 mph in a 30 mph zone in Lancaster when he spotted a speed camera, panicked and grabbed his Galaxy's brakes in full measure, subsequently losing control and crashing. As he was not responding to official business at the time, Warburton was subsiquently convicted of "driving without due care or attention."

[Source: Lancashire Evening Post; psni.police.uk]

UK policeman doing 91 mph in a 30 mph zone, crashes upon seeing speed camera originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 May 2006 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BobbieGatsoScott WarburtonScottWarburtonSpeed CameraSpeedCameraspeedingUK policeUkPoliceSat, 20 May 2006 12:58:00 EST<![CDATA[Minneapolis judge orders 'lights out' for traffic signal cameras]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/16/m/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/16/m/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/16/m/#commentsFiled under:

A Minneapolis, Minnesota area judge has given red-light cameras a taste of their own medicine. Hennepin County District Judge Mark Wernick has put the red light on the county's automated traffic signal cameras installed this past July.

The judge found legal fault with the county's 'Stop On Red' program, which (like virtually all red-light camera programs) tickets the owners of the offending vehicles, not the drivers themselves. As Minnesota state laws put the responsibility for light violations on the driver, Wernick threw out the challenging ticket, saying that Minneapolis lacks the authority to make law an ordinance that would hold vehicle owners responsible.

The motorist who brought the case to court was represented by an American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) volunteer attorney, Howard Bass, who argued that the ordinance was unconstitutional, though Judge Wernick didn't comment on that facet of their case.

The city is mulling whether to appeal the decision, but the case could set an important legal precident nationwide, as it is estimated that as many as 160 other cities employ red light cameras.

[Source: Associated Press via KMSP Fox 9 News]

(Top tip, Jenni!)

Minneapolis judge orders 'lights out' for traffic signal cameras originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Mar 2006 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ACLUHennepinMark WernickMarkWernickMinneapolisPhoto CopPhoto RadarPhotoCopPhotoRadarRed LightRed Light CameraRedLightRedLightCameraSpeed CameraSpeedCameraStop On RedStopOnRedThu, 16 Mar 2006 08:00:00 EST