5 Reasons Why Speed Cameras Are Inaccurate

In most cases, speed camera results are correct and dependable, but there are quite many situations in which the camera can get an inaccurate reading. Here are some of them:

5. They can be used to prank your enemies.

Students from Richard Montgomery High School have been getting revenge on their enemies by printing out fake license plates on glossy photo paper with the numbers of one of their many foes and covering their real license plates with them and purposefully speeding near speed cameras. [The Sentinel]

4. Angles

The biggest problem with speed cameras  is when they are set at an even slightly incorrect angle to the road. The results obtained from different angles can vary dramatically, but always in favor of the driver, giving a lower speed.

3. Reflections

If the radio signal emitted by the measuring device reflects of a wall before bouncing back from the car, the speed measured is instantly doubled. Also, the signal could be reflected around a bend on the road and measure the speed of a car not visible to the camera.

There has also been a case of a caravan driver speeding at over 51 mph in a 30 mph zone when in reality he was doing a lot less than 30, and after examination, it appeared that the camera had measured both the speed of the caravan and the car and added them together. [The Examiner]

2. Incorrect panning

When a police officer points a laser gun at a moving vehicle, they’re supposed to keep the gun pointed at exactly the same point on the vehicle throughout panning. If for some reason they start panning with the gun pointed at the back of the vehicle and then pan the device faster than needed, the speed measured is significantly faster than the real speed of the vehicle. Although the laser gun is supposed to display an error when this occurs, it sometimes doesn’t.

1. Vibrations

When pointed at a loudspeadker or any other vibrating stationary surface, a speed camera can pick up speeds in excess of 100 mph. So if you have a badly vibrating number plate or any other part of your car, a speed camera or radar gun can get a reading much higher than reality.

Trucks with flat backs will also give odd readings and the police have confirmed this when they stopped a driver who knew he was doing 2mph in a traffic jam but they said he was over the 30 mph limit. They then agreed that they have a problem.

How to make sure if your speeding ticket is correct:

If you are not sure if you were speeding, then you should have been sent or will need to write to the police and ask for a copy of both of the photographs that were taken of you by the Gatso. You should also ask how far apart in time the pictures were taken.

When you have the pictures back from the police (they are required to provide them to you), then look at the lines that are painted on the road and you can see how far you have travelled in the time it took to take both pictures - typically the pictures are taken 0.5 second apart. You will need to revisit the camera site and carefully (don’t get snapped again! or run over) measure the distance between the lines. Then you will know how far your vehicle moved in the time period and from this you can calculate your speed. If it matches the speed you are accused of - then it would appear to be a valid accusation.

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