# Speed camera question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 25, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501 "2023-07-25T01:01:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2023, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501/41 "2023-07-29T11:18:57Z")
It says Holland Rd (US 58) Work Zone WB @ Cameron Crossing. ---
**Author:** ![Jegpeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jegpeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jegpeg)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501/42 "2023-07-29T20:21:07Z")
About the UK > [@bob\_2](#): > > For minor offences, the NIP may offer a choice between paying a fixed penalty, attending a speed awareness course or pleading their case to a magistrate. More serious cases may offer a fixed penalty or a visit to the magistrates’ court. > > The big advantage of accepting a speed awareness course (which takes half a day) is that, although you still have to pay a “fee” about the same as the fine would be, you avoid having points on your licence. Not all of the UK offered speed awareness courses, Scotland does not. Another good thing about them is you do not have to take the course near where the offence took place. Only time I got caught speeding I was on holiday in England (I had come from a minor road onto a more major road that had a 40mph limit in the vicinity of the junction as I accellerated away I got to 47 before I hit the point the limit went to 60 (where the camera was located). I was offered a speed awareness course and found one right n the English / Scottish border and at least 80% of the people there were form Scotland like myself. Fixed penalty notice is £100 and 3 points (12 points is a ban), speed awareness courses are only available for minor infringements and if you have not had another speeding offence in the previous 3 years. The most serious offences you will have to go to court, which is where the 150% of weekly income comes in (we don’t have 35mph limits here so 55 in a 35 zone is marginal whether it would be a 100% or 150% weekly income offence. . ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2023, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501/43 "2023-07-29T22:27:35Z")
I forgot about the Scots not offering SA courses. Northern Ireland has them, as does Wales and the Channel Islands. They don’t have them in The Isle of Man, where around 30 percent of the island’s highway network is unrestricted anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501/44 "2023-07-31T14:19:48Z")
not from my experience; as I stated, sometimes they are going off mid-green with an intersection full of cars ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501/45 "2023-07-31T14:27:06Z")
When we had them I saw the flash at seemingly random times. It sensed something that set it off. What I never saw was a violation go through without cars or with cars in the middle of the intersection. It’s a sophisticated system and the algorithm weeds out most of the false positives. There had to be an officer that verified each violation. There isn’t just a still picture and you have to take on faith that it was a violation. The flash and picture are to get a close up of the plate. There is also a wider shot video showing the traffic signal and the vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501/46 "2023-07-31T14:34:32Z")
The way those cameras work makes them not that effective an investigative tool. If we were looking for a car involved in a crime in the area of the red light camera we could access the video from the time. It could show the car going through the intersection. Unless the vehicle committed a violation no picture of the plate would be taken. No amount of clicking the keyboard or yelling “enhance” at the screen would let you read the plate. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501/47 "2023-07-31T15:38:47Z")
> [@Capn\_Carl](#): > > Here in AZ, they send you high quality pictures of you in the car. Unless you have an identical twin, it’s hard to claim it wasn’t you driving. And that’s why I’m marketing **RhinoShades** _®: The Only Driving Glasses With A Fake Nose!_ ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501/48 "2023-07-31T19:59:59Z")
> [@digs](#): > > > [@Capn\_Carl](#): > > > > Here in AZ, they send you high quality pictures of you in the car. Unless you have an identical twin, it’s hard to claim it wasn’t you driving. > > And that’s why I’m marketing **RhinoShades** _®: The Only Driving Glasses With A Fake Nose!_ I recall some news item a while ago about some fellow whose car was photographed by a red light camera, and it clearly showed someone driving wearing a gorilla mask. As I understand, the camera will also have the time, speed and light status imprinted on the photo. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speed-camera-question/987501.md?page=2)