Our Poor Friends Down Under...
 

Mobile Phone Detection cameras on the motorways???

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I've had a couple instances of mistaken identity back when we had red light cameras. And once on a toll road citation. All were in error and I was able to get things resolved with one phone call.

I didn't watch the entire video but hoping this gentlemen was able to do the same.

I don't like the idea of video surveillance on the folks. But am in favor of cops on patrol citing someone when they witness it in person. ESPECIALLY when associated with obvious signs of distracted driving. Because these people are very easy to spot, solely based on how they're driving.

I recall an episode of Top Gear and actor Brian Cox was on doing the "Star in the Reasonably Priced Car". Cox had mentioned that he lived mostly in Los Angeles and Jeremy Clarkson said "Welcome back to the land of the free!".

Cox replied - "Eh - not quite". He went to explain how the cameras and surveillance in the US was not nearly as bad as that in the UK.

I wish they had cameras on every single stop light and watching at red lights for drivers looking at their phones, and not paying attention to the traffic, and the green light. Double the fine for left turn lane distracted drivers looking at the phone or the entertainment system and not watching for when the light changes and the cross traffic is stopped or clear. I hate sitting for another cycle of the lights when one doofus in the front is the only one that gets through on the yellow.

Hang up yer phone and DRIVE!

You think we have paper work mistakes now, wait until we get those damn cameras. My case is still unsolved and haven't heard from SF. parking ticket issued to my name and address, but it is not my car and not my lic plate. It keeps adding up in fines. No replies whatsoever.

That's why I want (would never install) one of those train horns. I'd love to be able to quick hit the horn and have those folks poo a little. But my wife doesn't even like it when I hit the regular horn. I always tell myself when she complains about the horn "next time i'll just sit behind them until they move," but I can't bring myself to do it. If i see you looking down and the light turns, I'm going to honk (quick blip only).

OP's video is not out of the ordinary. Most Australians just pay the fine regardless of what may have happened.

It's just too expensive to argue the point.

Yep, nearly impossible to argue the point, which is messed up. It certainly LOOKS like he's looking at a phone in the photos. It doesn't look like he's looking at a wallet.

I completely get not believing him. I'm sure they are blatantly lied to every day in much less believable ways.

The problem is "looks like he's looking at a phone" doesn't mean that he was looking at a phone. He could have been looking at a small pocket notebook. The photo is not clear enough to say for sure what he was looking at. And I'm of the mind that if you can't prove that I was looking at a PHONE, then you can't fine me as if I was looking at a phone. I suspect it's not illegal to look at a small notebook.

I'm glad that it got worked out.

We got a red light camera ticket once. Car was in my name, but was our daughters car. She pulled up to a red light, paused-ish, and then turned left on a red. They had still shots and video of the back of the car. I called and they said "not a moving violation, doesn't impact your driving record or driver's license." Our daughter did it, I just didn't want it impacting my license. Fortunately, it was mostly ruled not legal (or maybe ended up being a huge PITA) so everything around this area was removed.

Around here the charge would be "distracted driving ". Wouldn't matter if he were looking at a phone, GPS, newspaper or a map. Keep your eyes on the road and your head in the game.

Best
Les

Good range of responses.

With a pic like the one in the video, I'd make him pay. 77 years old staring at something in his hand is 1 second away from killing someone.

Yes - great range of comments.

But.

BUT… are you not concerned with what’s next? And is everyone who’s so terribly inconvenienced by a delay when the light turns green - are you not concerned with what other kind of snooping the authorities could deploy next?? That to me is the scariest part.

^ It's not the traffic light delay, it's the multitude of idiots that drive while texting and the accidents it causes.

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Yes - great range of comments.

But.

BUT… are you not concerned with what’s next? And is everyone who’s so terribly inconvenienced by a delay when the light turns green - are you not concerned with what other kind of snooping the authorities could deploy next?? That to me is the scariest part.

Excellent question David and well worth discussing. I see things like these cameras as a balancing act: greater good vs. personal freedom which the foundation of our citizen contract. I'm experiencing it right now buying a Browning, I have to get an MA LTC which requires classroom and range time and money of course. I can't just buy it. For me the hoops I have to jump through are balanced against living in the safest state in the country in terms of gun related deaths. So I'm 100% ok with having to go the extra mile.

For me it's similar to looking at your phone in the car which everyone knows causes accidents and innocent people being killed.

I'm not so concerned about slippery slope with this stuff. I know it's an issue and respect those concerned but it's glacial.

"Distracted driving" you say? Dashes with a touch screen controlling a pot load of electronics are a distraction...

In-car displays are a paradox for sure.

On the old guy, looks like he has a GPS, but it could be a notepad. Distracted driving and talking on or otherwise using a phone are tantamount — one is the other. The fact that they are charging him with the use of a phone and that's not what it is, does not justify being distracted.

But the thing I want to know and didn't see it, was he moving or stopped? If stopped I don't see why one can't look at a pad, change the radio, light up a cigar, whatever.

Just don't flip down the visor and do your eyelashes.

In Australia/New Zealand we have this "Hurt feeling and humiliation" thing. I think he wold have a good case against the state. AND the judge cutting him off mid sentence (I hate that) and telling him he does have a cellphone needs to be doing a different job. She's in Byron Bay - bunch of dope smoking hippies LOL

Good on you old fella for standing up for what is correct and winning.http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/clap.gif

In this dystopian town I live in, we use parking meter boxes every block to pay for the numbered street spaces.
The electronic system knows which spaces are paid for, and which are supposed to be empty.
The parking meter cars are equipped with plate reading cameras, drive around scooping up all plate numbers, and automatically send out tickets.

That doesn't include the cameras at the intersections.

In the future (if not already happening) self-driving or all cars with camera systems will act as mobile license plate readers and facial recognition platforms.
Also scoop up proximity of nearby phone signals and other vehicles.
Same thing.
Driveways. City streets. Highways. Everywhere is covered by a connected network. And the people will pay for it.

I went to 118 db for a twin set accidently. Not a train horn. Illegal but not really that illegal (according to me) when the law is 95. I bought them and installed because they were on sale and now I know why they were cheap.

If you use as a weapon of vengeance you deserve a ticket. Whatever their plan was it instantly changes - my friend told me who borrowed my car.

I had mounted dual air horns on my old R80RT. They were LOUD AF! People did hear me coming.