Truvello hell!

[Dave]

Q. You're driving along a road meant for 50mph, but it's been reduced to 20mph and now has two Truvello digital Gatso's that don't flash by the fat cats at the local council. You slow down before you get too close, then suddenly in your rear view mirror an ambulance car approaches doing 60mph, and overtakes you just before going past the Truvello camera. What do you do ?   What do you do ???



BRAKE HARD!!!



There's no bloody way I'm going to get my mug on a film for something I didn't do! If in doubt, brake! Luckily nothing was behind me!



As I'm sure you can guess, this happened to me today. Split second thinking I asked myself "If we both get caught on film, is there even a small possibility that they could try and prosecute me instead of the ambulance driver ?" and after the answer came, my foot went hard on the brake! I'm sure they wouldn't, but you just don't know!



Luckily I hadn't hit the three white lines, which show on film and on the road.

[eyepacman]

The Truvelo cameras do flash. It is an infrared flash, so you won't see it during the day.

There was no need to brake hard if you were obeying the speed limit, as calibration marks on the film, and the road, show distance travelled.

As the camera takes two pictures, it is easy to work out that it was the ambulance that was speeding and not you, because it would have travelled further.

So nothing to worry about.

[Dave]

Still, I wasn't taking a chance. When the ambulance was overtaking it would have overtaken me through the Truvello. If in doubt, play safe (roll over and play dead!)

[Davidb67]

I just read this, and it reminded me of something i observed about 4 months ago:

On the southern approach into Gosforth, Newcastle, there is a Gatso just before a pedestrian crossing, and where the speed limit drops from 50mph to 30mph, which is also where the bus-lane ceases.

I happened to be sat in traffic heading out of Gosforth one morning, and the camera flashed when someone raced past - probably didn't know the area. nothing odd in that. however, about 45 seconds later (yep, traffic i was in was VERY slow!) i saw an ambulance belting along, lights flashing and sirens ablaze, and started to think "that's more than 50mph" - and it didn't slow on the approach, it simply continued, and the camera DIDNT flash - yet i had witnessed it flashing a speeding motorist earlier. The ambulance i reckon was doing 60~65mph when it went through.

which got me to thinking: do the emergency services have a jamming device of some sort?

[MikeB]

Obviously the poor Ambulance driver nicked transporting transplant organs to save someones life earlier this year didnt have a jammer. Or our POI database!!
_________________
Mike Barrett

[Privateer]

Dave,



Unfortunately a lot of drivers like us have the same worries. If a real life human police officer was on the scene he (or she) would make an instant judgment as they would have the full facts. An electronic gizmo can not replace the "human" element.



On a similar line, what would you do if you're at the front of a traffic light queue, waiting for the green light and an ambulance or fire engine is trying to get through. If it's safe you'd move forward and to the side and then stop (if it's a large enough junction area). But would you do the same if it's a traffic light system coupled with a red light camera?



I’m sorry if it sounds selfish, but I wouldn’t. As they have even attempted to book an ambulance car driver for speeding when he’s on a critical mission, would you trust the camera operators/authorities to even check whether an emergency vehicle was replying to a call at the time of you crossing a red light to help matters?



Cameras, 'em all!
_________________
Robert.
iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 14.0.1: iOS CamerAlert v2.0.7
TomTom GO Mobile iOS 2.3.1; TomTom (UK & ROI and Europe) iOS apps v1.29
Garmin Camper 770 LMT-D

[Dave]

I think part of the problem, is you know it's not the police who are dealing with checking VIN's and photos. It's all sub contracted out. Like you say if a Police officer was there with a radar gun, then he'd probably be targetting you more than an ambulance, and you'd know you were safe, but you just don't know with cameras that have no human interaction, and you don't really know what goes on behind the scenes in validating the photos and the data collected.



I'm with you Robert, I probably wouldn't move far off the junction. Usually on red light cameras you can straddle the crossing, but it's when you hit the sensor pad after this it'll trip the camera.

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