Hi

last night I was driving home from work and passed a yellow speed camera , its a camera that I pass every night so I know its there , anyway I was doing the speed limit of 30 if anything I was doing 31 max , a car the opposite side went passed and the camera flashed , now this driver must of been doing 35-40 easy , but I don't think the camera faces the opposite way as well so its got me worried

I'm worried I may get a fine for someone else's speeding!.

I know it sounds daft but is it possible a camera can pick up speed in the direction the camera does not face.

cheers

It is possible for it to flash due to a car on the other side of the road - however, one of the purposes of the lines on the road is so that the speed of the car being photographed can be calculated from the two photographs the camera takes (obviously using some simple maths and the time between the two pictures), so worry not - you'll be fine if you were doing the limit.

It is possible for it to flash due to a car on the other side of the road - however, one of the purposes of the lines on the road is so that the speed of the car being photographed can be calculated from the two photographs the camera takes (obviously using some simple maths and the time between the two pictures), so worry not - you'll be fine if you were doing the limit.

thanks Dan

I was worried because at the time I had my break lights on , so they might think it was me. Before the camera its a bit down hill so was proberly doing 35 but I did break down to 30 as I was entering the camera but this car on the other side seemed to zoom past!

I wouldnt worry mitch, to be fair, I know very few drivers who drive through a flash box that will NOT apply their brakes, its the paranoid nature those things have imposed on us...

As Dan Said, they use the two photographs taken and calculate the distance the car travelled... Speed = Distance travelled / Time, as they know the time difference between the two snaps, and the distance is translated from the lines, then they work out that he was flying by and you werent.

At the end of the day, they would need to prove you were speeding, and applying your brake lights is no evidence. Plus these things, (depnding on the type)... If its Gatso, it will be first activated by the radar signal being reflected by the vehicle its pointing at (the oncoming driver) that triggers the flash, if its a "Truvelo" then it is activated by the driver approaching the embedded sensors. That could be either of you.

I wouldnt worry, unless you were speeding, the pictures will show that your car was travelling at a safe speed, if they see that the other vehicle was travelling faster than you then the ownus of responsibility is on him...

I do like learning about this random cack :)

Thankyou both , thats made me feel a lot better :)