Rear Facing Cameras

[ByfordBlade]

This evening I was driving west along Thomas Road from Tonkin Hwy and a ute coming towards me was flashing his headlights just before Kargotich Road. I slowed down in the hope I could turn around and tell the driver I was not epileptic, but before I could do that I noticed a multinova set up on the side of the road within the scrub and it was rear facing.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding of the change in laws last year were that rear facing photos were applicable for bikes only as owner onus rules were not relevant to cars.

In my travels on Thomas Road I see a handfull of bikes at best - if the setup of a rear facing cam can only get bikes then I would see it as a little disciminatory given the Thomas/Kargotich intersection has a bad crash history but all involve cars and the camera was about 800m past the intersection where you could feasibly do 800km/h on a bike without risk to the rider or other road users. To our resident WAPOL members, or those on here (the guys wearing tinfoil hats say there's a lot of them), is such a setup for all vehicles or are they only relelvant for bikes. I'm only asking so I can decide if Thomas Road is to be considered as one wheel or two given the angle of my muderous fender eliminator

[padfoot]

Originally Posted by ByfordBlade

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding of the change in laws last year were that rear facing photos were applicable for bikes only as owner onus rules were not relevant to cars.

Consider yourself corrected

[ByfordBlade]

Now I'm corrected, and please excuse my ignorance, but WTF is the debate about front plates for bikes when cameras can legitimately be turned to get everyone from behind (as has been suggested by pretty well every motorcycling group in WA as an alternative to plates). I was under the impression that turning cameras around was off the agenda as it was too difficult to change the legislation to cover cars as well.

[padfoot]

I think because it takes some reconfiguring, and they didn't want to stuff around with it... So to make things easier they thought about introducing front number plates for us.


Makes sense, doesn't it?

Edit: I'm not 100% sure the legislation covers cars, but I'm 95% certain
The owner onus laws apply for all road users, don't they?
Anyone else?

[PatB]

Yup. Owner onus is universal.

The main official objection I've hear to turning the MNs round is that it takes ~twice as long to set 'em up. Presumably it cuts into the profit margin.

The unofficial reason is that noone wants to admit that the original decision to go front facing was a fcuk up by our wonderful constabulary.

The whole front plates issue was basically driven by Victoria, who have motivations other than speed enforcement (tolling being the main one). Yes, it was picked up with enthusiasm by a few squeaky wheels over here, but I can assure you that the Vehicle Standards guys are pretty much anti, as are there counterparts in the rest of the country. That was the case 18 months ago anyway.

[Mish]

How do the rear facing camera work tho? In Canberra, the speed vans are those merc vans and they have the camera facing out the back window catching the front license plates for on coming vehicles.

If they were turned the other way to catch the back of vehicles, by the time you see the camera you slow down and the camera has a photo of the license plate of a vehicle doing the speed limit...regardless two or four wheels. How would they get you for speeding? Two cameras? One facing out the front to catch you as you're speeding and then one for the rear plate?

[Grantlington]

Originally Posted by Mish

How do the rear facing camera work tho? In Canberra, the speed vans are those merc vans and they have the camera facing out the back window catching the front license plates for on coming vehicles.

If they were turned the other way to catch the back of vehicles, by the time you see the camera you slow down and the camera has a photo of the license plate of a vehicle doing the speed limit...regardless two or four wheels. How would they get you for speeding? Two cameras? One facing out the front to catch you as you're speeding and then one for the rear plate?

over here they just turn them around and hide them behind bushed and poles and trees so you dont see them.

[Mish]

Not allowed to hide them over here. Makes all the difference!

[Grantlington]

Originally Posted by Mish

Not allowed to hide them over here. Makes all the difference!

doesnt stop them from doing it tho

[Mish]

Can't avoid the po po with the speed guns, but haven't seen a speed camera van in the bushes here.

[Grantlington]

was talking about the usual cameras, not the vans. we dont have vans here (yet?)

[rabbit]

Im also told the popo put the rear facing camera in a rubbish bin and place the bin on the side of the road with no "you have just been through a speed camera" sign afterwards.

[PatB]

Im also told the popo put the rear facing camera in a rubbish bin and place the bin on the side of the road with no "you have just been through a speed camera" sign afterwards.

I've heard of that (and seen pictures) in the UK, but not Western Australia (yet).

[Sumfun4me]

I'm probably wrong (again), but my understanding was that the rear facing cameras were a different unit to the forward facing ones. I thought this was why Victoria was trying to introduce front plates, as it was a cheaper alternative (for the Vic government, as the cost would be carried by the motorcyclists) than buying new cameras.

[Sumfun4me]

Oh, and dont go gettint he rear facing cameras confused with the Argus cameras - they are a different kettle of fish altogether (I haven't seen any rear facing cameras, but have seen the Argus set up this was several times now).