Behind the Wheel - January 4, 2005

[skidmark]

Speedwatch

What is the idea behind the speed reader board at the roadside? Is speed watch out to help the police see that speeding drivers get charged? Why are the people writing notes? These are common questions asked about a very valuable volunteer group in your community.

Speed watch uses a portable radar mounted on a display that is placed beside the road in places that are suggested by the public or the police. Drivers passing through the beam are shown their speed in large numbers on a reader board in the hope that if they are speeding, they will slow down to the posted limit.

A tally of the speeds shown are kept by the operators to establish whether high speeds are common at the site. If so, police may use the data to plan enforcement action.

License numbers of those vehicles that significantly exceed the posted speed limit may also be recorded and passed on to the police. The owner of the vehicle may be written a warning letter in the hope that the driver will be advised and encouraged to follow the speed limit.

The reader board may also be used as a simple method of testing the accuracy of the speedometer of your vehicle. Care must be taken to insure that yours is the only vehicle in the radar beam to receive an accurate reading.

Police do work in partnership with speed watch in a two strikes program by monitoring traffic after it has passed the reader board. Those drivers who have not accepted the reader board advice and slowed down receive speeding tickets.

[QuasarCav]

Thanks, I have always wondered about the purpose of these.

We had one near my HS all the time and it was shocking to see some of the people exit a corner at double the posted speed limit. I think it's a good idea, people cant bitch when they are showed the speed limit.

[3G]

Where do we have one of these in Calgary I wanna try it out

[bspot]

They had one up on a back road in rocky ridge that is still really rough because they are still building at the end of the street. Seemed like a really really odd place for it since going more than 50km will screw up your car pretty good on the manholes and such, plus the fact there is only local traffic down that street.

[QuasarCav]

When I worked early mornings I would have to drive down deerfoot at 2:30am. They had one right under the 17th overpass with a big sign displaying your speed. I dont think it was manned, the point was to make you aware that you could have just been busted. I wasn't aware I was doing about 120 without paying attention.



I hear if you max out the sign the CPS sends you a cookie, anyone care to try?

[Thaco]

i saw one in a construction zone on the highway on my way to edmonton a few months back.

[D'z Nutz]

That's cool. I wasn't even aware they had these. I think it's a good idea.

[ecstasy_civic]

Thats very interesting, good post.

I know when they had one on Sarcee by John Laurie, I tried to see how fast I could get goin from the light to the sign:rofl:

[finboy]

there was one in shawnesey, i was tempted to see how high i could get it, but unfortunatly i was the passenger in an sr20 240 at the time.

[turbo'dGSR]

so how would it record your plate if you were way over the limit? or is this just for manned ones?...which i have never seen. Ive seen them at the top of the hill on james mckevitt and in shawnessy.
PS- are you a cop?...i have a slight suspicion.

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by turbo'dGSR

PS- are you a cop?...i have a slight suspicion.

Look at his avatar. Or his description under the avatar.

[skidmark]

Just over 24 years of service with the RCMP, about 20 of them on highway patrol. 10 years as a collision analyst.

[turbo'dGSR]

Originally posted by Weapon_R


Look at his avatar. Or his description under the avatar.

why do u think i had the 'slight suspicion'?
slight suspicion = sarcasm

[turbo'dGSR]

Originally posted by skidmark
Just over 24 years of service with the RCMP, about 20 of them on highway patrol. 10 years as a collision analyst.

so what do you think of this site? do you sometimes log off shaking your head at what you've read...:D

[skidmark]

Sure, but I'll bet other people log off shaking their heads at my posts too. ;)

I usually just monitor my Behind the Wheel posts and any other threads that look traffic enforcement related. I usually don't have time for much else.

I'm currently working on our new web site at http://members.shaw.ca/cihp and that is taking a bit of my time.

[Zero102]

I saw about 20 of those during my trip back from New York. They're a super-easy way to check the accuracy of your speedometer, but they're not all that accurate. I went through 5 of them, at exactly 55mph on my speedometer, and got readings from 50mph to 70mph. I suspect the other readings were inaccurate as well.
Perhaps they're better here?

[skidmark]

The problem is, if there are other vehicles in the vicinity, the reader board may pick up them instead of you. Generally, they display the strongest return signal, and don't differentiate between vehicles approaching and vehicles going away.

That's why I suggest trying to be there all by yourself.

[Singel]

Originally posted by QuasarCav

I hear if you max out the sign the CPS sends you a cookie, anyone care to try?



Originally posted by ecstasy_civic

I know when they had one on Sarcee by John Laurie, I tried to see how fast I could get goin from the light to the sign:rofl:


Sounds like they're equally counter productive:rolleyes: