Posted on 02/16/2018 11:19:37 AM PST by nickcarraway
They calculate a vehicle's average speed over a stretch of Tanah Merah Coast Road
They calculate a vehicle's average speed over a stretch of Tanah Merah Coast Road Karamjit KaurSenior Aviation Correspondent Motorists travelling along Tanah Merah Coast Road near Changi Airport will soon have to watch their speedometer over a longer distance.
New cameras that calculate a vehicle's average speed over a stretch of road are set to be permanent features along the coastal road, following trials by the Traffic Police in the same area.
The cameras are mounted on lamp posts along the central divider and will monitor vehicles as they enter an enforcement zone and again, when they exit it.
The time taken to travel the distance will be used to determine whether or not a motorist has been speeding.
The system is equipped with technology that can distinguish between trucks, lorries and other vehicles such as a normal passenger car, based on their radar signature.
The Traffic Police has not said when the average speed camera (ASC) system will be activated, but The Straits Times understands that it could go online in the next few months.
Nanyang Technological University senior research fellow and road safety expert Gopinath Menon, 74, said that such a system should help regulate speeds, especially for long stretches like the Tanah Merah Coast Road that spans about 10km.
"It is a long straight road, almost like an expressway, so there is a tendency for motorists to pick up speed. A normal camera captures the speed at a particular spot and while studies have shown that motorists do slow down when approaching the camera, once they pass the spot, the speed increases.
"With the new ASC system, we can expect the desired behaviour and speed to be maintained over a longer distance," Mr Menon said.
Similar cameras have been deployed in other countries such as Australia, the Netherlands and Britain, with research suggesting that they have been effective in curbing speeding, he said.
In 2016, two people died in separate accidents along Changi Coast Road, which has over the years featured in several fatal accidents. The road has since been expanded, and it was renamed Tanah Merah Coast Road last April.
Apart from the usual mix of vehicles, the road is frequented by an unusually high number of heavy vehicles, involved in construction works in the area, and leisure cyclists who enjoy the wide, straight roads.
The deployment of average speed cameras is the latest in a slew of initiatives by the authorities in recent years to curb speeding and improve overall road safety.
Statistics unveiled by the Traffic Police last week show encouraging results. Last year, the number of accidents related to speeding fell 29.9 per cent, while those involving drink driving and running red lights fell 2.7 per cent and 0.8 per cent, respectively.
Fewer people also died in road accidents last year, compared with 2016.
The people who develop these technologies should be treated like ISIS bomb makers
This is one of the first algebra problems that used to be handed given in high school.
This isn’t a bad thing. In my neighborhood folks regularly drive 45 in a 25 zone.
Hit em’ in the wallet hard to make them learn.
Law enforcement yes.
An automated, revenue generating police state no.
Exactly.
Don’t they have paint ball guns there?
There’s one in Washington DC that tagged me a few weeks ago. The limit goes from 50 to 30 in 30 feet. (I was doing 44)
Good luck getting the $150 from me. I’m making them earn it.
I found something online where someone sent a letter challenging the District on 6th Amendment grounds and demanding proof that they were driving.
Their case was dismissed by DC.
I used his letter verbatim. When it doesn’t get dismissed, I’m going for unequal treatment under the law.
Sadly, I also got a real infraction in Montana last week. It’s my first ticket in 26 years. I’m debating how to handle that one.
Last year, the number of accidents related to speeding fell 29.9 per cent,
I forgot to mention, the single camera that tagged me in DC generates $10,000,000 in revenue, I mean safety per year.
Well we already have a police state plus this society is full of irresponsible fools who can barely function on their job, much less behind the wheel.
If folks can’t comport themselves on the roads (and you know they don’t) then maybe a few heavy fines will change that behavior.
here in l.a we just pay these traffic lawyers $50 to have them dismissed and we dont even show up in court
What’s with all this camera stuff???
For decades, many highways have you take a ticket upon entrance and return the ticket upon exit and pay, allowing the toll booth to determine your average speed.
Of course, anybody can drive like a maniac, stop for lunch, and exit the highway a saint, under the speed limit. But, for most speeders, they won’t stop for lunch, and the toll ticket can be proof of significant speeding.
If you use an EZPass, they already have the ability to do this. They could actually setup in several zones along the same highway and get you a few times. No doubt it’s coming.
If you talk to traffic safety experts, almost all, including those employed by police departments will readily admit that speed limits are too low.
25 is good for residential
65-70 is way too slow for most interstates. The correct speed is referred to as the 85th percentile. Essentially the speed that 85% of drivers are going.
In my last ticket, I was driving through the flats in Montana, high visibility at 180 degrees. The posted speed was 80 mph. I apparently slid above that a bit and got tagged doing 93. Dusk was just starting so I was getting ready to slow down in a few minutes anyhow.
Sounds like these cameras are screaming for the flaming Gatso treatment. In the UK they like to put burning tires at the base of the camera.
In HS, in early 1970s, one guy said the PA Turnpike had minimum “legal” travel times. Under the minimum, and you’d get a ticket for speeding.
This is precisely why I am developing my automobile cloaking device. They can’t ticket who they can’t see.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.