S.A radar regulations??! - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

younggun · 04-30-2003, 05:16

hey guys,

I am after some help. Today I turned onto a main road in adelaide (70km/h zone) after seeing a clapped VK far up the road. The gap he closed in on me was astounding (was doing wellllll over a 100), and to avoid him redesigning my rear end (very wet road) i was forced to accelerate, with him VERY close behind me.

Now as luck would have it I saw the ill fated flash, I am hoping both cars are in the pic, because he was so close to me, but if he is not, do I have to provide the name of a driver in S.A when i get the fine? I know this wasnt the case, but somebody told me today if you are doing over a certain speed you have to.

I know this is the case in some other states, but does any one know for certain if this is or is not the case currently in adelaide??

cheers guys

steve

EDXR8 · 04-30-2003, 05:58

No you don't have to provide the name of the driver. Also, in SA, all radar equipment now can pinpoint the speed of each car in the photo, so as long as they can read your number plate, you will get the fine, even if there is another car in the photo.

GTP07S · 04-30-2003, 16:44

Quote:

Originally posted by EDXR8
No you don't have to provide the name of the driver. Also, in SA, all radar equipment now can pinpoint the speed of each car in the photo, so as long as they can read your number plate, you will get the fine, even if there is another car in the photo.

That is not correct, Radar connot pinpoint the speed of each car in the photo, if 2 cars are in the shot, the camera will photograph the car that it detects first, the radar can detect the 2 vehicles speeds but the camera cannot photograph the 2 cars in such quick succession.
What happens is the police will send a infringement notice to both vehicles, if you challenge it, it will be dropped as they cannot be 100% certain which vehicle was actually detected which is required by law for speed detection.
You are only gone when you are the only vehicle in the shot.

How do I know? I have gone through this process in the last month and have got off as we were being passed by the speeding car as we went through the camera and we werent speeding as the missus was driving and she doesnt know how to speed........
Always ask for the photo, and if it has 2 vehicles in close proximity in the shot challenge it.

younggun · 04-30-2003, 17:13

Thanks heaps tezz and ED, do you know what sort of range the photos have?? Like how close does the other car have to be to me to also be in the photo?

wow I am relived now, even if he is not in the photo, and i get the fine, could be worse...

i still cant believe it though, if I had waited until he had gone, he would have got a massive fine, and I wouldnt have had to speed at all... murpheys law ey??

thanks guys

GTP07S · 04-30-2003, 23:26

The radar set up they use is called slant doppler, this means that the radar has to go across the road at a 45 degree angle and it detects the rate of movement over a portion of time, eg the radar will send out 2 pulses and then waits for their return, eg the beams bounce of of the vehicle and come back, the unit will compute the times each of the beams took to come back and the difference between the 2 will equate the distance travelled by the vehicle, the unit then works out how fast the car is travelling and if over the level set, will trigger the camera, the radar beams are usually pencil thin, and this process happens in microseconds
Where the problem comes in is the camera, it will have a reasonably wide angle lens to be able to get all aspects of the car being detected.
For example a b-double speeding would trip the radar as it first went past, but the number plate on the rear trailer would still be out of shot, so a wide angle is needed to get the whole truck in. This is a very very simplified explaination.

younggun · 05-01-2003, 06:13

ok cheers for that tezz, now I just gotta hold my breath and wait!! thanks for the explanation!!