Policing the New Cellphone Law

Forums › Off topic › Policing the New Cellphone Law

DjShadow

4222 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1322

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#46690 7-Nov-2009 12:23

I noticed this morning when I went through Te Rapa (Hamilton) there are ppl in High-Vis coats on Intersection Corners and also on Avalon Drive (just before the rail bridge) with Video Cameras recording all traffic that goes past. Friend of mine said she spotted the same thing in Tauranga also.

I assume here they are looking for people talking on their handheld mobile, guess this is the only real effective way to see if people are on their phones. A police officer doing 100km/h going the other way likely would find it difficult to watch where they are going as well as looking at oncoming traffic to see if they are on the phone

johnr

19282 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2526
Inactive user

#270846 7-Nov-2009 12:29

I spotted this last week in South Auckland

vinnieg

2260 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#270853 7-Nov-2009 13:08

I've noticed new cameras going up along the SH1 in Welly too. Not the existing citylink ones, but ones furthur down on the lampost at driver level.

If they are for that, good on them I say :) death to cellphones while: driving, eating, in the cinema, at a concert and while having a conversation with someone(unless you don't like them)

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

sbiddle

30853 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9996

Retired Mod

Trusted

Biddle Corp

Lifetime subscriber

#270863 7-Nov-2009 14:20

vinnieg: I've noticed new cameras going up along the SH1 in Welly too. Not the existing citylink ones, but ones furthur down on the lampost at driver level.

Where exactly? The current TMS system (which covered Ngauranga Gorge) is in the process of being extended all the way along SH1 to the Mt Vic tunnel and to Petone. These are the pole mounted cameras. There is a whole heap of sensors that have been installed (panels facing the traffic at a low height) which are used for monitoring traffic flows.

marmel

1924 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 226

ID Verified

Trusted

#270866 7-Nov-2009 14:29

I know they did this in Dunedin now and then, often it was a staff member that may have been on light duties. I think if they stood around for an hour or so filming the intersection they were able to issue upwards of 60 infringement notices, mainly for orange/red light runners. The hard part is of course ringing all of the registered owners to find out who was driving. And before someone asks, no you don't have to tell the police over the phone who was driving at the time but if you don't you will most likely get served with papers which give you 14 days to do just that or face prosecution.

DjShadow

4222 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1322

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#270868 7-Nov-2009 14:42

could they hook up speed lasers to these to make them virtual speed cameras also?
I think if they could fit these cameras to areas of Sh1 that would be great to get an idea of what the driving conditions are presently like (e.g desert road, Sh1 southbound approach into taupo, etc)

Dratsab

3964 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1728

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#270870 7-Nov-2009 14:49

DjShadow: I noticed this morning when I went through Te Rapa (Hamilton) there are ppl in High-Vis coats on Intersection Corners and also on Avalon Drive (just before the rail bridge) with Video Cameras recording all traffic that goes past. Friend of mine said she spotted the same thing in Tauranga also.

I assume here they are looking for people talking on their handheld mobile, guess this is the only real effective way to see if people are on their phones. A police officer doing 100km/h going the other way likely would find it difficult to watch where they are going as well as looking at oncoming traffic to see if they are on the phone

Hi-vis vests don't mean police - unless the vests have a massive "police" sign across the back. Road engineers often wear hi-vests and use video cameras to monitor traffic flows etc.

Geekzone

Want to support Geekzone and browse the site without the ads? Subscribe to Geekzone now (monthly, annual and lifetime options).

DjShadow

4222 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1322

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#270873 7-Nov-2009 14:54

Dratsab:
DjShadow: I noticed this morning when I went through Te Rapa (Hamilton) there are ppl in High-Vis coats on Intersection Corners and also on Avalon Drive (just before the rail bridge) with Video Cameras recording all traffic that goes past. Friend of mine said she spotted the same thing in Tauranga also.

I assume here they are looking for people talking on their handheld mobile, guess this is the only real effective way to see if people are on their phones. A police officer doing 100km/h going the other way likely would find it difficult to watch where they are going as well as looking at oncoming traffic to see if they are on the phone

Hi-vis vests don't mean police - unless the vests have a massive "police" sign across the back. Road engineers often wear hi-vests and use video cameras to monitor traffic flows etc.

This is true, I just assumed it could be cellphone watching since the heigh of the camera was at normal tripod height.
Only other thing that springs to mind is information gathering for the Te Rapa bypass design but I think thats been finalised (they start building it next year I think)

vinnieg

2260 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#270887 7-Nov-2009 17:04

sbiddle:
vinnieg: I've noticed new cameras going up along the SH1 in Welly too. Not the existing citylink ones, but ones furthur down on the lampost at driver level.

Where exactly? The current TMS system (which covered Ngauranga Gorge) is in the process of being extended all the way along SH1 to the Mt Vic tunnel and to Petone. These are the pole mounted cameras. There is a whole heap of sensors that have been installed (panels facing the traffic at a low height) which are used for monitoring traffic flows.

Haha those are the ones I mean. Good to know what they are for, they've had me curious for quite a while :)

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.