Homemade speed camera

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2391 posts

Uber Geek

#3350065 4-Mar-2025 18:53

RunningMan:

What are the privacy implications of collecting and storing information such as rego numbers?

absolutely none.

in fact its legally required for it to be publicly available data from the govt. not sure if you remember the stink over that as it was costing govt a ton to keep providing that data, so they starting charging for it to reduce the amount of frivolous uses. this impacted websites like carjam, who in turn had to pass on the cost to their customers.

Yoban

447 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3350071 4-Mar-2025 19:27

https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350531436/auckland-man-creates-diy-speed-camera-to-catch-hoons-on-his-street

Handle9

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#3350126 4-Mar-2025 19:46

Silvrav:

mattwnz:

Can't police ticket someone who is obviously speeding based on their visible speed, even if they aren't using a speed camera? eg the police maybe walking down the street and then see a car obviously speeding. If that is the case your camera could pick up those people and be reported to police?.

and be challenged in court around OP qualifications to program speed camera's and licenses to operate said equipment. Not to mention for police to enforce it it has to be capture by approved agencies/operators and equipment.

I doubt even the companies will pay much attention to it.

Police can issue a ticket on their own say so. The problem starts when it goes to court.

The whole principal is innocent unless proven guilty. They can't prove the speed beyond a reasonable doubt without some form of calibrated device.

Handle9

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#3350127 4-Mar-2025 19:48

RunningMan:

What are the privacy implications of collecting and storing information such as rego numbers?

There is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place. There is no private data being collected, only publicly available information.

Bung

6494 posts

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#3350134 4-Mar-2025 20:24

Handle9:Police can issue a ticket on their own say so. The problem starts when it goes to court.

The whole principal is innocent unless proven guilty. They can't prove the speed beyond a reasonable doubt without some form of calibrated device.

Around here the speed is secondary. The morons are usually doing donuts or sustained loss of traction that just need eyesight.

Tinkerisk

4235 posts

Uber Geek

#3350237 4-Mar-2025 23:40

It‘s not homemade but expensive. 😉

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davidcole

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#3350396 5-Mar-2025 12:03

I hope the next step is to tie it to a targeting paintball gun.....

Previously known as psycik

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debo

307 posts

Ultimate Geek

#3350410 5-Mar-2025 12:56

I would not worry about a camera or number plate recognition. Just make a LED sigh that lists the speed of the vehicle. They are apparently more effective at reducing speed.

Goosey

2834 posts

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#3350831 7-Mar-2025 06:35

Cool project, I’m just concerned you might get a visit from “Radio Spectrum Management”… that radar might need some paperwork.

are you logging the stats so you can share with the local council traffic planners (via the local elected representative)?

SomeoneSomewhere

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#3350834 7-Mar-2025 07:10

aw747:

From what I have researched, it is not illegal to record and store the number plates.

It is a public road
No other information is stored other than the date/time - estimated speed - OCR values.

Number plates alone aren't personal info under the Privacy Act.
Estimated speed is just as it says
OCR value is of number plate.
No other lookups are done to identify an individual. They are just vehicles on a road, which is public space and as an individual have you have every right to record in public. Different if this is an agency or business.

No identifying information is ever shared on any platform including social media.

I am not certain about the current interpretation of the law, but I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. See:

Personal information is “information about an identifiable individual”. It covers both information that is simply about a person (e.g. eye colour) and information that may also identify them (e.g. their name). The information does not need to name the individual, as long as they are identifiable in other ways, like through their home address.

The Privacy Act just says "personal information— means information about an identifiable individual". License plates are not ruled in or out to my knowledge.

There's an increasing awareness that collecting, collating, and amalgamating "non-personal information" can easily produce personal information.

I don't think you're in any sort of legal danger especially provided you don't send the information to anyone other than the police and that is your justification for collecting it, but I wouldn't rely on a blanket statement that it's 'not personal information'.

Handle9

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#3350835 7-Mar-2025 07:27

An individual can take whatever pictures they like in a public place. There is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place.

mudguard

2120 posts

Uber Geek

#3350837 7-Mar-2025 07:45

I'd have thought a GoPro could do it manually. But it would be a pain to go through the footage and measure each car.

But at 1080 at a higher frame rate, measure the distance between two points within the viewing frame and you'll get a speed.

GoPro with a power bank lasts ages too. But a risk of theft etc and needing to be close to the road

Tinkerisk

4235 posts

Uber Geek

#3350882 7-Mar-2025 09:44

Handle9:

An individual can take whatever pictures they like in a public place. There is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a public place.

I don't think so. If you photograph me here against my will as a private person in public or in private, you'll get a lawsuit on your neck that'll be a real pain. The right to my own image lies exclusively with me. It would be different if I were a public figure, e.g. a politician, film star, etc. You are allowed to photograph them in public. You have to ask me BEFOREhand, and even more so if you want to publish the picture. 😊

Talkiet

4793 posts

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#3350892 7-Mar-2025 10:03

Tinkerisk:

I don't think so. If you photograph me here against my will as a private person in public or in private, you'll get a lawsuit on your neck that'll be a real pain. [snip]

Interesting - has the law changed since this was written?

https://www.privacy.org.nz/resources-2/privacy-and-cctv/recordings-of-people-in-public-places

edit - the police also seem to agree

https://www.police.govt.nz/faq/what-are-rules-around-taking-photos-or-filming-public-place

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Tinkerisk

4235 posts

Uber Geek

#3350897 7-Mar-2025 10:18

Talkiet:

Tinkerisk:

I don't think so. If you photograph me here against my will as a private person in public or in private, you'll get a lawsuit on your neck that'll be a real pain. [snip]

Interesting - has the law changed since this was written?

https://www.privacy.org.nz/resources-2/privacy-and-cctv/recordings-of-people-in-public-places

edit - the police also seem to agree

https://www.police.govt.nz/faq/what-are-rules-around-taking-photos-or-filming-public-place

Cheers - N

As a New Zealand tourist, you are welcome to try it out here in Germany. After all, we are a constitutional state. 😁

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