Driving home this evening came across what I presume to be a newly installed electronic camera at a traffic light controlled 4 way crossover junction. I say newly installed, I probably just hadn't noticed it before.

The reason for noticing it was that the electronic flash was firing off at any thing that moved across the junction in a quite unwarranted way - quite comical actually.

It actuated as I turned right across the traffic. I wonder if I'm going to get a piece of paper through the post and, if so, how I would dispute it because, I would guess, the camera was faulty. It was pointing directly into the setting sun in the West and I wonder if that had anything to do with it ?

Nick,

12/05/08

:rofl: always good to read about f*cked up cameras:thumbup:

If its a red light camera then the setting sun will have no affect. These cameras are operated from induction loops buried in the road surface. If one is damaged then the camera will behave oddly.

Even if you do get a piece of paper through, I very much doubt you'll have to take much action to cancel it as undoubtably hundreds of other people would already have contested the functionality of the camera. Methinks they'd just put a blanket date bracket over when the camera was faulty and just ignore all tickets in that time.

I must admit that'd be quite amusing to watch though! I bet there was a lot of worried looks from less attentive drivers who didn't notice it flashing randomly until they'd gone past it.

And the chances of there being any film left!

Last year I saw a camera having what looked like an epilleptic fit outside the tube station on Finchley Road, London.

The traffic was doing 20mph, tops, yet every vehicle was setting it off.

I wouldn't worry about it, whoever deals with it will realise the camera's at fault. If they normally catch 1 or 2 cars a week and suddenly get 20 or more in a single day they should be able to put 2 and 2 together.

Talking of numbers, the Smart Car that "caught" over 6,000 drivers committing a fault in a period of four months near here (evidence strenuously denied by some) received most of the fine money without question as it seems the natural first course of complaint is automatically rejected, thus relying on a person going through an appeals process, so people just pay up. It seems very few actually appealed (amazingly) to the adjudication service (which ain't that difficult).

If you do get a piece of paper, it's up to you how much time and trouble you'd want to spend contesting it, but I really wouldn't assume it would automatically be nullified if a council is making windfall money from the camera's apparently faulty behaviour.

Mo

last place i worked for we appealed all speeding tickets, most timed out after 6 months. MET was the easiest to drop. the welsh police use to send it in welsh and english and wilts just wanted to get you in court.