Are these red light camera's?

garda

I have been driving around a bit recently and I have been seeing these things on top of traffic lights. What are they? Are they red light camera's:mad: or are they just sensor for the traffic lights to monitor traffic flow:D. This is an image of one that I found (Ignore all the political nonsense) http://davewalshphoto.photoshelter.com/img-show/I0000hT2Ij8JaPuc

Victor

AFAIK they detect whether there is a vehicle present or not by seeing the change in lighting conditions. This feeds into the decsion as to whether to change the traffic light to green.

There are some red light cmaeras out there.

robbie_998

i've rolled up to a couple of these on my own at night before and as i did the black ball itself turned on a red light on itself to say the sensor is activated and then withing seconds the light changed.

traffic sensor !

cyclopath2001

Victor wrote: »

AFAIK they detect whether there is a vehicle present or not by seeing the change in lighting conditions. This feeds into the decsion as to whether to change the traffic light to green.

Two questions come to mind:

1. What size of vehicle do they detect?

2. If a motorist fails to stop in front of the stop line and goes past the field of view of the camera, will the lights change?

Dardania

are there not inductive pick ups in the ground in front of the traffic light for that?

maybe the eye is to pick up emergency vehicle transmissions...?

TJJP

http://www.tcd.ie/Transport_Research_Centre/

markpb

Dardania wrote: »

are there not inductive pick ups in the ground in front of the traffic light for that?

maybe the eye is to pick up emergency vehicle transmissions...?

A mixture of the two are used in Dublin. AFAIK EMS vehicles don't use transponders in Ireland.

opinion guy

Looks like an alien mind probe to me. Wear your tinfoil hat OP!

cyclopath2001

opinion guy wrote: »

Looks like an alien mind probe to me. Wear your tinfoil hat OP!

If they were red (or better still, amber) light offence recorders, they'd be facing the other way.

Dardania

do the eyes perhaps pick up drivers as they approach, whereas the inductive ground picks up waiting traffic? Maybe thatway they can optimise traffic flow:

if no one waiting or approaching from road 1, allow lights to switch to green for car travelling from road 2...

ironclaw

I'm pretty sure thats just a bog standard PTZ camera, found in the likes of CCTV applications. There are a few around Foxrock / Whites Cross and are regularly changing position and looking at different lanes (i.e. Not a sensor because that would be ridiculously autonomous) . Dublin Traffic Cameras?

As regards Red Light cameras, the only one I was aware of was located at the RTE junction (City bound). Its been removed about 18+ months now.

-Chris-

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

If they were red (or better still, amber) light offence recorders, they'd be facing the other way.

Is it illegal to drive through an amber light?

YouTookMyName

-Chris- wrote: »

Is it illegal to drive through an amber light?

Amber Gambler?

-Chris-

YouTookMyName wrote: »

Amber Gambler?

I'm not sure if/how this answers my question?

cyclopath2001

-Chris- wrote: »

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

If they were red (or better still, amber) light offence recorders, they'd be facing the other way.

Is it illegal to drive through an amber light?

Yes, unless you can prove it would have been unsafe to stop.

markpb

-Chris- wrote: »

Is it illegal to drive through an amber light?

-Chris- wrote: »

I'm not sure if/how this answers my question?

It's illegal to go through an amber light unless its unsafe to stop. I guess it would be nigh on impossible for a camera to decide if it was unsafe so they'd just detect red light runners.

Ambler gambler is different and refers to people in the UK starting to pull off on an amber light instead of waiting for green.

RustyNut

Dardania wrote: »

are there not inductive pick ups in the ground in front of the traffic light for that?

Indeed there are, one more reason why cyclists break red lights. You could grow a beard waiting on some lights around town.











And that's just the ladies...:D

cyclopath2001

markpb wrote: »

It's illegal to go through an amber light unless its unsafe to stop. I guess it would be nigh on impossible for a camera to decide if it was unsafe so they'd just detect red light runners.

There's a logical enough soluton, just start taking pictures shortly after the change to amber and continue snapping anything that passes through the stop line on red. Speed and road conditions could easly be logged and that way there would be plenty of evidence to show that someone failed to stop on amber, as required by law, and had no excuse for not doing so.

Or, just take pictures and prosecute the red and amber offenders leaving it up to them to establish their excuse. The way the law is written, this is approach would be permitted.

unkel

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Yes, unless you can prove it would have been unsafe to stop.

Have you never heard of the 5 second rule?

RustyNut

unkel wrote: »

Have you never heard of the 5 second rule?

I thought that was for when you dropped your toast :pac:

-Chris-

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Yes, unless you can prove it would have been unsafe to stop.

I know that's the ROTR interpretation, but is it the law? It's just not "sitting right in my head" .

Do you have a link to the SI?

cyclopath2001

-Chris- wrote: »

I know that's the ROTR interpretation, but is it the law? It's just not "sitting right in my head" .

Do you have a link to the SI?

SI 182/1997, para 30

30. (1) Where traffic sign number RTS 00I, RTS 002, RTS 003 or RTS 004 (referred to in these Regulations as traffic lights) is provided, a person shall not drive a vehicle past the traffic lights, or past traffic sign number RRM 017 [stop line] where such sign is provided in association with the traffic lights when the red lamp of the traffic light is illuminated.

(2) A driver of a vehicle approaching traffic lights in which a non-flashing amber light is illuminated, shall not drive the vehicle past the traffic lights, or past traffic sign number RRM 017 [stop line] when such sign is provided in association with the traffic lights, save when the vehicle is so close to the traffic lights that it cannot safely be stopped before passing the traffic lights or traffic sign number RRM 017.

paddydriver

I was really hoping I wouldnt see that guy's head on any poles for the rest of my life - except maybe if it said "Wanted for Treason" underneath:mad:

Victor

Dardania wrote: »

do the eyes perhaps pick up drivers as they approach, whereas the inductive ground picks up waiting traffic?

Induction loops can only detect moving vehicles.

ironclaw

Victor wrote: »

Induction loops can only detect moving vehicles.

No, they can detect stationary as well. I have one on the gate at home, it detects a stationary object left on it e.g. A car or metal wheelbarrow.

I know where your coming from in that a charge is only created with a moving object, but I have a feeling the loop is charged and detects a change when a metallic object is placed within it.

TJJP

As above, these are basic webcams in place as part of a transport research project. They have no purpose other than data collection on traffic (vehicle and pedestrian) behaviour and movement.

antodeco

ironclaw wrote: »

As regards Red Light cameras, the only one I was aware of was located at the RTE junction (City bound). Its been removed about 18+ months now.

Theres one on St Johns Road as you are heading down towards Heuston Station (End of the bypass before the "spaghetti junction".

krochford

ironclaw wrote: »

No, they can detect stationary as well. I have one on the gate at home, it detects a stationary object left on it e.g. A car or metal wheelbarrow.

I know where your coming from in that a charge is only created with a moving object, but I have a feeling the loop is charged and detects a change when a metallic object is placed within it.

wont some one please think of the super rich with their carbon fiber and titanium(non-ferrus) cars. how will the lights kow they are there

mamoonkay

I think it just a sensor for the light system to make the light turn Green-Yellow-Red.

Victor

krochford wrote: »

wont some one please think of the super rich with their carbon fiber and titanium(non-ferrus) cars. how will the lights kow they are there

If I'm right, most metals and some other materials when passed through a magnetic field, will disrupt that magnetic field, the material itself doesn't have to be overly susceptible to a magnet.

Carbon-fibre bikes are another matter.