http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/mcn/2009/February/16-22/feb1609-new-surveillance-system/Here are a few specific points from the article:
Quote:
A new surveillance system designed to track movements of motorcyclists on the roads will be operational by Easter, MCN can reveal.
The technology can tell motorcycles apart from other vehicles, measure their speeds and will be able to read number plates under plans. Data such as the routes taken by individual motorcyclists along with time and date will be collected and kept even if they have committed no offence.......
The new surveillance system has been installed on eight routes in Derbyshire by the region’s speed camera partnership, including the popular Cat & Fiddle run on the A54 and A537 near Buxton.
Under-road sensors already in place will distinguish motorcycles from other vehicles by their weight and width. Speed will be measured by timing their progress between two sensors a short distance apart. The system has been designed to work alongside Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and video cameras........
The Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership said the aim was to “gather intelligence” to “prevent motorcycle casualties” through measures such as speed warning signs, extra police patrols and safer roadside barriers.......
Partnership manager Robert Hill said he hoped to add ANPR cameras in order to work out “how these vehicles are travelling around”.
He said there were no plans to use the data for enforcement but admitted it could be used as evidence. “If the police are aware that it’s there then they would want to look at it and then obviously there are issues about whether they would want to use it as evidence,” he added.
Hill said the eight routes had been chosen to target motorcyclists. “The data will be collected on all vehicles equally on those routes. However in terms of the analysis of that data we’re going to pay particular attention to motorcycles,” he said.
“That’s why they’re on those routes. We haven’t got a traffic management issue on those routes with any other vehicles that we’re aware of.
The system has been installed on the:
• A5012 from Cromford to Ivonbrook Quarry
• A621 from Baslow to Owler Bar
• A57 Snake Pass from Glossop outskirts to Nether North Grain
• B5035 from Ashbourne outskirts to Wirksworth
• A515 from Ashbourne to Alsop-en-le-Dale
• A6 Matlock Bath from High Peak Junction to Artist’s Corner
• A54 and A537 Cat & Fiddle run from Buxton to Cat & Fiddle pub
• A5004 Long Hill from Buxton to Fernilee
I don't know were to start really.
At least those of us who know the area now know what those camera posts are for. It is interesting that the partnership manager states " We haven’t got a traffic management issue on those routes with any other vehicles that we’re aware of" Given this statement it would seem that rural Derbyshire's trunk routes have been made 50mph in an attempt to slow a small but significant number of motorcylists who completely ignore any limit, I'm one of those motorcyclists who generally stuck to the limits - well until they rolled out the 50mph limits everywhere.
One claim is that this extensive new kit and its installation has cost just £100,000. I'm thinking it will have cost rather more than that.
I guess what is worrying is that these are locations that are as rural as England gets and yet a council has the will, finance and now the technology to ensure they know where we went, and how fast we got there.
Yes I know MCN can be the Daily Wail of the two wheel world but seeing as the have quotes from partnership manager it is substantially correct.
And don't think if you drive a car it doesn't matter. The systems unique ability is too tell bikes apart, it will be recording all vehicles.
There is a specific problem on certain days on these roads, and the unmarked bikes and eye in the sky have been used to tackle it. And that's fair enough because some riders are simply stupid. If I go for a run out I get up very early and I head for home before the d**kheads are out of bed.
But this isn't the answer to the problem. And whether it is or not if the technology proves reliable you can bet it will be rolled out across the whole country at first where there's a 'problem' and eventually covering anywhere they like.
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