Manchester - CCTV cars snap distracted drivers

[jamesmc]

Text from BBC online News (UK).

New CCTV cars to catch drivers using their mobile phones or being otherwise distracted at the wheel are being piloted by Greater Manchester Police.

The small Smart cars, which have a 12ft (3.6m) mast with a camera attached, are parked at junctions to monitor traffic.

Mike Downes of the Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership said the scheme was successfully "driving the number of accidents down".

But the AA's Paul Watters said drivers "might regard it as Big Brother".

Text from PocketGPSworld.com

All fairly innocuous until you discover that the GMP's Casualty Reduction Partnership will be targeting motorists with the aim of identifying and prosecuting drivers caught using their mobile phones, eating or being otherwise distracted whilst driving.

 

[jamesmc]

Just make sure than when you pass one of these you are sitting upright looking alert and have two hands clearly visible on the steering wheel. Oh yes..... and what ever you do, don't swallow or breath too heavily or talk to a passenger or adjust the sound on your audio system or press a button on your GPS unit.

Other than that have a nice day driving your car sir!

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Just make sure than when you pass one of these you are sitting upright looking alert and have two hands clearly visible on the steering wheel. Oh yes..... and what ever you do, don't swallow or breath too heavily or talk to a passenger or adjust the sound on your audio system or press a button on your GPS unit.

And no one in the car of whom your spouse would disapprove?

 

[MissyD]

We have them where I live.

Paragraph from local paper -

' The controversial CCTV smart car came a cropper on Saturday (15.11.08) when the periscope mounted camera came into collision with a height restriction bar in Front Lane Car Park ' .

Oh dear!!!!!!! - the driver must have been distracted

 

[television]

And no one in the car of whom your spouse would disapprove?

Like when one of my wives found 3 ladies umbrella's in the rear of one of my cars :Oops:

 

[Alex M Grieve]

Like when one of my wives found 3 ladies umbrella's in the rear of one of my cars :Oops:

In the changing room after a squash match, one player spotted that the other was wearing a panty girdle. :Oops:

"Strange choice", he commented. "How long have you worn that"?

"Ever since my wife found it in the glove box of my car", was the chastened reply! :Oops::Oops::Oops:

 

[st4]

Looks like another really brilliant way to spend public money.

When i see one i will give it a middle finger salute.

 

[Mackers_87]

there is one of these driving around the wigan area if anyone lives nearby just be aware of it!

 

[RiceBurner]

London City Council (or one of them) have been using SMARTS for a while for stuff like this - (catching right turners at "no right turn" junctions etc) for a while.



got caught myself a couple of years ago and remember the (minimally marked) SMART being there. :Oops:

 

[jberks]

The smarts are also parked on the pavement (very safe) in manchester ready to film anyone erring into a bus lane.