Speed Camera Hate Grows in Belgium
Anti-speed camera Facebook group for drivers in Belgium grows beyond 43,000 members in less than three months.
Belgian motorists are turning to social networking sites to express their dislike for automated enforcement. In less than three months, the Facebook group Speed Camera Hate (Haat flitspalen) has gained 43,000 members, making it one of the fastest growing Flemish groups on the site.
"I hate them from the bottom of my heart," Belgian motorist Tim Vanderlinden wrote about speed cameras. "If I just see a van I start boiling with rage."
The Facebook page features photos of speed cameras that have been shot, knocked over, burned and otherwise destroyed. It also includes cartoons mocking the "safety" message of cameras and a place to upload photos of fast and exotic cars for speeding past what are described as mere revenue generating devices.
Belgium has the densest road network in Europe with a corresponding density of automated ticketing devices. Over 540,000 speed camera tickets were issued last year at the federal level alone, and cameras are constantly being added at the local level. The Walloon region's transport minister, Benoit Lutgen, this week announced the addition of fifty more photo radar devices.
"There are currently almost more speed cameras than trees in Flanders," Danny Van Meir wrote.
The anonymous founder of the Facebook page does not directly encourage members to destroy speed cameras. Instead, a recent posting suggested it was the civic duty of motorists to carry chalk so that a warning can be scrawled on the street to let fellow drivers know about hidden speed camera traps.
Poland - Lubin
22th October 2009 - Uzar News
Polish Police have come up with a newidea – a speed camera hidden in a bin. Within two days it took photos of 1,300 drivers speeding in Lublin. “The bin camera was operative for two days in Lublin, at Sikorski, Witosa, Spółdzielczości Pracy and Kraśnicka Streets. It took around 1,300 photos, which are now being re-touched,” says Arkadiusz Arciszewski from the police department in Lublin.
During the day the machine was working without a flash and so the drivers had no idea that photos were being taken – they will soon receive speeding tickets.
On average, drivers exceeded the speed limit by 30 to 50 km/h, which equals 6 to 10 penalty points and a fine ranging from PLN 200 to 500. “They only want to make money,” says Tomasz Kosmider, a driver from Lublin. “It is commonly known that nobody respects the 50km/h speed limit, especially on thoroughfares. Such guerilla warfare puts police to shame,” says Anna Pietrzyk from Lublin. Doubts concerning the idea have also been expressed by members of the Warsaw Police Department. Junior police inspector Marek Kakolewski stated that from the drivers’ point of view such action may be perceived as irritating. “It also exposes the cameras to damage, since someone may smash into the bin by the side of the road. I doubt whether concealing speed cameras allows them to fulfil their preventive purpose. Perhaps the area within its reach should be somehow marked with signs warning about electronic speed measurement, which is recommended (but not required) by the EU,” claims Kakolewski. Meanwhile, police from Lublin have announced that they are going to increase the number of hidden cameras. “It is legal and speed cameras force drivers to abide by traffic regulations; therefore, more hidden cameras may appear,” says Arciszewski.
Gazeta Współczesna
Mother of all speed cameras -
Anyone who thought that the Dutch were a liberal race might think again if they come up against the IDEE machine. Standing for Innovative Digital Enforcement Environment, this 13-feet-high speed camera has just about everything it needs to resist an attack from an angry motorist.
The IDEE, which costs anything between $60,000 and $100,000, incorporates just about every single anti-vandal measurement known to delinquent man in its design. The camera's enclosed electronics are insulated against extreme heat, and the main pillar can resist just about any fire.
A thick steel base prevents the camera from being removed forcibly from the ground, and protects the device from being rammed by a pissed commuter. Impact-resistant polycarbonate glass protects the camera and flash. If the tower is attacked, then an alert goes to the local cop shop. All the data already recorded is sent to be downloaded at a traffic control base. Anti-vandal features aside, let's have a closer look at the IDEE's detection ability. it can operate using both radar technology and induction loops in the road, and its four separate hi-res digital cameras use infra-red technology.
There are four separate high-resolution digital cameras, which use infra-red technology to flash twice so rapidly that even in very busy traffic noincidents should be missed. Four lanes of traffic can be monitored at the same time. Currently in use in Holland, the IDEE's manufacturer has plans to flog their creation all over Europe. Lucky Europeans.
There are numerous examples from the recent past.
The Netherlands has a real tradition of civil disobedience.
