Are you a flasher?

[cheddar]

Camera vans, Highway Patrol, Laser speed traps.

When you see them do you give oncoming drivers a warning flash of your lights?

[Esprit]

If I feel the speed trap is in a sensible location (such as outside a school, or in a black spot), then I don't flash. If it's in a revenue-gathering location, like after a passing-lane... then I flash. Suffice to say I flash more often than not.

[Omerta]

Same, but I don't bother unless the oncoming car looks like it's pressing on.

[GravelBen]

I usually do, and appreciate it when others do too. Had a funny moment once when I flashed a mufti cop and he flashed his party lights back.

They should thank me, a flash of the lights slows people down for longer than a camera van hiding in the bushes! Or an irritating ticket in the mail a month after you drove past the 'accident blackspot'.

[SkylineObsession]

I used to but then stopped as if drivers choose to speed then its not me getting the fine. I usually sit on 100 km/h exactly, or sometimes 105km/h if i'm in a rush. Too paranoid about getting speeding tickets. :s

[Steve*B]

Are these fixed speed cameras or usually mobile ones you're all talking about? I ask because I don't recall seeing warning signs (as you do here in the UK) in over 3500km of driving throughout the north island.

Fixed cameras here are generally well signed in advance with only mobile (traffic cops with hand-helds) catching out the majority of people. Does NZ have UK's equivelent of 'Road Angel', a gps device that sits on the dash, which notifies you of both vehicle blackspots and speed cameras?

[Esprit]

No warning signs in NZ. The fixed cameras are pretty well known now. They don't tend to move around a lot and they put them all in many years ago and they haven't really added to the "fleet".

Mobile ones are the biggest risk, especially since they park them as covertly as they can get away with and usually at the ends of passing lanes or the bottom of hills. It's not about safety, it's about revenue.

[Steve*B]

Thanks for the reply George. I've since done a bit of research and discovered that 'safety cameras' can be downloaded onto a TomTom for NZ; something I'll put near the top of my 'to-do' list

[mazdajason]

Steve, its either that or invest in a Valentine Radar detector, saved me many times when i've been back in NZ

[Steve*B]

mazdajason said:

Steve, its either that or invest in a Valentine Radar detector, saved me many times when i've been back in NZ

What's the legality in NZ on such gadgets Jason? In some parts of Europe they are most definitely illegal so an integration of 'safety cameras' into the TomTom is the best option on face value.

[mazdajason]

I'm not 100% sure as ive been living out of the country for 5 years now. Although when i was in NZ I used it everywhere i went. Once it saw something I just used to turn it off or turn the volume right down. Somebody who is stil in NZ should be able to help out more.
I think the illegal ones are the radar jammers, 2 small sort of 'police grill' like lights that you hide behind the bumper, when a radar hits them they squeal like nobodys business!

[cheddar]

Steve*B said:

What's the legality in NZ on such gadgets Jason? In some parts of Europe they are most definitely illegal so an integration of 'safety cameras' into the TomTom is the best option on face value.

Radar detectors are 100% legal - a ban is being mooted in the future so you're better off with a 'stealth' detector that doesn't emit any microwave energy and can't be intercepted by police 'detector detectors'.

Laser jammers are - incredibly - also still legal but very expensive.

For a comprehensive package a TomTom with camera alert + a quality stealth detector will cover 95% of your needs, laser is rare but it is used occasionally, your detector will pick it up but by then the handcuffs are already coming out.

Roving, radar equipped highway patrol cars are far and away the most prevalent form of speed detection equipment in use.

Flashed headlights can really help but (read above) you can't rely on them.

[Steve*B]

cheddar said:

Flashed headlights can really help but (read above) you can't rely on them.

You can no longer rely on them here either but for different reasons

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343959/Dr...


Thanks for the info cheddar

[GravelBen]

J T said:

I remember one late night drive (back when I was in a job moving vehicles around) when I came across a camera van returning from a hard days work. No one knew whether to overtake it or not due to the possibility of the camera being operational.

Unlike cop cars, camera vans only operate when stationary.

[lestag]

J T said:

But I guess you need to remember that they are being driven by a policeman...

Possibly not a sworn officer , but can just as easily take your plate and ring*555..................

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/new-uniform-police...