License Plate Frame Foils Irksome Traffic-Light Cameras

[iampivot]

This one gave me a chuckle! It's a license plate frame that detects a speed camera flash and triggers its own flashes, to overexpose the license plate.

License Plate Frame Foils Irksome Traffic-Light Cameras

[wai]

I seriously doubt that it would have any effect. Essentially, light has to hit the sensor and the circuitry then has to set off its own flash, all a little too late. Basicaly the flash from the plate surround is always going to be just that little bit too late. The flash gun from the camera triggers at the same time as the shutter opens, so by the time the frame flash goes off, the picture has been taken. It is not as though the shutter opens when it sees the reflected light of the camera flash. Also, during the day, the camera flash has little effect.

But in the end, you will find that it is illegal anyway in much the same way as any other device that can obscure the number plate. It is even an offence to drive with a number plate obscured with mud or dirt or even faded through UV exposure.

[nightphotographer]

I seriously doubt that it would have any effect. Essentially, light has to hit the sensor and the circuitry then has to set off its own flash, all a little too late. Basicaly the flash from the plate surround is always going to be just that little bit too late. The flash gun from the camera triggers at the same time as the shutter opens, so by the time the frame flash goes off, the picture has been taken. It is not as though the shutter opens when it sees the reflected light of the camera flash. Also, during the day, the camera flash has little effect..

Nah man - it would in theory work. Google 'cactus trigger' that's essentially what this is, every serious photographer (who can't afford/doesn't need RF triggers) use them to trigger flashes in sync with the first flash. They don't flash to late at all - completely in sync. I've got one that I use occasionally, but I don't need them often for night work. I would like to see this tried and tested though - theoretically it would work, the speed camera would be metering for it's own flash but then it's over-powered by these two flashes that are millimetres away from the plate and will definitely over-expose it - all completely in sync.

Who wants me to test it out using my cactus trigger and similar metering/flash setup to a speed camera?

[Diesel_vert]

The article itself came across to me as if running red lights should be a god given right!

IMO, if you run a red light, you bloody deserve to be penalised.

[jamesdavid]

There is a special film which 3m make, obviously its not its intended purpose but you attach it to the inside of your plate frame cover. If the plate is viewed from any angle but staight ahead/behind it has the effect of distorting your licence plate, so no speed camera fines etc.

[Ironman]

Awesome. But check on the fine for getting caught first. For tampering with licence plate laws. Would be worth doing nonetheless.

[The_Hawk]

The article itself came across to me as if running red lights should be a god given right!

The yanks love their "constitutional" arguments:

traffic-light cameras violate “several key tenets of a citizen’s due process rights,” because there is “no certifiable witness to the alleged violation,” and so therefore, “the defendant loses the right to cross-examine his accuser in court.”

While they might be *technically* correct to those particular points it does seem like trying to say the grass is really Pink simply because you can prove it's not blue :S

While I can't confirm that a red light camera is 100% accurate, in Australia at least, they take multiple photo's to show movement as well as ensuring the colour of the light is in the frame... sort of hard to say you weren't running the red in those circumstances.

[iampivot]

Much more information about the system here; How it Works - noLimits Enterprises