Funny little wires across roads

[KateMoss]

Has anyone else noticed the two wires that are sometimes tacked down across roads, usually leading from a post of some sort?

Does anyone know what they are for? Speed camera attachments? Car counting?

Just curious!

Kate

[Hidden]

Speed camera attachments I think... or was it for counting axles? Can't remember. PeakSteve, as a member of SABRE, will surely enlighten us.

[KateMoss]

Speed camera would make sence as they are near the usual mobile camera hot spots.... will await Steve's words of wisdom (and no, I haven't been speeding!)

Kate

[Hidden]

I'm here! They are indeed speed sensors, called DS2. However, a recording unit has to be connected to the post at the side of the road before they can do anything. Usually these are in use when a police car or van are parked nearby.

They record your speed, note your reg number, and then radio this to another police car further up the road which will pull you over and issue a fixed penalty ticket.

The axle-counting ones just have one strip across the road and are simply used to measure traffic flow.

[Hidden]

How can you tell the difference??!!??!!

we seem to have loads round our way at the mo and although i dont generally go over the speed limit there maybe the odd occasion........

[Hidden]

Am a bit dosey today (well maybe not just today), what does SABRE stand for please? Is this another hidden talent that PeakSteve has? Thanks, Lois

[Hidden]

Crikey I had not idea they were speed sensors I assumed they were simply traffic census thingies. I must confess that I have never seen anything attached to the double ones that appear sometimes in town. I have a speed limiter on my car so I can't break the speed limit. Must remind my son who has newly passed his test about the little wires though. Poor love has already been stopped twice for nothing, good thing cos I told him they the police are really on the look out for young drivers and after being stopped twice in his 1st week he beleives me.

Bex

[KateMoss]

Thanks Steve,

Kirsten - I think it is the two wires about a foot apart that are the speedy ones, single for the traffic counts.

It all makes sence now with where the vans hide out though not all of them use the yellow box thingy outside the van - some police use hand held devices which are .... very mobile & don't therefore require the wires.

On Sunday someone had put a hand painted sign up just off the A12 saying 'Warning - Speed Trap' - It was removed by monday and no, there wasn't a trap, just very careful drivers LOL.

Bex - how does your speed limiter work??? does it know when you go from a 30 to a 40 zone or is it a 70 mph one, bit like the 56mph ones on lorries??

Kate

[Hidden]

The double wires are actually hoses.

The hose creates a pressure pulse that the BOX on the side of the road is counting. When you see a pair of hoses, they both go to one box that is also counting the time lapse (in milliseconds)for your front tires to travel from one hose to the other, and this is how your SPEED as well as your presence is detected.

The boxes are usually placed by the highway dept. Most of the time it's due to there being a high number of crashes in that stretch of highway, or complaints. Sometimes to gather input for construction projects.

thats what i was told!!!

[Hidden]

Its a little button on like an indicator arm, I set the speed I want it limited at. I can press a little button and alter the limit. Great for those new average speed cameras I set it to 50 and put my foot down without a single worry. It means I don't tend to look at speedo though!

Bex

[Hidden]

Apparently they use peizo (sp?) electric sensors now rather than hoses, but the principle is still the same.

The ones used for construction projects have just one wire, the speed sensors actually have three. The single-wire ones are also often solar powered, whereas the speed ones will always be connected to mains power; so if you see a solar cell atop a box near to the strip, that's just a trafflic flow counter.

Oh, and SABRE is the ""Society for All British Roads Enthusiasts"" - sabre-roads.org.uk

[Hidden]

Haven't noticed any little wires around our way but will keep eye out now howeve the headline on our free paper this week is that the traffic police in Kent have ""been ordered to put down their laser speed guns over fears they were not providing accurate readings""

Reading futher it says only South Kent officers been ordered not to issue any further fixed penalties while a review is carried out following a recent court case.

It does say other forms of speed enforcement will continue in the area!

[Hidden]

Thanks for the link not heard of ""SABRE"" before, very interesting site.

[Hidden]

there have been funny wires here 2....and people counting/chsrting bus times and number of people on buses...i reckon its a conspiricy lol!