# Watch out, there may be a sped camera about



## siobhanwf (Mar 20, 2009)

''The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced today in a statement, the expansion of SYNCHRO (National System of Speed Control) throughout the national motorway network, under the National Road Safety Plan, through the installation of 350 fixed speed cameras by more 3,000 kilometers of Portuguese motorways.
The SYNCHRO is a Telematic System (physical and technological infrastructure), which supports at the national level, the automatic monitoring service speed of road vehicles.
This system will be aided by Cordon radar installation Multi Target Photo Radar System, a new generation of fixed radars, capable of detecting several cars simultaneously, something that the current fixed speed cameras can not.
This new radar is extremely compact and can be mounted in any location, which makes it very difficult to detect.
With a wide viewing angle, a processing capacity up to 32 registrations at the same time and still manages to record the speed at which the car travels, Cordon is assumed as the true terror of 'you speed'.
Besides all this, the Cordon can also log offenses committed by taxis and private buses because of an advanced license plate recognition system.
Even at night, the Cordon work as well as in the day, as it is equipped with infrared spotlight, while a GPS system built into the radar records the location coordinates where the offense was committed and all information is saved on an SD memory card with data protection software.
All offenses can be sent via 'Stream' for a central, allowing the processing of fines in seconds, reaching the offender in record time.
The National Road Safety Strategy 2009/2015 includes a set of 92 measures, of which the placement of speed control radars in places of high accident and where the offenses for speeding are more frequent and lead to an increased risk of road accidents ".


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## In 2 bikes (Apr 18, 2013)

They will have to comply with current directives and be sign posted or made obvious. If a driver then gets pinged, the driver deserves the consequences. Considering the volume of traffic flow on some of the motorways being 3 cars an hour, I would suggest it's gonna be those lucky individuals of the Algarve and the south, who can afford to use the network, that will be targeted, with the exception of Porto which is so busy anyway it naturally locks down to a sedate pace.


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Hopefully they won't affect me much up here because I (A) don't use the toll roads much and (B) usually pretty much keep to the speed limit but speed cameras as always a royal PITA.


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## canoeman (Mar 3, 2011)

In 2 bikes said:


> They will have to comply with current directives and be sign posted or made obvious. If a driver then gets pinged, the driver deserves the consequences. Considering the volume of traffic flow on some of the motorways being 3 cars an hour, I would suggest it's gonna be those lucky individuals of the Algarve and the south, who can afford to use the network, that will be targeted, with the exception of Porto which is so busy anyway it naturally locks down to a sedate pace.


Don't believe any requirement to post warnings here


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## In 2 bikes (Apr 18, 2013)

I'm sure I remember it's a European directive, might be wrong, and those that I've seen so far either have a flashing overhead warning 'radar' matrix or are bordered by high viz markings. In either case they are fixed so become a 'known' entity for locals and the practice of GPS alerts will always be available as an avoidance tactic. 

So I think in reality they will merely slow traffic for a given 100 metres of tarmac which, if properly placed, is the correct idea by way of engineering out a hot spot, such as where fast traffic is likely to meet the back of slow / static traffic on arterial routes or where there is historic data ( should PT use stats analysis ) to show a particular road has a penchant for head on crashes ( resultant from bad overtaking planning due to drivers being subjected to the prolonged following of a lead vehicle and becoming impatient ). One favourite is to site cameras effectively on the approach to aggressive curvatures in the road which would otherwise catch, poorly aware, drivers out through their excessive speed for the given conditions.

Speed cameras are a good thing for reducing accidents if properly placed. However, if they are placed on straight, fast, sections where there is no supporting data of KSI's ( killed / serious injury ) then that is purely a money generator and should be banned by European legislation. 

Local authorities, worldwide, should only be allowed to site proactive crash reduction technology where they can show there is accurate and recent data to support a KSI reduction. After all, make no mistake, it is excessive speed for the existing circumstances and road conditions that causes a crash. Cars don't drive themselves, so therefore ALL crashes are driver error. The only exception is a crash caused by a mechanical failure or some bizarre A.O.G. act of God ( falling boulders etc..)


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
Obviously a form of taxation that targets the rich, stupid or reckless - much like it does in many other countries.
Cheers
Steve


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

The less Bib Brother interferes in my life the happier I am......... I cannot stand all this petty BS Govt interference that is so common in the UK especially. 

Which is one of the reasons I left in the first place and a large part of why I prefer not to set foot in the damn place if at all possible.


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## In 2 bikes (Apr 18, 2013)

travelling-man said:


> The less Bib Brother interferes in my life the happier I am......... I cannot stand all this petty BS Govt interference that is so common in the UK especially.
> 
> Which is one of the reasons I left in the first place and a large part of why I prefer not to set foot in the damn place if at all possible.


I'm going native and buying a rotavator, taking the whirly metal bits off, and sticking a trailer on the back. Then the dogs and I can tootle everywhere at 6 mph and not worry about cameras because my trusty motorised gardening shovel isn't registered or indeed going fast enough. Let's see BB catch me then...!


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

Or even better a donkey & cart....... I understand you can get a grant for a donkey!


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## robc (Jul 17, 2008)

travelling-man said:


> Or even better a donkey & cart....... I understand you can get a grant for a donkey!


I like Donkeys.

Not sure I would want to drive one though

Rob


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

The males are right noisy busstards. One of my neighbours bought one to pull a donkey cart for tourists and it spends it's entire life braying.


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## RogerTheLodge-r (Feb 4, 2015)

Thanks for the warning. Might have to wear the light shoes for a change.....


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