Why do traffic cops need a stopwatch?
- June 21, 2023
- 0
Cameras for automatic photo recording of traffic violations appeared on Russian roads only in 2008, and special devices for measuring speed have been known since the 60s of
Cameras for automatic photo recording of traffic violations appeared on Russian roads only in 2008, and special devices for measuring speed have been known since the 60s of the last century. However, at first they also worked rather mediocre, so the traffic cops preferred to use a more accurate and understandable device – a stopwatch. And how exactly, says the portal “AvtoVzglyad”.
Speeding is the most popular violation of the rules on Russian and not only roads. Since the advent of the automobile – yes, what’s up, a steam locomotive – it’s been the number one reason for a police officer to stop a vehicle. It is the speed limit violation that is becoming the most popular cause of countless accidents, so they started fighting against it a long time ago.
The first device that determines the speed – or rather, the overrun – of the Soviet traffic cop was “Headlamp”. Well, because visually it really looks like a motorcycle headlight. The principle of operation is simple – it was possible to choose one of three options for the speed threshold, in violation of which the light bulb would light up. That is, to determine the exact “km / h” of the movement of the car “Headlight” did not allow.
Then the American Speedgun radars were used, the main “plague” of which was their modest number: the purchased batch was not enough for a large country. Then their own developments appeared: for example, the special equipment of Barrier. The only problem is that most of the traffic cops didn’t know how to use all this wealth because each application required customization. But everyone had a stopwatch.
To use this simple, affordable and extremely accurate device, all you had to do was stand on a hill – so that two kilometers of pillars were in view. When the car passed the first, the traffic police inspector started the countdown, and when the car passed the “second mark”, he turned it off. Then a table came into play, allowing you to instantly convert seconds into speed. Well, after that there was a stop and a hole in the ticket. Three holes – a pedestrian is “born”.
Modern photo and video recording systems work in a similar way: the days of radars are a thing of the past and the calculation of a vehicle’s speed is done using an arithmetic method. The camera operates on a segment of about 70 meters, capturing every car that enters its field of view, then independently calculates its speed by dividing the distance by time. Just like the traffic cops used to do.
So the “photocell” finally managed to replace these guys, as the poet once said. By the way, it is for this reason that radar detectors lost the battle for the customer from a simple application on the phone: most traffic cameras today simply do not have radar from which the “liquid” could be captured. The device can still “feel” the old complexes, but not the new ones.
Photos from open sources
Speeding is the most popular violation of the rules on Russian and not only roads. Since the advent of the automobile – yes, what’s up, a steam locomotive – it’s been the number one reason for a police officer to stop a vehicle. It is the speed limit violation that is becoming the most popular cause of countless accidents, so they started fighting against it a long time ago.
The first device that determines the speed – or rather, the overrun – of the Soviet traffic cop was “Headlamp”. Well, because visually it really looks like a motorcycle headlight. The principle of operation is simple – it was possible to choose one of three options for the speed threshold, in violation of which the light bulb would light up. That is, to determine the exact “km / h” of the movement of the car “Headlight” did not allow.
Then the American Speedgun radars were used, the main “plague” of which was their modest number: the purchased batch was not enough for a large country. Then their own developments appeared: for example, the special equipment of Barrier. The only problem is that most of the traffic cops didn’t know how to use all this wealth because each application required customization. But everyone had a stopwatch.
To use this simple, affordable and extremely accurate device, all you had to do was stand on a hill – so that two kilometers of pillars were in view. When the car passed the first, the traffic police inspector started the countdown, and when the car passed the “second mark”, he turned it off. Then a table came into play, allowing you to instantly convert seconds into speed. Well, after that there was a stop and a hole in the ticket. Three holes – a pedestrian is “born”.
Modern photo and video recording systems work in a similar way: the days of radars are a thing of the past and the calculation of a vehicle’s speed is done using an arithmetic method. The camera operates on a segment of about 70 meters, capturing every car that enters its field of view, then independently calculates its speed by dividing the distance by time. Just like the traffic cops used to do.
So the “photocell” finally managed to replace these guys, as the poet once said. By the way, it is for this reason that radar detectors lost the battle for the customer from a simple application on the phone: most traffic cameras today simply do not have radar from which the “liquid” could be captured. The device can still “feel” the old complexes, but not the new ones.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
