UK License Plate Cameras Have "Gaps In Coverage" 283
Aguazul2 writes "UK police are sad that despite having the most comprehensive driver surveillance system of any developed country, there are still gaps in their coverage. From the article: 'The cameras automatically record plate/time/location information and send it to a central data store, which has complete nationwide records for 6 years.' Also interesting is that an unspecified 'particular driving style' can be used to evade detection by the cameras. It appears, however, that criminals are well aware of the cameras and take other routes. Big Brother technology, coming soon to a country near you!"
no sleep (Score:4, Informative)
I used to live 1km from the ANPR that was situated on the "ring of steel" near Canary Wharf in London - or, more accurately - my bedroom window was right next to the point that the cop cars would catch up with the non-taxed, non-MOT'd cars after they had cruised through. At the beginning of the month it was about 2 a night that would be stopped as police cars operated a pincer movement around the Isle of Dogs [wikipedia.org]
the slightly scary thing is that you can buy your own ANPR System [dvisystems.co.uk] off the shelf. (I know that geeks can easy create it themselves using motion and some OCR tools - but, imagine selling this to normal people!!
Re:tick tock (Score:4, Informative)
No.
The UK government actually wanted to increase the speed limit on motorways, but was forced to concede in the end that the safety case didn't allow it. It would cause too many accidents. They initially believed that since modern cars had better safety systems and build quality than when the original limits were set, a higher speed limit would have no effect. They conducted a review, and ultimately scrapped the plans, because after looking at the evidence they knew damn well that it would cause more deaths.
Re:tick tock (Score:5, Informative)
This isn't just about the average speed cameras, though — these are cameras specifically to scan and log registration numbers and match them against a database of "vehicles of interest" (untaxed, seen near scenes of crime, etc).
Naturally, the data gets kept for years even if a vehicle isn't on the watch list. Just in case, like.
That's what the fuss is about.
Re:SCORPION STARE (Score:5, Informative)
Urban myth - the SPECS average speed cameras are not limited to a single lane, and haven't been for a long time.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPECS_(speed_camera)#About_SPECS_cameras [wikipedia.org]
Re:tick tock (Score:4, Informative)
The NHS offers the opportunity for doctors, nurses, and bureaucrats to featherbed themselves in comfortable positions.
What makes you think that? In what way has the NHS created a specific potential for employees to "featherbed themselves"? Any organisation has the potential for its workers to act against the interests of the organisation, but there is nothing in the activity of the NHS per se which creates this potential.
Patients get to be legally high all the time ("oh, I don't drink any more, I just take a Xanax"),
Perhaps you have never experienced the NHS. You certainly don't get drugs just because you ask for them, and prescriptions are always issued for limited periods. Recall that there is no drug advertising in surgeries and hospitals here, and no commission paid to medical professionals for choosing particular drugs.
and some of them even get the holy grail: disability. (Not sure if there's a different term in UK. In USA, "disability" is paid by Social Security to anyone that is certified as too disabled to hold a job. For life.
We don't get that. The longest term payments you will get are via a disability living allowance - that is only for people with significant care or mobility needs and will usually involve a full assessment every ~3 years plus random checkups. Up-to-date GP, occupational therapist, consultant, etc. reports would be needed to have a reasonable chance of success. That is not intended as a replacement for work, but as a way of helping you live your life, e.g. adapting your car to accommodate having no legs.
There are out-of-work sickness allowances ("ESA") but they require re-assessment typically every 12 months. Actually, the assessments are awful, as they are based on some stupid points system and the assessment is farmed out to a private company which does a bad job and often has its decisions overturned by the judiciary - this has received a lot of UK press coverage recently. Only a small proportion of those collecting this allowance are entirely exempt from work-related activity, though. We have one of the most administratively expensive and broken systems of welfare allowances, thanks to lobbying by Unum and various other private insurance and assessment providers.
So, like I said, the most important safeguard when doing work on behalf of the people is against the corrupting influence of the private sector - the NHS was fine in this respect until the privatisations of Thatcher, and the system of allowances worked well until the privatisations of Major and Blair. Cameras everywhere are dangerous even in the absence of private corruption.
There's Munchausen syndrome, too.
That is itself a condition which can be identified and treated appropriately.
Re:tick tock (Score:4, Informative)
Every UK motorway has the hazard of fog, black ice, smoke from burning fields, snow and ice.
Not all drivers know to slow down in these conditions.