critics are concerned that the depth-measuring device will be used as a cudgel to drum up revenue.
That concern is bolstered by the fact that Trevor Hall, a major proponent of speed cameras in the UK, is also behind the measure.
This is a UK only thing right now, but if it generates lots of revenue for their cities, who knows if it’ll hop across the pond
Hmmm. The British have been desensitized over the years so anything is possible there but not in the US I don’t think. They lost their guns in the interest of safety, have cameras everywhere in the interest of safety, sensors to determine speed between points, so this is just a natural extension.
When the government, groups of people, organizations, or companies, start talking about stuff like this in the interest of “safety” or “security”, watch out. It is a slippery slope. A little natural risk never hurt anyone and sharpens the instincts.
I wonder if these embedded scanners could detect regrooved tires? I think a regrooved tire may be more dangerous than a tire with little tread left.
Sounds like another revenue enhancement gimmick to me.
Granted, there are a few careless people out there who will drive around on badly worn tires but they’re a distinct minority.
Underinflated tires are more common and are just as serious, if not more so, a danger than worn ones.
You really shouldn’t give credence to any news article that has a title ending with a question mark.
I’d like to see how that would work when the road is covered with 6" of snow.
The British live in one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Personal freedom sometimes takes a back seat to pragmatism. If it catches on here, it won’t be in Maine and New Hampshire, for a while. NH won’t put up with it or enforce it and Maine has so many pot holes and dirt roads, the sensors won’t last.
These scanners are available now but are not embeded in roads. They are also called cops and they are free to check your tire wear indicator bars at any time that they want. If bald tires were an epidemic, then that can be dealt with and no additional money for equipment is needed.
Not to worry. In these times of economic distress the money to install these doesn’t exist. Here in Nh it’ll be tough enough for the highway budgets to cover the cost of the upcoming winter.
Bing, it should be pointed out that in many places in the USA, cameras are everywhere, and they do have speed checks over distance. After all, if you’ve ever gotten a toll road entry/exit pass, the time that you entered and the time you left the toll road are stamped on it. Pretty trivial to figure out your average speed, and if it’s higher than the speed limit. . .
After reading the article, I too am skeptical at the cops’ claim that it will only be used for informational purposes at checkpoints. If you set up a check point you can measure tread depth with a $5 gauge rather than a $67,500 scanner. The likelihood that these things, if bought, won’t be used for revenue generation seems vanishingly small.
As for not having the money to install these, we don’t have the money to install red light cameras either, which is why private companies are doing so for free in exchange for a cut of the ticket revenue. I’m sure someone would be willing to profit off of this as well.
After all, if you’ve ever gotten a toll road entry/exit pass, the time that you entered and the time you left the toll road are stamped on it. Pretty trivial to figure out your average speed, and if it’s higher than the speed limit. . .
That was tried in NY on the thruway many years ago…It was stopped within a week. Those date/time stamps were NOT in sync. Only way for it to work is the machine that puts the stamp on the ticket needs to be synchronized with all the other toll booths…and they AREN’T.
Very trivial now to sync them. Just have them all grab timesync from a GPS satellite.
Very trivial now to sync them. Just have them all grab timesync from a GPS satellite. </b?
Trivial for ONE…not when you have HUNDREDS…And that equipment is NOT going to be updated. The money is being put into the EZPass system. They want people to get EZPass so they can eliminate all or most of the toll takers.
maybe bald tires ARE a problem in the UK, hence the want for the scanners
Mike is right. When I wrote a speeding ticket, to avoid it being contested, each needed a statement that the radar device was recently calibrated with a tunning fork(1that dates me) before it became valid. I believe that until a speeding ticket includes a signed statement making the measuring divide legal, it’s subject to regress. It may be easy to do with your gps or whatever but it has to be easily demonstrated and stated that it is done and some “lackey” ( not John) or institution needs to attest to it some how, some where. That may be the rub.
I just wanted to comment on Wha who’s comment: “…If bald tires were an epidemic…”
NHTSA did a study shortly after the Ford/Firestone issue a few years back and found that 9% of the cars had at least 1 tire that was below the legal minimum.
I think that would constitute an epidemic.
Quote from CapriRacer: I think that would constitute an epidemic. Unquote
It seems that the police, due to their lack of action in regard to worn tires, do not agree with your view.
It would seem reasonable too that there is some safety margin from when tire wear indicators are initially even with the tread. Another way of saying it is if tires worn to the indicators are decidedly treacherous, then the indicator bars are indicating late.