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Comment by yetihehe | Hacker News Reader

I don't understand why showing speed-cams would be illegal. In Poland all speed-traps are clearly marked with a sign at least 100m before, so that when someone overspeeds, he doesn't suddenly break when he sees speed trap (which caused more accidents than overspeeding).

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The British Automobile Association (AA) used to have a network of operatives on bikes (cycle scouts) who would salute members displaying the AA badge if they were approaching a police speed check.

This warning activity was tested in court and found to be illegal, as interference with the police undertaking their duties. Their response to the judgement was to switch the warning method to NOT saluting members if they're approaching a speed trap because apparently they couldn't be found culpable for inaction. So they would only salute members if the coast was clear. A bit like a warrant canary.

In Poland people used to blink their high beams when there was speed check ahead, it's sometimes still practiced (illegal then and now, but not because you warn of police, it's classified as "misuse of lights").

Take the reverse, when people know there are no speed cams they are free to speed as they want, which I'm sure is how a lot of people interpret this.

Some people do, but you can easily put speed cameras where there are some accidents. It's more honest that way in my opinion. I've driven in Germany and their cameras don't make me go much slower, just annoy:

- A series of 80-60 speed changes on straight road, then just when you are annoyed and don't slow, there is a speed trap.

- Badly marked school zone, I was doing 40km/h already, then a black painted camera hidden in bushes caught me.

We have those in Poland too, that's how I got my first speeding ticket. three lanes each way 80, 80 80, crossing with 60 and camera (there wasn't even any pedestrian crossing there too.

What happen, at least in Italy, is that are speed cam warnings everywhere, but of course only a tiny percentage at any time will have an actual speed camera.

It kind of works as deterrent, although I expect that the effect wears off after a while.

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