Cars and Driving

In many places the eternal battle between motorist and traffic cop is carried on like a game of cat and mouse with law enforcement lying in wait for its prey undetected behind a billboard or at the bottom of a hill. Not so in Japan where the task is turned over to an array of speed cameras. But for motorists, this is at least a fair fight. Local authorities are required by law to provide signage (usually blue signs with white letters although the warnings are not uniform) that announce the presence of surveillance. When a driver spots one of these signs hanging over the roadway the speed sensors will be in force in the upcoming stretch of of road. What are Speed Cameras? Speed cameras are a shorthand description for the different monitoring systems used by traffic authorities. They are known as jido sokudo ihan torishimari sochi which translates to “automated speed violation control devices.” There are several different types employed: Radar. You will still see these antiquated speed detection systems beside the road looking like a phone booth from yesteryear or, for more elaborate installations, a guard tower in a prison yard. Some even utilize traditional film in…