THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT RADARS.

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xsijux
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Post by xsijux » 15 Jul 2010, 12:00 pm

Updated as of 3rd March 2012.

Most of you probably already know about this, but i'm posting this nevertheless for the newbies.

ALL fixed Traffic cameras in Dubai allow a 20 kmph Grace speed. i.e, if the road limit says 100, you can do 120kmph. You get flashed at 121-122.

The New Speed cameras: Only one side of the camera works. One side of the camera has a yellow lensed cover: Image
This side of the camera does NOT work.

UPDATE: Most people knew about the yellow-lensed side being duds. So RTA stepped it up a notch and tried mimic-ing the clear-lensed working side, by fixing a white, very convex, crystallized, pixelated lens cover. These are exactly like the yellow-sided cameras. They DON'T work.

The other side of the camera will have a CLEAR lens cover in which you can actually see the small lightbulb inside, placed on a concave mirror. THIS is the side that works.

Yellow or White crystallized convex side: Dud
Clear, concave lens: Will flash you.

So when driving on say, Shk. Zayed road, just check the camera and see where the clear-lens side is aimed. (could be aimed on the other side of the road which flashes from the back, so you may confuse it for your side. so look closely at the angle of the camera itself to get a clear idea)

- If you see a camera with the clear lens, the next camera is going to be a yellow/white-lensed one for your side. so after crossing the first clear-lensed cam, push down on that gas pedal. the good thing is, when u reach the next camera (i.e, the yellow/white-lensed one) you can keep going at whatever speed you're going without getting flashed and know that the next camera is gonna be a clear-lensed one and is going to flash you. in short you can use the yellow sided ones as a checkpoint and lookout for the next cam so you can slow down.



These are the speeds (in kmph) after at which the radar will catch you.

Shk. Zayed road = 120 until Dubai Marina Mall.

After Marina mall (Dubai - AD direction) = 140

New limit in Abu Dhabi highway = 140.

Emirates rd. highway, from the beginning of the roundabout on Al Khail, all the way till the end of Emirates rd. (which is, the roundabout at RAK): limit = 140

Jumeirah beach road, From the big UAE flag at Diyafah, all the way 'til JBR, limit = 100 (not 70!)

Airport Tunnel, surprised many people still don't know this yet, limit = 100.

I cannot stress this point enough: THERE IS NO RADAR IN DUBAI THAT CATCHES YOU BELOW 100 kmph.

Everything written here has been tested by myself. MANY MANY times.



tiny details:

At the start of SHZ rd, the first 2 radars are both aimed at one direction: DXB-AD direction. Meaning they both flash you from this side and they both don't from AD-DXB.

If anyone doesn't know by now, on SHZ rd., there is an x-trail radaron the right side, right under the exit-bridge which takes you directly inside Mall of the Emirates. It is in such a blind spot, nearly impossible to avoid getting flashed if you see it while over-speeding. [It's not there as much as it used to be, but i still see it a lot]

There's one more x-trail cam further ahead, but easy to spot next to the Palm Jumeirah exit. [Its actually the same x-trail. If it's not under the MOE bridge, it's probably here]

AD-DXB direction, x-trail radar is right after Marina Mall, where the speed changes from 140 to 120. It is in the same location almost always.

Business bay crossing / Al Khail rd:

Dubai-AD direction, Occasional x-trail camera right before the first overhead bridge, easily noticeable.

AD-Dubai direction, Before that same bridge, hidden behind those big gay shrubs. Very hard to notice, since the camera itself is out there on a tripod. there is no x-trail. Seen many ppl get flashed by it.

Heading Dubai direction, Al Khail road, before the roundabout (the one which if you go left, takes you to MoE, Lulu hypermarket etc.) Gray COD-camera is hidden behind a few short bushes on the RIGHT side of the road. (no idea why they would put such an expensive radar there, moreover making its multi-lane capture useless)

COD-cameras :
Those big grey cylinder cameras.
Other than looking like a prop from the terminator, CODs flash both sides of the road and at all lanes (unlike its yellow/white lensed counterparts which very rarely flashes you if you are at the right-most lane)

One is in SHZ Rd. (Near the MOE exit), One is in Al Sufouh Rd. (Near Palm Jumeirah exit), One is in Al Khail rd., hidden behind some shrubs on the right side of the road. There is also one next to Outlet Mall. These are the only 4 CODs i've seen (COD = Cylinder of Doom, stupid made-up name that just stuck)

The new white camera thingamajig on top of the police patrol cars:
The little white rectangular boxes you've been seeing lately, mounted on police cars, are not mini-radars like most people first thought. They are in fact tiny powerful computers with a nifty camera that reads a car's number plate. It gives the pigs a fast report of every car it is in range of. Model/make of the car, Registration date, Expiry date, Number of black points on the plate, Number of fines on the plate - with details, Number of fines the plate ever had - with details, Name of the car owner, Number of black points on the owner's license, basically everything shy of which hand you wipe your behind with.

Though it is mainly used for quick noting of expired registrations. If you see one of them cruising along, and you have an expired plate, steer clear of them. I think they ignore you if you are on your grace period, but i don't advice you to gamble. And if you have been a bad boy in the past, they will pretty much stop you for anything from window tint to the way you change the track on your CD player.

When someone is caught by it for any reason, there is a tiny flash.

Source: A friend who drives one of them.
Last edited by xsijux on 03 Mar 2012, 9:15 pm, edited 4 times in total.

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mirage
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Post by mirage » 15 Jul 2010, 1:03 pm

Sound interesting and factual to me.

Let me add that on outer highways of Abu Dhabi where the posted limit is 100 KMPH you can still blow by a speed cam at 157 KMPH and get away with it.

The reason I say 157 and not 160 is that some of the radars are not 100 % acurately set up so you migh teb at 159 and it will still flash. This happened to me on the second radar / camera just when you enter Abu Dhabi and I was doing 157 KMPH.

Also could anyone please advice where is the actual point on the SZR road where the speed limit changes from 120 to 100 either ways ?

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Post by TNT » 15 Jul 2010, 2:52 pm

xsijux wrote:- If you see a camera with the white lens, the next camera is going to be a yellow one. so after crossing the first white lens, push down on that gas pedal. the good thing is, when u reach the next camera (i.e, the yellow side lens) you can keep going at whatever speed you're going without getting flashed and know that the next camera is gonna flash you. in short you can use the yellow sided ones as a checkpoint and lookout for the next cam so you can slow down.
I do this all the time :grin:

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Post by dj drift » 15 Jul 2010, 2:59 pm

mirage wrote:
Also could anyone please advice where is the actual point on the SZR road where the speed limit changes from 120 to 100 either ways ?
I drive on SZR almost daily, but i never knew that the speed limit changes from 120 to 100 :S.
Someone please throw some light =D

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Post by Ozimandius » 15 Jul 2010, 3:17 pm

Yes it does...as you approach Dubai from Abu Dhabi, there's a sign which says 100 instead of the regular 120 around the 3rd interchange.

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Post by TNT » 15 Jul 2010, 3:37 pm

But a sign saying 100 means a limit of 120 ^

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Post by WKZ » 15 Jul 2010, 4:17 pm

xsijux wrote:
- ALL fixed Traffic cameras in Dubai allow a 21 kmph Grace speed. i.e, if the road limit says 100, you can do 121kmph. You get flashed at 122.
Even the Jumeirah ones?

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Post by Jarule » 15 Jul 2010, 4:27 pm

xsijux wrote:
Even the Jumeirah ones?[/quote]

8-) don't try to push your luck much 71 and you'll get clocked

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Post by xsijux » 15 Jul 2010, 5:23 pm

Also could anyone please advice where is the actual point on the SZR road where the speed limit changes from 120 to 100 either ways ?
I drive on SZR almost daily, but i never knew that the speed limit changes from 120 to 100 :S.
Someone please throw some light =D
It changes somewhere around Ibn Batutta mall. and yes 100 meaning 121 and 120 meaning 141.
Even the Jumeirah ones?
8-) don't try to push your luck much 71 and you'll get clocked
wrong, Jarule. You can go 90. Never tried 91 :p

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xsijux
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Post by xsijux » 15 Jul 2010, 5:28 pm

I do this all the time :grin:
Haha. when you're in the fast lane going well over the limit and some dickhead in front going 120 moves for you right next to the camera hoping you'll get flashed. Dont you just love it when you know the camera is yellow and fly by and the dickhead thinks WTF? road limit 120+?!?! and tries it on a white one?!! XD

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Post by TNT » 15 Jul 2010, 6:29 pm

I know that's a great feeling ^ :grin:

Never knew Jumeirah was 90 :| You've tried siju?

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Post by xsijux » 15 Jul 2010, 8:03 pm

yea plenty times. im talking about the loong beach road. not sure of other places in Jumeirah since i don't go there much :/

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Post by dj drift » 15 Jul 2010, 8:44 pm

As far as i know, Jumeirah road has limit of 85km/h.
Ive seen it from my own eyes =D

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Post by xsijux » 15 Jul 2010, 8:53 pm

I'm pretty certain i have driven at 89 many times. never at 91. will test and post by next week hopefully.

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Post by TNT » 15 Jul 2010, 10:23 pm

(Y) ^



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