Speeding ticket

[Annataleen]

Hello,
Tonight I was stupid and I was speeding on the expressway and went under a camera. I saw red so, I guess I will be getting a speeding ticket soon. I have no points on my license (meaning I have a clean record) but I am wondering how much I can expect to pay? I think it got me at 130 . I am also wondering when I will get the ticket and where I will have to go to court? I live in ibaraki but it happened in chiba.

Man, I didn't even realize I was going that fast ni was so stupid.

Any information anyone can provide will be helpful. Thank you so much.

[Hijinx]

Depends on the speed limit on that part of the expressway. Luckily, expressway points are lower compared to normal roads.

[TJrandom]

Just because a picture was taken, it doesn't necessarily follow that you will receive a ticket. I'd wait until a ticket arrives - and then do as it says.

A greater concern to me would be just why were you not aware of your speed? I believe the top speed limit on the expressways in Chiba are set at 80 – so at 130, you were 50 over. Just 30 over normally calls for license suspension. Maybe you should have a regulator installed – so that your car cannot exceed 80?

[不良外人]

Well, over the years I have been through those same cameras at speeds well in excess of what you were doing and regularly drive at those speeds. Never received a speeding ticket in Japan.

[haildamage]

80 – so at 130, you were 50 over. Just 30 over normally calls for license suspension. Maybe you should have a regulator installed – so that your car cannot exceed 80?

actually its 30kph over on normal roads and 40 over on the expressways that get you the big ticket and points.

[pjb]

Hello,Tonight I was stupid and I was speeding on the expressway and went under a camera. I saw red so, I guess I will be getting a speeding ticket soon.

Some gantry mounted devices are not actually cameras, but monitor traffic volume. Others sense your speed and sometimes flash a red arrow above the appropriate lane. These are often followed by real cameras.

Don't sweat about it unless a court summons lands on your doorstep. In future, do pay attention to your speed. Unmarked Police cars frequently patrol the highways. Usually white/black crowns, but increasingly Priuses.

[Deathblob]

Some gantry mounted devices are not actually cameras, but monitor traffic volume. Others sense your speed and sometimes flash a red arrow above the appropriate lane. These are often followed by real cameras.

Don't sweat about it unless a court summons lands on your doorstep. In future, do pay attention to your speed. Unmarked Police cars frequently patrol the highways. Usually white/black crowns, but increasingly Priuses.

What kinda crap does a cop have to pull to get stuck in a Prius? You know it's like literally driving around in a vagina, right?

[Call_It_Like_Eye_See_It]

Hello,
Tonight I was stupid and I was speeding on the expressway and went under a camera. I saw red so, I guess I will be getting a speeding ticket soon. I have no points on my license (meaning I have a clean record) but I am wondering how much I can expect to pay? I think it got me at 130 . I am also wondering when I will get the ticket and where I will have to go to court? I live in ibaraki but it happened in chiba.

Man, I didn't even realize I was going that fast ni was so stupid.

Any information anyone can provide will be helpful. Thank you so much.

No advice, but like some sick, perverted voyeur.....

I wanna' know how much the ticket cost you!

[Annataleen]

Just because a picture was taken, it doesn't necessarily follow that you will receive a ticket. I'd wait until a ticket arrives - and then do as it says.

A greater concern to me would be just why were you not aware of your speed? I believe the top speed limit on the expressways in Chiba are set at 80 – so at 130, you were 50 over. Just 30 over normally calls for license suspension. Maybe you should have a regulator installed – so that your car cannot exceed 80?

Well, I wasn't passing traffic. No one goes 80 on the expressway. Usually I drive 100 on it. I had just put on some fast music and it caused me to speed up for a minute before I noticed. I will look into a regulator, thank you. I really miss cruise control!

[Annataleen]

I will update if I get a court notice. Thanks for the comments everyone!

I found this website http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bukyoku/s...2demerits.html

If anyone has more insight please comment!

[Annataleen]

Well, over the years I have been through those same cameras at speeds well in excess of what you were doing and regularly drive at those speeds. Never received a speeding ticket in Japan.

I hope so thank you.

[Tokyoite1]

Wow, what an unfortunate coincidence. I think I was also caught by a speed camera about a week and a half ago. In my case, I was driving along on a local road that was almost like a highway. I had only been on that road for a few minutes and was anxiously looking far ahead of me for a place where I needed to turn left (not at a traffic light but just a tiny little back entrance into a shopping center off of that big two lane highway-like road). There was only one other car on the road way up ahead of me and I was so busy looking for my turn that I wasn't paying attention to the speedometer for those few minutes. I suddenly had a strange feeling and looked up to discover a row of speed cameras above me with a tiny red circle just barely glowing in the bottom left corner under the camera? in my lane. That is when I suddenly remembered to look at my speedometer and almost had a heart attack when I discovered that I was going about 81kmph in a 50kmph zone. Of course I hit the brakes when I realized how fast I was going but unfortunately I think it was too late. I only drive on local roads and have never intentionally driven over the speed limit so I'm sick about how I could make such a stupid mistake. Wouldn't you know that there had to be a speed camera overhead.

Anyway, I've been sleeplessly searching the internet every day trying to learn about my fate. From what I've read on the Japanese websites, it sounds like it takes anywhere from two weeks to about one month for the postcard notice to come in the mail. (most of the cameras are digital now so no more being lucky that the camera was out of film) If your speed was less than 30kmph over the limit, you get a ticket of up to 18,000 yen. However, if you were going 30kmph or more over the limit, the notice is a court summons and I think you have to report to the police headquarters? in the ward/district where you were caught speeding. They decide the amount of the ticket when you go there and it can range from 50,000 yen up to a maximum of 100,000 yen. Your license may be suspended for a month or longer depending on how many points they deduct and you also might have to spend a day or two watching videos and taking classes that cost about 20,000 yen.

Anyway, I don't know how accurate my information is as I was reading Japanese websites and my Japanese isn't that fluent.
If anyone is interested, here are the links to a few of the Japanese websites I found about speed cameras and speeding.

step by step Japanese journal complete with photos of the notice in the mail, the speed camera images, the training/video sessions, the bill with the final ticket, etc. by a Japanese that was caught speeding:
http://www.geocities.co.jp/motorcity...BIS/ORBIS.html

Youtube video showing the newer speed cameras at work (from the camera's viewpoint):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fWzT9Istdc

Wikipedia Japan explanation/photos of speed cameras:
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/自動速度違反取締装置


Police radar and speed camera explanation and photos:
http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~default/radar_detector.html

Japanese web page discussion about speed cameras (where someone said their ticket came in two weeks):
http://soudan1.biglobe.ne.jp/qa4501622.html

more orbis speed camera, N system, radar, etc. photos and explanations in Japanese:
page 1:
http://rules.rjq.jp/orbis1.html

more orbis speed camera, N system, radar, etc. photos and explanations in Japanese:
page 2:
http://rules.rjq.jp/orbis2.html

[Annataleen]

Thanks for the information Tokyoite. It looks pretty grim, doesn't it? Let me know about your ticket and I will let you know what happens to me.

[Tokyoite1]

Thanks for the information Tokyoite. It looks pretty grim, doesn't it? Let me know about your ticket and I will let you know what happens to me.

I went and checked out the speed cameras? today. I drove under them several times and watched other cars going under them. I saw a very faint red light for about a second or less when a truck went barreling under it. I was going 50 kmph of course along that stretch - the speed limit - and everyone was passing me - most of the cars did slow down though when they came to the cameras so they probably saw or knew about them... Anyway, I didn't see anything that looked like a camera up there. It looked like the N system? thing in this picture with the two little circles under it and I think the little circle on the left? is what just barely glowed red for about a second:

http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/...917a4e208e.jpg

It sounds like it might be some kind of license plate scanner that doesn't take a picture but passes your plate information to the police station/police?. I don't know if anyone on here recognizes what these are in the photo and knows anything about them. Maybe they just pass your info to the police and if there is a patrol car up ahead somewhere while you're driving, they can pull you over and give you a ticket. I have seen lots of police cars/motorbikes right around there with people pulled over at the side of the road. I don't know why the police would be pulling people over there if they had the speed cameras photographing and catching them too.

Anyway, I'm still praying that nothing comes in the mail this week. If I do get a court summons and have to pay a 60,000? yen fine, I think I will opt for the one month license suspension instead of forking over another 12,000? yen for a day of videos and tests just so I can get it reduced to a one day suspension. I can survive without driving for a month and I don't want to fork over any extra money - they will be getting enough already if I was caught.

I'll let you know if I hear anything. Whether I get a ticket or not, I have learned my lesson for sure and will check my speedometer constantly from now on to make sure that I'm not going over the limit.

[haildamage]

indeed, that looks like the "N system" cameras to me. the speed cameras have a radar unit and a camera both. the N system is just a big brother license plate tracking system. i never understood why my radar detector warns me about the N system, but that taught me what they look like. i guess if you are a fugitive it might be useful information, otherwise i think they are absolutely nothing to fear no matter how fast you are going.

[Annataleen]

I went and checked out the speed cameras? today. I drove under them several times and watched other cars going under them. I saw a very faint red light for about a second or less when a truck went barreling under it. I was going 50 kmph of course along that stretch - the speed limit - and everyone was passing me - most of the cars did slow down though when they came to the cameras so they probably saw or knew about them... Anyway, I didn't see anything that looked like a camera up there. It looked like the N system? thing in this picture with the two little circles under it and I think the little circle on the left? is what just barely glowed red for about a second:

http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/...917a4e208e.jpg

It sounds like it might be some kind of license plate scanner that doesn't take a picture but passes your plate information to the police station/police?. I don't know if anyone on here recognizes what these are in the photo and knows anything about them. Maybe they just pass your info to the police and if there is a patrol car up ahead somewhere while you're driving, they can pull you over and give you a ticket. I have seen lots of police cars/motorbikes right around there with people pulled over at the side of the road. I don't know why the police would be pulling people over there if they had the speed cameras photographing and catching them too.

Anyway, I'm still praying that nothing comes in the mail this week. If I do get a court summons and have to pay a 60,000? yen fine, I think I will opt for the one month license suspension instead of forking over another 12,000? yen for a day of videos and tests just so I can get it reduced to a one day suspension. I can survive without driving for a month and I don't want to fork over any extra money - they will be getting enough already if I was caught.

I'll let you know if I hear anything. Whether I get a ticket or not, I have learned my lesson for sure and will check my speedometer constantly from now on to make sure that I'm not going over the limit.

Yes that is what I saw, with the red circle. So, it isn't a camera? What is the "N" system?

[Tokyoite1]

Yes that is what I saw, with the red circle. So, it isn't a camera? What is the "N" system?

I just found a website where you can look up all the different orbis systems (オービス) (the speed cameras) and the N systems (Nシステム) on Google maps complete with actual photos of some of them if people have submitted them.

For example, here is the link for the list of Chiba prefecture orbis cameras (you can select a different prefecture):
orbis speed camera (オービス) google map search link:

http://www.8833.jp/search/list.html?...7394&jis=&str=

- you can also select the city/ward in the window at the top where the little blue up and down arrows are and then hit the enter box in the long oval underneath and the list will come up. Actually, if you click on just one of the links on the list down the page (the big light green box to the right of each address on the list) and see the Google map there, you can zoom in and out with the plus and minus on the Google map and move the map over to whatever part of Kanto that you want to view. Then, depending how much you zoom in or out on the city/ward that you are looking at, you can see all kinds of little icons on the different local roads and highways - N camera icons for "N systems," camera icons for "orbis speed cameras," "mouse icons" for speed traps where patrol cars are often seen giving people tickets, etc. I hope my explanation makes sense.

and here is the link to the same site showing the n system cameras on Google maps in Chiba:

http://www.8833.jp/search/list.html?...7394&jis=&str=

Anyway, it is all in Japanese so I don't know if this will help anyone on here or not. I found my device on the map in Tokyo. It is listed as an N system. Mine looked just like the one in the picture link on my previous post (no cameras but just several of those license plate scanner devices) - they have 3 or 4 of them up there even on a two lane road so they can scan cars on the shoulder/edge of the road too. The N stands for "N"umber plate. It scans the plates of cars and passes the information to nearby police boxes or patrol cars and is used to catch robbers and fugitives who have committed a serious crime. Supposedly it doesn't have anything to do with speeders so hopefully that is what we both encountered. The evil orbis (speed camera) in this photo "looks very similar" but you can see that it has a camera box next to the scanner:

orbis speed camera photo:

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ファイル:Orbis_at_Meishin.jpg

Hopefully we both encountered N systems - (mine is at least listed as one). I can finally sleep a little better now...

[Tokyoite1]

indeed, that looks like the "N system" cameras to me. the speed cameras have a radar unit and a camera both. the N system is just a big brother license plate tracking system. i never understood why my radar detector warns me about the N system, but that taught me what they look like. i guess if you are a fugitive it might be useful information, otherwise i think they are absolutely nothing to fear no matter how fast you are going.

Thank you so much for your post and explanation. My device is listed as an N system on the website/map I found and looked just like the one in the photo on my post above.

N? system photo:
http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/...917a4e208e.jpg

The only thing that I can't understand is why I saw the glowing red circle at the bottom when I passed under it that time and when the speedy truck went under it the other day when I went to check it out. It didn't seem like the little circle was glowing red for every car that passed under it and I didn't see it glow all those times that I drove under it going the speed limit. Anyway, I guess I can relax a little now... thanks again.

[Tokyoite1]

I will update if I get a court notice. Thanks for the comments everyone!

I found this website http://www.pref.ibaraki.jp/bukyoku/s...2demerits.html

If anyone has more insight please comment!

Here is a link to a Japanese page which shows in detail the amount of the fine and the number of points off your license depending on how fast you were going: (you have to scroll about halfway down the page to the light green and purple chart)

http://rules.rjq.jp/bakkin.html

(50,000 yen up to 100,000 yen for 30 kmph or more over the limit and anywhere from 6 points to 12 points off your license - a clean license has 6 points available to deduct from, so 12 points off would be way over the amount and result in a longer suspension). (Expensive and that's not including the added cost of the full day classes/tests that offenders can take to get the license suspension reduced)

[Annataleen]

Thank you so much for your post and explanation. My device is listed as an N system on the website/map I found and looked just like the one in the photo on my post above.

N? system photo:
http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/...917a4e208e.jpg

The only thing that I can't understand is why I saw the glowing red circle at the bottom when I passed under it that time and when the speedy truck went under it the other day when I went to check it out. It didn't seem like the little circle was glowing red for every car that passed under it and I didn't see it glow all those times that I drove under it going the speed limit. Anyway, I guess I can relax a little now... thanks again.

Tokyoite, you are a God send! I checked the link and I am 99% sure I went through the N system. I checked the map...I had actually been in Misato in Saitama but I thought I was already in Chiba when I saw it...but I wasn't yet (because it was just past the Misato junction...and there is a N system just past the junction!). Yay! I am still going to be cautious, and I have certainly learned my lesson, but I am so relived.

Thank you Tokyoite, I should buy you a drink!

[monkeystu52]

Hi,

Sorry to hear your news. I know how it feels as I thought I was caught last year and I had to wait 6 months (that's how long it can take to hear from the courts) before I finally stopped worrying. Unfortunately at those speeds it surpasses the "traffic offence" label and becomes a criminal offence of "endangering others" so would be on your criminal record and you can even face jail time or deportation under Japanese law. - Fortunately it shouldn't come to that, and you may not even have been caught.

Often the pictures are taken but never actually followed up on, or the cameras don't even have film in them. A lot of the new overhead cameras aren't even speed cameras but just for monitoring traffic.

Here is a good source http://www.ajet.net/psg/index.php?ti...s_-_Commentary

Good luck and try not to worry too much, easier said than done, but hopefully it'll put you off speeding in the future.

PS we all know how ridiculously slow the limits are here, but I guess we need to respect the laws of the country we live in.

[Annataleen]

Hi,

Sorry to hear your news. I know how it feels as I thought I was caught last year and I had to wait 6 months (that's how long it can take to hear from the courts) before I finally stopped worrying. Unfortunately at those speeds it surpasses the "traffic offence" label and becomes a criminal offence of "endangering others" so would be on your criminal record and you can even face jail time or deportation under Japanese law. - Fortunately it shouldn't come to that, and you may not even have been caught.

Often the pictures are taken but never actually followed up on, or the cameras don't even have film in them. A lot of the new overhead cameras aren't even speed cameras but just for monitoring traffic.

Here is a good source http://www.ajet.net/psg/index.php?ti...s_-_Commentary

Good luck and try not to worry too much, easier said than done, but hopefully it'll put you off speeding in the future.

PS we all know how ridiculously slow the limits are here, but I guess we need to respect the laws of the country we live in.

Thank you monkeystu52. I am not sure if you read all of the posts, but I have determined that I in fact did not go through a speed camera, I went through some other camera. Another user posted some links (in Japanese) where you can put your ken, city, and what type of camera it is and you can see what all of the cameras are that city. It is great! So, I am 99.99% sure I didn't go through a speed camera. It has been other a month now and I haven't heard anything, but that small part of me still is a bit worried.

I have been watching my speeding! Actually I drove back to the same area and went much slower than I ever have before. It is annoying because everyone was passing me. I agree, we should respect the laws here.

Thanks again!