Proposed features/Relation:enforcement

What ?

Several kinds of devices are installed to measure and document traffic violations, such as

• speed traps
• red light cameras
• distance between vehicles measuring
• weight check (heavy goods vehicles)
• ordinary traffic checks (papers, use of alcohol etc.)

These devices belong to the same class of objects and shall therefore use the same tagging schema with different values. Sometimes a combination of values is required if the device serves more than one function (e.g. both a speed trap and red light camera in one device).

Why ?

• Because we want to reflect reality.
• Because the traffic enforcement is of interest.
• Because traffic enforcement installations are used to navigate ("turn right after the speed cam")
• Because these devices are placed on dangerous streets and knowing about them helps you drive more slowly and more safely.

Where to map?

Everywhere, except it is forbidden in the country to map traffic enforcement installation. If rendering, showing in a routing software or warning in a routing software is forbidden anywhere, you can add the information to the map - renderer and routing software will make sure to follow the law. Therefore e.i. routing software shall offer traffic enforcement features as plug-ins, so the user can choose if he wants to install the feature.

Known countries, where mapping of traffic enforcement is forbidden (and ordinary mapping with GPS is not)

• none know up today --Lulu-Ann 10:32, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Where to use ?

Everywhere, except the use of traffic enforcement information is forbidden in the country.

Laws banning radar detectors are common and might have been written so, that they can be claimed by local officials to ban such location information usage, as to what would be presented by these relations.

Known countries, where the static use is forbidden

Static use means, that there is an icon on a paper map or an icon on the moving map while you drive.

• none known up to now, please add a hyperlink to the law if you know one. --Lulu-Ann 10:32, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

Known countries, where the dynamic use is forbidden

Australia

Radar detectors are illegal in most states of Australia, however radio stations broadcast police locations and almost every type of sat nav and hard copy maps list speed camera/safety camera/red light camera locations, and listing these locations on maps is endorsed by motoring bodies (NRMA/RACQ etc).

Belgium

Radar detectors are illegal, but I think that's about it. Maps showing the fixed radar positions aren't. Also, it's legal to announce where police set up an installation to enforce speed limits (which is often done on radio for example, where people call the radio station if they've seen one -- the police also announce several locations themselves in advance). Maps showing those locations should thus be legal as well (but don't know if that's still the case if police set up an entire checkpoint to check for alcohol, drugs, car papers, ..., as well as speed limits -- but there is an sms service which provides information about those alcohol checkpoints so it's probably legal as well).

France

• Ownership or use of a device which detects or prevents traffic enforcement is forbidden. Law enforcement forces will confiscate such a device, and if the device is affixed to a vehicle in such a way that it can not be removed easily, the vehicle will then be confiscated. This also means a 1,500€ fine, 2 points removed from the driving license and up to 3 years of driving license revocation. [Article R413-15 du code de la route].

Mapping location of fixed devices and popular non-fixed spots is legal and so is using a device that reminds you when approaching a known location using GPS. Fixed devices are announced by a sign anyway... Dozens of different systems are sold in high profile consumer electronic shops.

Germany

• In Germany it is not allowed to use a device, that will warn you when you approach a traffic enforcement installation. §49 Ordnungswidrigkeit nach §23 Abs. 1b StVO, 75 Euro Bußgeld

Gerät kann beschlagnahmt werden.

Spain

• Similar to France

Switzerland

• in Switzerland even possessing devices which warn about traffic enforcement installations is liable to prosecution!. Police and Customs is ordered to take them away and destroy them! [1] and [2] --Jeff42 13:26, 5 December 2008 (UTC)
• The 2 refered articles only describe about the use of GPS related devices. It´s not forbidden to have a map with information about speed control. --PeterZuger 21:49, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

Turkey

• As in France.

Tagging

Traffic enforcement devices are not a place you'd want to go and are therefore not an amenity.

We need relations for this, because there can be several different devices at on set of traffic lights, measuring different things to vehicles from different directions.

Creating a relation

Create a single relation for each type of traffic enforcement, if there are several.

Measuring speed violations

Relation

type=enforcement

enforcement=maxspeed

maxspeed=60

Checking if vehicles enter a crossing at redlight

Relation

type=enforcement

enforcement=traffic_signals

Checking if (heavy goods) vehicles are too heavy

Relation

type=enforcement

enforcement=maxweight

Checking if vehicles drive in a safe distance from the one ahead

Relation

type=enforcement

enforcement=mindistance

Checking if vehicles are too high to enter a tunnel, here: 4 meters

Relation

type=enforcement

enforcement=maxheight

maxheight=4

de:Allgemeine Verkehrskontrolle, ordinary traffic check, you'll be asked to show your papers, use of alcohol etc.

Relation

type=enforcement

enforcement=check

Creating and adding member objects to the relation

If there is a single device like a speed camera, create a node next to or on the highway. Make the node a member of the relation with the role "device".

If it is a redlight camera, the node can be the one already tagged as highway=traffic_signals. The device itself is represented by a node which is member of the relation with the role "device".

Choose a node on the highway from where the vehicles checked come from. If there is a sign "radar controlled" or "traffic signals ahead" put the node where the sign is, if there is no sign, estimate a sensible distance where a driver would need to be warned of the object if driving with allowed speed. Make this node a member of the relation with the role "from".

If there is only one certain direction to where vehicles are checked (like a redlight camera only for vehicles turning left), you can add a node that becomes member of the relation with the role "to".

Note: Either the device is a node on the way or the to-role is mandatory. (Otherwise the direction is not always clear).

If there is a large device like a scale for heavy goods vehicles, the role "device" can also be used on a way or on an area. (The area shall be connected to the road.)

If there is a traffic light or barrier that stops you if you violated a rule (because it is dangerous), add the role "force" to that node.

Examples:

Example 1: Simple Redlight camera

A redlight camera at a crossing.

               N
               |
               |
W----------*---#-----------------E
               | 
               |
               S 

Relation: type=enforcement enforcement=traffic_signals

• "#" Node: highway=traffic_signals, relation=device,
• "*" Node: relation=from,

Example 2: Redlight camera for turning left only

A redlight camera at a crossing, only taking photos of cars coming from the west turning left to the north.

               N
               |
               o
               |
W----------*---#-----------------E
               | 
               |
               S 

Relation: type=enforcement enforcement=traffic_signals

• "#" Node: highway=traffic_signals, relation=device,
• "*" Node: relation=from,
• "o" Node: relation=to

Note: Use the "to" role if the device is placed in a way it affects vehicles going to different directions differently. As shown in example 1 the "to" role is optional, as long as the device node is member of the road way.

Example 3: Speed Camera

Example 3a: Simple speed camera on the street

A speed camera on or in the middle of the street, taking pictures of vehicles coming from the west going to the east.

W----------*---#------------------E
              

Relation: type=enforcement enforcement=maxspeed maxspeed=60

• "#" Node: relation=device,
• "*" Node: relation=from

Example 3b: Simple speed camera next to the street

A speed camera next to the street, taking pictures of vehicles coming from the west going to the east.

W----------*--------o--------------E
               #

Relation: type=enforcement enforcement=maxspeed maxspeed=60

• "#" Node: relation=device,
• "*" Node: relation=from
• "o" Node: relation=to (mandatory, because the device is not on the road)

Simple video tutorial on doing this in JOSM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tnohs_8gFY

Simple video tutorial on doing this in Potlatch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJlqlchv4vU

Example 3c: Speed camera making pictures from the back

A speed camera on a very high post on the other side of individually mapped lanes, taking pictures of vehicles coming from the west going to the east, taking the pictures from the back to see licence plates of motorbikes.

       #
 ==================================             
W----------*----o------------------E

Relation: type=enforcement enforcement=maxspeed maxspeed=60

• "==" Way: These are the lanes of the opposite direction of this motorway.
• "#" Node: relation=device,
• "*" Node: relation=from
• "o" Node: relation=to (mandatory, because the device is not on the road)

Example 4: Speed camera for both directions

A speed camera next to the street, that can be turned in both directions.

W----------*-------o--------------E
               #

Relation1: type=enforcement enforcement=maxspeed maxspeed=60

• "#" Node: relation=device, man_made=speed camera
• "*" Node: relation=from
• "o" Node: relation=to

Relation2: type=enforcement enforcement=maxspeed maxspeed=60

• "#" Node: relation=device,
• "o" Node: relation=from
• "*" Node: relation=to

Note: This is not done in one relation, because then it would not be normalized.

Example 5: Distance between vehicles

A camera films your vehicle, measuring if you have enough distance to the vehicle ahead, only for vehicles from the west going to the east.

W--------*----#######--o----------E
                           

Relation: type=enforcement enforcement=mindistance

• "#" Way: relation=device, (Because the camera covers a larger distance of the street, use "way" not "node")
• "*" Node: relation=from
• "o" Node: relation=to

Example 6: Maximum weight

The police separates some heavy goods vehicles from the motorway to the parking lot to check for maxweight violations.

W--------*----------------o----------E
             \        /   
              \-####-/            

Relation: type=enforcement enforcement=maxweight

• "#" Way: relation=device, (This is the large hgv scale, so it's not a node but a way or an area.)
• "*" Node: relation=from
• "o" Node: relation=to

Example 7: Height check before tunnel

(This example is found at Elbtunnel, Hamburg, Germany) A light barrier checking if a vehicle coming from the west violates the maxheight for a tunnel. If a vehicle is to high to pass, an automatic red light and road block will be activated.

W--------*----#--§--=====o----------E
             \
              \  

Relation: type=enforcement enforcement=maxheight maxheight=3.80 or maxheight:legal=3.80, if you want: maxheight:physical=3.89

• "#" Node: relation=device, maxheight=3.80 (Maxheight needed for the rendering)
• "*" Node: relation=from (Here a sign says: Turn right if your vehicle is higher than 3.8m)
• "===" Way: tunnel=yes, maxheight=3.80 or maxheight:legal=3.80
• "o" Node: relation=to
• "§" Node: relation=force (Here an automatic traffic light stops you, if your vehicle is to high)

Note: Why is this so much more complicated than the other examples? Height checking devices are not for fun, and not for collecting fees, they are installed to avoid trucks crashing against tunnel walls. Therefore there are often automatic road blocking installations. If such installations are not present, the "force" role is optional, of course!

Additional tagging

If the traffic regulations only apply to certain times of the year, day etc., you can use day on, day off additionally.

Rendering

Note: These icons are not part of the proposal.

I propose the standard triangular traffic sign for maxspeed, maxweight, traffic lights ahead etc. but with a neon orange border instead of a red one and a blue icon or writing in the middle instead of a black one.--Lulu-Ann 11:49, 2 December 2008 (UTC)

• Traffic enforcement renderer (not all variants)

Examples

• See Tagwatch for more examples.

Discussion

Please use the discussion page.

Thanks

Thanks to Rw who started Proposed_features/Speed_trap, from which I took several ideas and lines of text.

Thanks to Lulu-ann for the first version of this proposal (updated by trs998)

Thanks to trs998 for the second version of Proposed_features/Traffic enforcement.

See also

• key:maxspeed
• key:enforcement

Voting

Wiki tip: Type {{vote|yes/no}} to approve/oppose this proposal, type 4 tildes like: ~~~~ to sign your user name & date.

• I oppose this proposal, as obviously my point will not be heard on this proposal, see discussion if you wonder why.. --Skippern 16:03, 5 December 2008 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. for all the reasons I have already given on the discussion page. --Lulu-Ann 19:44, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. --Walley 20:29, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. we are mapping for the database, not for the renderer or even a "poiwarner". If they yes have legal concerns, it's their job to filter. ---jha- 21:03, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
• I oppose this proposal. --Kaitu 21:18, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. concur with -jha- --Cohort 23:57, 3 January 2009 (UTC)
• I oppose this proposal. --Thomas Wood 02:02, 4 January 2009 (UTC)
• I oppose this proposal. -- Gustavf 14:12, 4 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. --PeterZuger 21:50, 4 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. --Erik Lundin 00:15, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. --Christian 15:08, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. --Marco.horstmann 15:47, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. -- ck3d 19:00, 5 January 2009 (UTC)
• I oppose this proposal. -- Lazzko 00:06, 6 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. Pov 15:58, 7 January 2009 (UTC)
• I oppose this proposal. I can accept that OSM shows where speed camera are, and even say the speed limit at that point. But it's not the purpose of OSM to explain what to do to bypass the traffic enforcement. Make it in your own routing project. -- Pieren 17:17, 8 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. -- Dieterdreist 11:51, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
• I oppose this proposal. See discussion. --Mink 18:59, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. -- We are mapping the world/reality and the data are the most valuable good. As proposal covers all (currently) known situations it is fine to me. Adrians 23:38, 9 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. The proposal is really complex, but the reality is even more complex. -- Martinsw 16:10, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. C19 17:59, 10 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. Avantman42 13:34, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
• I oppose this proposal. I'm totally against this. On top of that it only works in simple situations. --Skratz 19:41, 13 January 2009 (UTC)

Hello Skratz, I am interested in your examples where you think this will not work. Please add on the discussion page. --Lulu-Ann 14:34, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

• I approve this proposal. --Trs998 13:34, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. --Daniel27 19:39, 17 January 2009 (UTC)
• I approve this proposal. --czmartin 01:21, 8 March 2010 (UTC)

The proposal has reached 17 out of 25 yes votes and therfore is approved. --Lulu-Ann 13:08, 19 January 2009 (UTC)