Gatso, n. Motoring.
Brit. /ˈgatsəʊ/, U.S. /ˈgætsoʊ/
[Shortened < the name of Maurice Gatsonides (1911–98), Dutch racing driver, who invented the prototype.]
A proprietary name for: a camera employed in police traffic control, which uses radar to measure the speeds of vehicles, photographing those exceeding a specified limit. Freq. attrib., esp. in Gatso camera, Gatso-meter.
| 1978 (title) Gatso mini radar..instruction manual. 1987 Camera Weekly 25 July 55/4 The Gatsometer uses a radar gun behind a police car's radiator grille to trigger a camera mounted behind the windscreen. 1992 Daily Tel. 1 July 4/5 The Gatso cameras have been used as evidence to prosecute offenders jumping traffic lights. 2001 Guardian 14 Aug. 3/1 The government yesterday gave its strongest signal yet that Specs, Gatsos and Vascars—and the rest of the growing police armoury of speed cameras—are to become as routine as traffic lights on British roads. |