SPEED AND TRAFFIC CAMERAS
IN THE U.K.

SPEED CAMERAS

Saturday 30th July 2005 - Daily Telegraph  Dorset speed cameras raised £3,959,040 in 2003, according to figures just released by the Department of Transport. 
Of this, £884,215 was passed to the Treasury and £3,074,825 went back into the coffers of the safety camera partnership.

Saturday 31st December 2005 - Daily Telegraph    

Drivers caught speeding and jumping red lights are far more likely to be prosecuted in some areas than others, figures showed yesterday.

Details obtained by The Daily Telegraph indicate that a speed camera lottery has evolved, with some forces more than twice as likely to fine offenders.

Postcode lottery of speed camera fines

---------------------------------------------

The following practical experience was recorded by, and advice and other information was  compiled by, David, my 'webmaster extraordinaire', who lives on the Somerset/Dorset border.

---------------------------------------------

Each of you will, no doubt, have your own opinions about speed cameras and whether they are an aid to road safety, or whether they are merely another way of extracting money from the long-suffering motorist.  But whichever conclusion you come to, speed cameras are with us, in most counties of England, and these cameras look likely to be around for a while yet.

But in order to avoid fines, and points on your licence, then it is wise to consider some means of detecting the location of each camera.  If you think this is cheating then consider the following.  The stated reason for installing speed cameras is to reduce motorists' speed to the set limit and hence create a safer environment for other road users.  By giving advance warning of such cameras, and hence giving the motorist the chance to reduce speed to, or below, the stated limit, then the cameras have achieved their aim AND you have saved a fine and possible points on your licence.  A win-win situation!!  

---------------------------------------------

PROPOSED UK LEGISLATION

There is some road traffic legislation planned for the Westminster parliament to consider later in 2005/6, and this is likely to outlaw laser-based detectors, but those that use GPS will continue to be legal.

---------------------------------------------

TWO USEFUL CAMERA DETECTORS

Over the past few months I have studied in detail several makes of GPS speed camera detectors and almost all of them are in the range of about £300 sterling.  They embody a range of features including a display screen, some with touch screen controls and with various audio alerts.  Some display the speed limit when you are within range of that camera and some give your own vehicle's speed as well.  Some are also able to give the exact latitude and longitude to pass to the emergency services in case of breakdown.  With most of them the user is able to insert his own selected 'danger points', of which he is then given warning at his next visit.  All the speed detectors that I examined could be updated through the USB port of my PC. 
However, I prefer not to peer at a miniature screen when my attention should be on the road ahead.  Besides, I already have a speedometer that tells me how fast I am travelling. 

INFORAD

But at last I have discovered a detector that, although it has 3 LEDs, these can be ignored, as all the warnings are by audible signals.  So I have installed an Inforad and this is what I have found.

When switching on the power to the Inforad it first searches for satellites, and when four or more are found, the detector is locked on and its gives one beep in confirmation.  When in a tunnel it may lose 'sight' of the satellite and it beeps to indicate this.  There is then another reassuring beep when it locks on again.  Whilst it is searching the green light flashes.

On approaching a camera site the device beeps three times, and the red LED flashes, and if the car's speed exceeds that of the speed limit then the audible sound is continuous.  If you slow down to the limit or below then the sound stops. Having passed the camera then, after a set distance (adjustable by the user)  there is one beep to indicate that you are no longer within the 'danger' area.  If I spot a camera that has been installed since the last update then this can be entered on my detector, and I can add this and my own danger spots at the press of a button.  It is also possible to set the device for a required maximum speed, and an audible warning is given when that limit is exceeded.  I find that very useful on a motorway when, on a downhill section,  the speed tends to creep higher than is allowed.

The Inforad gets its power from the car's accessories socket, and its power lead doubles as the connecting lead to the PC.  The built-in database can be updated via the USB port of my PC whenever I wish.  When updating my detector, the master database queries any user-entered points, and if a new camera has been spotted then this information can be sent to the camera company's website.  This location is then checked by the company's mobile engineers and, if validated, this camera location is added to the general database for distribution to all users on their next update.

This device costs £79.99.  Annual updates are free for the first year, and then £25 per year thereafter.  Alternatively there is a special offer of lifetime updates for £49.99 providing one subscribes within 30 days of registration. 
Full details can be found at  http://www.inforadgps.com/

 

ROAD ANGEL COMPACT

However, if you prefer a more sophisticated detector with a few more bells and whistles, then the Road Angel Compact may appeal to you.

This has been developed from the New Road Angel, and is about £200 cheaper and, with an eye to the proposed change in the UK law, it does not have the ability to detect laser-based cameras as does its bigger brother.

When you are out of range of a 'blackspot', as the makers describe camera sites, then the vehicle's speed is shown on the display, but when you are within range of a camera you will receive a spoken warning, and a series of beeps which get more frequent the nearer you are to the camera.  In addition the vehicle's speed is replaced on the display by the limit for that area.

Not only will this device warn when you are approaching speed cameras, but it will also warn of primary schools and congestion charge areas, and it has a time and compass display.

The price of the Road Angel Compact is £199 which includes the first 6 months free updates, and, thereafter, updates are available at £48 per year.

-----------------------------------------------

 

SPEED AND TRAFFIC CAMERAS

 

BUS LANE CAMERAS
BUS LANE CAMERAS What are they? A bus lane camera used to penalise cars and vans using the bus lane.
Where will I see them? They are currently only in London
Who owns it? Transport for London
How do they work? They're Gatso units that detect cars during lane operating hours. Live CCTV and bus mounted cameras are also used to identify rogue drivers.
Will I be fined? Possibly

BLUE BRIDGE SENSORS
BLUE BRIDGE SENSORS What are they? Infra-red sensors used to monitor traffic congestion.
Where will I see them? They're attached to bridges across the UK's motorway and A roads.
Who owns them? Trafficmaster
How do they work? They monitor traffic density and flow by measuring when a vehicle breaks the infra-red beam.
Will I be fined? No

POLE-MOUNTED CCTV
POLE-MOUNTED CCTV What are they? A closed circuit monitoring system.
Where will I see them? On busy stretches of motorway all over the UK.
Who owns it? The Highways Agency
How do they work? The camera provides live information on accidents, road traffic and driving conditions to the Highway Agency's National Traffic Control Centre.
Will I be fined? No

GATSO
GATSO What are they? A Gatsometer safety camera.
Where will I see them? Everywhere!
Who owns them? Varies but normally owned by the local safety camera partnership.
How do they work? By timing vehicles as they pass and measuring their speed. Two pictures are taken to do this.
Will I be fined? Yes

GREEN BRIDGE CAMERAS
GREEN BRIDGE CAMERAS What are they? Cameras that provide real-time traffic information
Where will I see them? On bridges over motorways and A roads.
Who owns them? The Highways Agency
How do they work? The forward-facing cameras measure traffic flow. Sensors mounted beside the road are also used.
Will I be fined? No

TRAFFIC LIGHT SENSOR
TRAFFIC LIGHT SENSOR What are they? A Microwave Vehicle Detector (MVD)
Where will I see them? On top of traffic lights pointing at the road.
Who owns them? The local authority
How do they work? The unit senses traffic and phases the lights to minimise delays at lights.
Will I be fined? No

TRAFFIC LIGHT CAMERA
TRAFFIC LIGHT CAMERA What are they? A Gatso-style camera used to catch drivers who jump the lights.
Where will I see them? Next to traffic lights.
Who owns them? Usually the local safety camera partnership.
How do they work? Sensors in the road detect vehicles crossing the junction. If the light is red, the camera is triggered.
Will I be fined? Yes

TRUVELO
TRUVELO What are they? A forward-facing speed camera.
Where will I see them? Everywhere except motorways
Who owns them? The local safety camera partnership.
How do they work? It measures the time it takes your wheels to pass over sensors enabling it to calculate your speed. It takes a single picture as evidence.
Will I be fined? Yes

BLUE POLE CAMERA
What are they? A device for measuring traffic flow.
Where will I see them? On major A roads and motorways.
Who owns them? Trafficmaster.
How do they work? They measure traffic flow by recording vehicle number plates and timing how long it takes them to travel a set distance.
Will I be fined? No

DIGITAL GATSO
DIGITAL GATSO What are they? A SpeedCurb digital camera made by Monitron.
Where will I see them? Six metres above the road in parts of Bristol
Who owns them? The Avon, Somerset and Gloucestershire camera partnership.
How do they work? The same way as a Gatso, except it uses digital technology instead of conventional film.
Will I be fined? Yes

WEATHER STATION
WEATHER STATION What are they? A device to monitor weather conditions.
Where will I see them? On motorways and A roads.
Who owns them? ? The Highways Agency.
How do they work? Sensors relay weather details including air temperature and dampness of the road surface to a control centre enabling the Highways agency to coordinate its response to adverse weather.
Will I be fined? No

SPECS
SPECS What are they? The SPEed Check enforcement System.
Where will I see them? On poles or gantries over/beside A-roads.
Who owns them? Local safety camera partnerships.
How do they work? Pairs of digital cameras record your number plate and measure your average speed between the two cameras. The cameras can be one or two miles apart.
Will I be fined? Yes

C-CHARGE CAMERA
C-CHARGE CAMERA What are they? Cameras installed to monitor London's congestion charge zone.
Where will I see them? As you enter the zone.
Who owns them? Transport for London.
How do they work? The cameras log your number plate using automatic recognition and relay the information to the charging company.
Will I be fined? Only if you fail to pay your congestion charge.

SOLAR PANELS
SOLAR PANELS What are they? Power for traffic monitoring sensor under the road.
Where will I see them? Beside major A roads and motorways
Who owns them? The Highways Agency
How do they work? The solar panels provide power for the traffic flow sensors mounted in the road surface.
Will I be fined? No

NIGHT-TIME SPEED CAM
NIGHT-TIME SPEED CAM

What are they? A mobile device that works in the dark.
Where will I see them? Somewhere in Cumbria.
Who owns them? Cumbria Road Casualty Reduction Partnership
How do they work? A speed gun is linked to a digital camera. It takes two pictures with a pink flash - first a wide angle shot of the vehicle, the second of the driver.
Will I be fined? Yes