Almost three out of every four motoring offences involve drivers flouting the speed limit. In fact, according to the government, between October to December last year, 42 per cent of cars in free-flowing conditions exceeded the speed limit on motorways.
Speeding ticket fines will vary depending on the severity of the offence, however, at a minimum, you will be charged £100. You can also get three points on your licence.
There are up to 15 different types of road cameras in the UK but only some have the power to fine you. Chronicle Live recently took a look at the most common ones found on British roads, and revealed which speed cameras fine you and which do not.
Here is what they found...
Gatso - speed camera. FINE
Since the introduction of speed cameras on Britain’s roads in 1992, the Gatsometer BV speed camera has become the most commonly used camera in the UK. They can be now found, of course, in digital format. They are found all over the country, particularly near accident black-spots.
Mobile speed camera. FINE
Operated by police officers — these devices are hand-held or mounted in vans that are normally parked in lay-bys. The cameras either use laser or radar technology. They can appear anywhere at any time.
Highways Agency CCTV cameras - not a speed camera. NO FINE
These are used to monitor traffic flows primarily for the purposes of traffic management. They also provide the Highways England with a valuable appreciation of how road-users make use of the network. This knowledge helps ensure future public-funded investment is made most effectively. They are not used to catch speeding motorists. They are found on motorways and major A-roads.
SPECS - speed camera. FINE
These big boys are able to monitor four lanes simultaneously, sets of these cameras are mounted on gantries. These are equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and photograph every vehicle that passes beneath them.
The data is then sent to another set of cameras further down the road (a minimum of 200m away). The time that it takes for the vehicle to travel between these two set points is established, and as a result, a motorist’s average speed between the two points is worked out. Speed fines can result. Fitted with infra-red illuminators, they work night and day, and in all weathers. They are found on motorways and dual carriageways all over the country.
Highways Agency ANPR Cameras - not a speed camera. NO FINE
The Highways England utilises Automatic Number Plate Recognition ANPR cameras, identifiable by their bright green housings, to support traffic management by sending data to the NTOC from which traffic flow information is calculated. The ANPR cameras do not capture individual number plates passing a camera installation – they are used to determine traffic levels. There are restrictions, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, on the Highways England’s use and storage of data from these cameras.
The ANPR data is permanently encrypted at the moment of ‘capture’ into a non-unique text string to prevent identification of individual vehicles (i.e. full number plate details are not recorded or stored).
Police Automatic Number Plate Recognition. Fine
These record number plates of every passing vehicle, then store information to ‘help detect, deter and disrupt criminality at a local, force, regional and national level’.
Records can be accessed for up to two years. If a vehicle is of interest to police, officers monitoring it can order a patrol car team to stop the driver and, if necessary, make an arrest. They are found across the country.
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