Speed Camera

If you are looking for information on the annoying little device known as the speed camera then you have come to the right place. We're going to discus what a speed camera is, why they exist, what happens if you get caught by one and ways in which you can avoid this happening to you. By the time you have finished reading I hope you will fully understand the ins and outs of speed cameras and what they mean for you as a road user.

The Speed cameras used on the UK roads today are pretty high tech devices capable of doing a great job of catching us as we speed along the highway. If you pass a unit while traveling faster than the speed limit allows the system detects this using electromagnetic waves which are sent out from the unit and then analyzed on their return. By comparing the signals the speed camera can tell how fast you are traveling, if its over the speed limit the camera is activated and a picture is taken of the rear number plate on the back of your vehicle. This photograph is then sent to the main control center via a broadband connection, tested to make sure the car isn't stolen and a fine is then sent out to the owner of the vehicle.  The unit will also record the current date and time plus the location of the offense along with your vehicle's speed.

The markings on the road at the speed camera are used for speed verification in the following manner. The speed camera actually takes 2 photographs of your vehicle so that your velocity can be verified manually in case of dispute but examining how far you traveled between both pictures being taken.

You might actually pass a speed camera traveling above the speed limit and think you have been caught but you may not receive the expected fine and penalty points as the devices are set up to trigger at a certain speed above the limit. If you have been caught then expect to get a nice little letter through the post a couple of weeks later with the speed you were doing and where the offense took place. The penalty for getting caught will depend on the speed that you were doing at the time but it will usually be a fine of around £60 and 3 penalty points on your driving license.

The stated main aim of using the traffic speed camera is to reduce accidents by placing them in areas which are known accident black spots. Many motorists believe this is a lie and that the main reason they are becoming more and more ubiquitous on UK roads is purely because they are a great way of generating cash for the government. It is easy to agree with this point of view when you see many of the seemingly safe straight roads which are now littered with our little Gatso speed camera friends.

Obviously every driver in their right mind is going to do all the can to avoid getting trapped by these devices. For a minority that will mean actually altering the way they drive so that they never go over the speed limit. For the rest of us its a case of keeping an eye out for the warning signs at the edge of the road or using technology to stay a step ahead of the traffic police.

Speed camera detection devices are what is most often used in the fight against speeding tickets, and for good reason. These babies are a small plastic electronic device that sit on your dashboard and usually plugs into your cigarette lighter. The most up to date models contain a database which keeps a record of all the speed cameras in the country and use GPS technology to pinpoint your location as you drive along the road. When you near an area with a known speed trap you will get an audible warning to let you know so you can reduce your speed accordingly.