Types of Speed Cameras

There are several different types of Speed Camera situated across the UK just waiting to catch out unsuspecting motorists who are driving faster than they should be. Nicknamed the 'Yellow Peril', they've become a nightmare for drivers everywhere. Here’s a guide to what the different cameras do:

Gatso Meter Speed Cameras

Gatso speed cameras use radar technology and as they can be used as fixed speed cameras, fixed upon tripods, used inside moving police vehicles and in-car mobile police units, they are extremely convenient for local authorities and police forces across the UK. Because of this, they account for 90% of our fixed speed cameras.

Costing approximately £20,000 per camera - or £40,000 in rural locations due to the need for a 240v power supply, the fixed Gatso cameras can take up to 400 pictures before the film runs out, and are rear-facing. They are designed this way so that when the camera flashes at a speeding motorist, it doesn't blind them and cause an accident. However this means that you often don't see a Gatso camera until the very last minute- which makes sure that the camera pays for itself relatively quickly. Often you'll find two Gatso's pointing in opposite directions, to catch motorists travelling either way.

Annoyingly, they are clever little machines which can distinguish between different sizes of vehicles and can also enforce separate speeding limits - e.g. on roads where cars and vans are allowed to drive at 60mph, but HGVs are restricted to 40mph, it will be able to tell which is which, and enforce the limits accordingly.

Truvelo Speed Cameras

Truvelo system is steadily becoming more common and some parts of the UK now predominantly use this type of camera. Three white lines are painted just ahead of the Truvelo camera and there are strips in the road that register the speed of the passing vehicle and trigger the camera.

By using an infra-red flash, the Truvelo camera avoids the flash that the rear Gatso cameras produce when a photograph is taken. This means that the driver doesn't see a flash but the camera can take a photograph of the driver, as well as the front of the vehicle.

SPECS Cameras

SPECS work in conjunction with the Automatic Number Plate Reading (ANPR) technology. These are the cameras that you often see fixed to gantries towering over motorways or larger roads. You might also see them on central reservations or on the roadside.

They are fitted with infra red illuminators and are only ever seen in groups of 2 or more. The groups of cameras are fixed at separate locations and work together to establish the average speed a vehicle is travelling at - by working out how long it took it to travel between each camera position.

When a car goes past the first and last cameras (and any in between), the number plate details are recorded digitally. Using ANPR technology the video images of the number plates are married up, and the computer is able to work out which vehicles are speeding, and which are not.

The SPECS cameras are gaining in popularity, because they allow local authorities to impose controlled speed networks over various lengths of road using technology that is already available. They are currently situated at various locations across the UK.

Traffic Light Cameras

Cameras attached to traffic lights either work using radar technology (same as the Gatsos), or from ground loops which are set into the road surface. The loop system works by activating when the lights turn red and if a vehicle passes over the road sensors after this time, then a photograph will be taken.

As you'd expect from the name, Traffic Light Speed Cameras were only initially intended to catch drivers going through red lights, however now the cameras are often also used to measure motorists speed, just like a regular speed camera. So you need to be extra careful - if you speed up to sneak through an amber light and misjudge your timing you could end up with a red light offence and a speeding offence - both from the same camera!

Mobile Cameras

Across the UK, police use various hand held and mobile devices to catch out speeding drivers. They include the Mini Gatso and Laser Guns (Teletraffic or ‘hairdryers’) Mini-Gatsos are just what they sound like, mini versions of the dreaded Gatso Cameras. Laser gun are hand held cameras that record a cars number plate on video film, so that the speed can be recorded.

Caught by a camera?

Don’t forget, If you are caught speeding by any speed camera, it is likely that you will receive a minimum of 3 penalty points and a £60 fine, so drive safely and sensibly, and don’t get caught out!