UK SAFETY CAMERA TYPES

Road Angel warns you of the following cameras.

GATSO – Fixed Roadside

Uses Radar to measure vehicle speed. Takes two photographs of the rear of the vehicle, white lines painted after the camera are used as secondary checks to ensure that the correct speed was measured. Depending on vehicle speed depends on how many white lines have been passed and a comparison is made between the two photographs. Can only be used to photograph from the rear and can only enforce in one direction, unless the camera is sited in the middle of the road, which means the camera housing can be turned round. Some police forces paint lines on both sides of the road to give the impression that it can be used for enforcement on the opposite carriageway.

Central Reservation GATSO

This camera can be turned around to operate in either direction. Note that the camera housing has been designed to look the same in each direction. Travelling towards the camera a driver would not be able to tell from a distance which way the camera is operating.

TruVelo – Fixed Roadside

Uses 4 Piezo sensors installed in the road surface. The Piezo sensors are made of a thin strip of brass and are connected to an impedence converter. Basically, as you drive over the sensors the electrical signal generated by the brass strip changes and that’s how the system knows a vehicle tyre is present. The distance between the sensors is known and two speed measurements are taken to ensure accuracy. The three white lines after the sensors are the secondary check, the photograph of the offending vehicle will have it’s front wheels on the middle white line. TruVelo have now started to use the system for rear photography which takes two photographs similar to the Gatso system above. It still uses 4 sensors after the camera post and has a series of white lines, again similar to the GATSO system.

TraffiPhot S

Very similar to the TruVelo system described above. Uses Piezo sensors installed in the road and takes photographs of the vehicle from the rear.

SPECS (or SVVD) – Digital Average Speed Cameras

Fairly new system that measures a vehicles average speed over a set distance between two cameras. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras read your number plate and take a digital picture of the vehicle at point A. Another set of cameras further down the road do exactly the same thing. A computer then tries to match the number plates taken at each location. The system knows what time you were at each camera location and the exact distance between the two cameras is also known. By calculating how long it took you to travel between the two cameras it is possible to calculate your average speed. If your average speed is over a set threshold you receive a ticket.

Speed Curb

Uses Piezo sensors, much like TruVelo and Traffiphot.

Watchman
Takes one photograph of the rear of the vehicle and driver.

Each of the speed sensor interfaces is contniuously monitored by the RedSpeed Uses X-Band RADAR to measure the vehicle’s speed.

Speedmaster

Mobile – Hand-held roadside and enforcement vans.

With the Laser Alert device used the Road Angel will warn you that you are being targeted by the above devices.

Not Covered by Road Angel

Gatso Red Light and Traffiphot Red Light

Uses inductive loops installed in the road. The system is armed when the traffic light turns red. There is normally a grace period that is set by the operator, usually 1 – 1½ seconds. A photograph is taken of the rear of the vehicle, one before the solid white stop line and another when the vehicle has passed over the line. In each photograph is clear that the traffic light is on red.

ANPR Cameras.

Read your number plate and calculate your journey time. Not used for enforcement, but monitor traffic speed for jam information.

Traffic Control Centre (TCC) Pole.

Connected to sensors installed in the road near to the pole. They measure vehicle speeds allowing a Traffic Control Centre in Birmingham to monitor for traffic jams and incidents. Is NOT used for enforcement .