POLICE CAMERAS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
They are posted along roadsides, on traffic lights, and overhead of motorways. What are they? They are police cameras that monitor and record motorist?s speeds and license plates. There are many different models in use throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. With the speed cameras? use on the rise, some have begun to question their safety and effectiveness.
The most popular police camera in use is the Gatso camera manufactured by The Gastometer BV from the Netherlands. This camera takes a snapshot of speeding vehicle?s license plate on the back of the car. The picture is used captured using a standard flash on 35mm film. Later, this information is used to issue a speeding citation.
A movement that was started in a German court has now made this particular citation more difficult to prosecute with success. The dispute over the citation arises because the photo only shows the rear of the vehicle; it does not show the driver when the infraction incurred. Since the driver cannot be identified, it is becoming more complicated to prosecute offenders.
Another common police camera is the Truvelo, which is made in South Africa. This particular brand uses infrared flash to capture photos. Because the flash is hard to detect by the human eye, the camera can take pictures of the front of the vehicle, including the driver. While they are not as widely used as the Gasto yet, their popularity is growing.
To overcome the increased usage of speed cameras, opposition groups have spoken out on cameras such as the Truvelo. Three arguments against the police camera usage have emerged. The first claim is that localities are financially responsible for the maintenance of the various cameras, however, all the money collected from the citations go back to the HM Treasury. Some believe that the local municipalities will save money in their budget if they discontinue use.
The second argument is that the speed cameras have not increased the safety of the roads. Statistics have shown that accidents and fatalities have not decreased significantly on the roads where police cameras are in use. In fact, some figures even indicate that there has been a decrease in road safety where cameras are stationed. One reason why this may be true is that there are a growing number of GPS and radar detectors entering the marketplace to help motorist know when to slow down to avoid being cited for speeding. However, once they pass the speed camera, the motorist speed back up. Even drivers without the help of technology have come to know where the cameras are mounted and can therefore decrease their speed when passing them.
Finally, several question if some cameras are even capable of obtaining accurate information. One such camera is the popular model made by Speed Checked Services, Limited. SPECS, another speed camera model used on major highways and motorways can monitor up to four lanes of traffic at one time. However, because two cameras work together to capture a car at two different sections of roadway, some believe they are flawed. They claim the SPECS are defective because a driver can simply change lanes to confuse the camera system. The company disputes this claim because they allege that recent studies have proven that the SPECS cameras are advanced enough to even monitor vehicles that change lanes.
It is evident that there are several groups that would like to discontinue the usage of police cameras. Nevertheless, officials are adamant that the cameras increase the safety of the roads and help make drivers more responsible. One thing is certain, at least for the foreseeable future, police cameras will be a common part of the roads in the United Kingdom.
