In most cases, speed camera evidence is considered definitive, so if you have been caught speeding without specialist advice from a UK solicitor specialising in speed camera defence cases, you will most likely be found guilty. Speed cameras are not infallible, and the accuracy of the evidence can be questioned.
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Gatso Speed Cameras
The Gatso is the most widely used camera and the most recognisable. Police use both static and mobile Gatso speed cameras to catch motorists. Static Gatso cameras are the big grey boxes that pepper roads across the UK. They photograph cars from behind as they drive past the camera over a series of marks in the road. Police also use mobile Gatso cameras, which they can move from place to place, and mini-Gatso cameras that operate from the back of a van or parked car.
Because the Gatso often photographs a car from the rear, the driver cannot be identified. These cameras use a roll of film and a flash, so once the film runs out, the camera becomes inactive until the film is replaced. However, these limitations are being addressed by the appearance of speed cameras that take pictures of the front of cars and by developing a Gatso that operates like a CCTV camera using a live video feed.
Truvelo Speed Cameras
Because Gatso cameras take a photo from the rear, drivers can use this weakness to claim they were not driving the car. As a result, Truvelo cameras are being used increasingly frequently as they photograph vehicles from the front.
Truvelo speed cameras use film the same way as Gatso cameras, so they will only take photographs until the film has been used. They do not flash, however, as they use infrared. They are also ineffective at catching motorbikes without front license plates.
Digital SPECS System Speed Cameras
SPECS cameras monitor the time a car travels between two stationary cameras up to a mile apart and calculate the car’s average speed. These tiny cameras use digital video to store images of car registration plates on a central computer with a timestamp as each vehicle passes each camera. These cameras are becoming more widely used as drivers cannot simply slow down as they reach the camera but must maintain an average speed which equals the speed limit. You have probably seen these used on motorways with reduced speed limits due to ongoing construction work.
Mobile Radar or Laser Speed Guns
Operators of mobile speed cameras must receive the correct training in their operation, as they are tricky to use accurately. When used correctly, they can operate effectively at distances of up to a mile and a half. Police officers must train the gun at a fixed point on their car to get an accurate reading and ensure that no slippage occurs.
Should the officer accidentally move the gun away from the fixed point and down the side of the car, the reading will become inaccurate because the length of the car will be added onto the distance travelled and make the vehicle appear to have been travelling faster than it was.
Laser cameras are used more frequently in place of older radar guns because they have better accuracy and are easier to target onto the correct vehicle, reducing the possibility of errors from both slippage and mistaken identity. Will examine the speed camera evidence against you to determine whether or not you have a good speed camera defence case. We specialise in helping motorists who have been wrongly accused of speeding due to problems with a speed camera.
