What to Expect
There are a number of different cameras patrolling the road which will all have a very different way of delivering a speeding fine to unfortunate drivers. The following, attempts to clear up what they are and how they are designed to issue a ticket. Please be aware there are other methods that the police force will use but I want to outline the most relevant.
Current Speeding Cameras
The Gatso
The most well known of all the various cameras now in action, The Gatos will take effect when you enter the speeding trap i.e. the white lines you drive over as you drive away from the camera. A radar beam is projected on to the car which tracks the speed and if you are over the speed limit 2 pictures are taken to making sure of the clarity under all circumstances.
The Truvelo
The Truvelo is a forward facing camera, the idea behind this is that it is easier to make a prosecution if you have a picture of the driver as well as the license. Unlike the Gatso which has a flash and is therefore considered unsafe for forward facing photos, the Truvelo uses infrared technology for an invisible flash. This coupled with under road pressure loops that sense a cars speed on approach with no prior warning to you make this a formidable camera. You may never know you`ve been clocked until it is too late!
Specs Camera
The specs cameras are primarily used to enforce a speeding limit over a stretch of road usually a motorway or dual carriage way, it uses plate recognition software and has two cameras mounts together both with infra red so they can work both night and day. They are set up periodically along the stretch of road and the your vehicle timed as to how long it takes to move between the set up points, creating in essence a speed controlled zone.
Peek Speed Camera
Not very popular compared to its similar rival the Gatso uses either radar or underground speed loops to gauge the speed of passing vehicles. Like the Gatso it works via a flash picture taken as the vehicle is moving away from the camera.
Handheld Speed Cameras
There are 3 popular speeding cameras used presently, them being teletraffic, mini Gatso and the TSS system. The teletraffic is the traditional laser pointer, usually pointed at the license plate of the vehicle as the coating on it is a good reflective surface. The beam is bounced back to the camera giving a speed reading. The mini Gatso is pretty much what it says on the tin a smaller version of the Gatso (see above) and the TSS is a fixed road side sensor device in which a police unit can plug in to as and when they want and take recordings of passing offenders.