Speed camera gallery

Speed Cameras of the world

What to look for: A brightly coloured box with lens and flash window, mounted on a post. The rear-facing unit is often located on central reservations, so it can be rotated to record traffic travelling in either direction. Look for white lines painted on the road.
How it works: It uses radar, camera and film to take two flash-lit stills, half-a-second apart, of all vehicles travelling over a preset limit. The pictures are used to prove your car’s speed. It currently accounts for 90 per cent of all fixed speed cameras in the UK. Dutch firm Gatsometer also makes the Multi-Camera System (MCS). It has three still cameras and video capture, and patrols up to four lanes of vehicles at a time, as well as policing traffic lights and box junctions. It holds up to 60,000 images on a hard drive that can be downloaded via a phone link.
Found in: Australia, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, UK (MCS in US).

What to look for: A ‘triple-unit’ camera mounted high on a gantry or pole. Several are often linked in sequence to create a speed-controlled network – for instance, when travelling through a stretch of roadworks which continues for several miles.
How it works: Specs faces forward so drivers can be identified, and uses number plate-scanning technology to digitally record a vehicle at each site. It then works out the average speed it takes to travel between the fixed points. The system discourages drivers from slowing down when they reach a camera and speeding up again afterwards, so promoting steadier driving. It works at any time of the day or night, and uses no film.
Found in: Spain, UK.

What to look for: Similar to Gatso, although it is forward-facing and has two round apertures.
How it works: Truvelo uses magnetic strips or electrical sensors embedded in the surface of the road to calculate the speed of a vehicle as it passes over them. These strips are usually located 100 yards ahead of the unit. The pictures are taken using infra-red technology which gives off no visible flash, so cannot ‘blind’ the driver. A new digital speed and red light camera is currently being tested in west London. Dubbed the ‘d-cam’, it takes pictures of drivers’ faces and number plates without the need for a flash, then stores the snaps on an inbuilt hard-drive.
Found in: South Africa, UK.

What to look for: A vast four-metre high green pillar with four hidden camera lenses.
How it works: Short for Innovative Digital Enforcement Environment, the IDEE unit can detect an infinite number of speeding motorists via radar or induction loops in the road. It can also be used for catching red light jumpers. These can monitor multiple lanes in both directions at once, while an infrared flash means you won’t know you’ve been caught. Maker Peek Traffic claims the IDEE is also vandal-proof, thanks to its strengthened glass, fire-resistant body, stiffened steel base and anti-attack sensors which are linked to a local police station!
Found in: Holland.

What to look for: It resembles a US-style mailbox.
How it works: RedFlex specialises in high-resolution red light and speed enforcement systems. The technology combines full-motion video with digital images. It provides a 12-second clip showing a view of the junction before and after the violation. Notices are printed with colour images, showing the scene, reg plate and driver’s face.
Found in: Australia, US.

What to look for: A brightly coloured unit mounted at traffic light junctions on posts of varying heights, depending on the location.
How it works: RedSpeed uses digital technology to enforce compliance with red lights, as well as policing speed limits in the green and amber phase of the signals. It captures three images: a shot of the number plate, a wide-angle picture showing the car and offence data, and a third delayed frame similar to the second to prove the vehicle was moving.
Found in: South Africa, UK.

What to look for: A square grey post box with a letter-shaped opening where the camera lenses are located.
How it works: This is actually a vandal-proof unit that can hold a variety of speed detecting hardware, from a traditional film camera to real-time video recorders, capable of catching hours of footage.
Found in: Spain, Switzerland, Italy.

What to look for: Old-fashioned, box-on-a-pole design. Used extensively in Italy but not always easy to spot because the country’s authorities aren’t required to paint units in bright colours.
How it works: This simple but effective camera can capture 800 images on a film. It can be used in forward or rear-facing situations, and monitors several lanes. It also has a memory card option for more advanced police forces.
Found in: Germany, Italy, Switzerland.

What to look for: Fixed-site Mestas are usually contained in grey roadside boxes that resemble overgrown wheelie bins.
How it works: They use a forward-facing radar system which makes it easy for authorities to identify drivers. The digital cameras store thousands of images and can transmit evidence to processing centres. Cameras based in rural areas come with a USB port, so data can be collected manually by the police. Its stablemate, the Mesta 1000, uses the same hardware but can be mounted on a tripod.
Found in: France, Germany, Holland.

What to look for: This is a two-metre pillar sporting black bands to camouflage the camera lenses.
How it works: It has two measuring and documentation units, which check speeds in both driving directions. It also helps enforce red light and distance offences. It’s all operated digitally, and sends data back to a control centre via a wireless link. PoliScan Speed also comes as a mobile unit.
Found in: Germany.