Yahoo News New 'ultra' speed cameras that can see inside cars set to be rolled out
Motorists are being warned about new 'ultra' speed camera technology that can peer inside vehicles,. The VECTOR-SR cameras use infrared lighting to discreetly catch drivers breaking the speed limit and issue penalties.
Initially rolled out in Greater Manchester to improve road safety, the trial has now expanded with these cutting-edge cameras installed on 25 routes across the north of England. While they're designed to enforce speed limits, they don't automatically detect other offences.
Similar AI cameras have already been installed on roads in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Like VECTOR-SR, these cameras are also equipped with the latest technology but are grey instead of yellow. They are operational on the A34, A53, the Hanley ring road and the A449.
READ: Exact locations where new 'smart' speed cameras will catch you as hundreds get tickets The digital cameras are fitted with the latest technology to help police catch speeders and encourage drivers to slow down
READ: 1,042 motorists caught out by Stoke-on-Trent's new speed cameras The devices have gone up in Sneyd Green, Trent Vale, Baddeley Green and Hanley
The expansion comes as a Freedom of Information request revealed an astonishing nine million motorists were caught speeding over the last five years, with around 2.1 million snared in the previous year alone. Tragically, between 2020 and 2022, approximately 598 people were "needlessly killed or seriously injured" due to speeding in the north.
The National Safety Council's data shows that in 2022, speeding was a factor in 29% of all traffic-related deaths, resulting in 12,151 fatalities - that's more than 33 lives lost per day. These ultra speed cameras, which are painted yellow just like traditional ones, operate around the clock, reports Birmingham Live.
These cameras, which don't require road markings for operation, utilise infrared low-light technology to catch speeding drivers without the traditional "flash". Louise Thomas, a motor insurance expert at Confused.com, described these ultra-speed cameras as a "big advance" compared to the standard speed camera most drivers are accustomed to.
Not only can they detect speeding vehicles on both sides of the road, but "they're also able to see inside driver's vehicles too", she added.
Dame Sarah Storey, Greater Manchester's Active Travel Commissioner, highlighted the additional environmental benefits of these cameras, such as improved air quality and reduced emissions. She stated: "As a city-region we are working to adopt Vision Zero, which targets the elimination of all deaths and life-changing injuries on our roads."
It is estimated that there are around 7,000 cameras strategically placed across the UK's road network, enforcing lower speed limits. Information obtained through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request revealed that over 810,000 drivers were caught exceeding speed limits last year, with more than 2.5 million motorists caught speeding in areas with a 50mph limit or higher.
