I watched Staffordshire's AI camera catching a driver every other day - all roads need them

For just over a year, a cutting-edge type of speed camera has been keeping watch on a bustling A-road in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.

These high-tech speed cameras were installed at the tail end of 2023. on roads including the A34 Newcastle Road, Trent Vale, Hanley's Potteries Way, the A53 Leek New Road and the the A449 Moss Pit in Stafford.

In the last year, the pair of 'smart' AI (artificial intelligence) cameras positioned along this crucial entry route into Stafford nabbed 161 drivers between January and September. This equates to more than one driver being caught roughly every other day.

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Staffordshire Police revealed that it was deploying 20 of these new cameras, which are replacing the older yellow box models. The AI cameras boast a more contemporary design, with sleek curved edges, angled sides and a flash device situated next to the actual camera on a horizontal arm, rather than all being housed together.

Inside, the cameras are kitted out with upgraded technology. Each one is armed with a radar device to precisely clock the speed of passing vehicles. These new cameras also don't need to rely on painted lines on the road to operate. Instead, they utilise a digitally applied line to monitor a vehicle's speed, reports Birmingham Live.

The cameras then automatically dispatch images of speeding vehicles to the enforcement team at Staffordshire Safer Roads Partnership. Here, a verification process is carried out before the images are processed as evidence against drivers.

Speed cameras along the A449 Moss Pit in Stafford
Speed cameras along the A449 Moss Pit in Stafford -Credit:No credit

The two cameras on the A449 are located a mere 0.2 miles apart. You'll encounter them as you climb Moss Pit, past a small railway bridge up the hill, heading into Stafford. Here, the speed limit is 30mph, having been reduced from 40mph approximately half a mile away southwards.

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The first camera monitors drivers heading north, and the second those going south. It took me just three minutes to walk between each one. Even in that brief time, I could observe their effectiveness. None of the motorists passing me were exceeding the speed limit.

Staffordshire Police stated it had installed the cameras at locations based on long-term data. With the 40mph limit dropping to 30mph slightly further down the road, it's easy to understand how speeding could be a problem here.

Doubling back along the A449, I noticed a souped-up Ford RST seem to briefly accelerate, only to immediately decelerate upon spotting the second camera. The same appeared true for several other vehicles cresting the hill, including a large articulated lorry.

While speed cameras may be a nuisance to many drivers, it's evident they can be a crucial and effective measure in reducing speed.

Speed camera locations and numbers caught between January and September 2024

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  • A34 Newcastle Road, Trent Vale - 1,087

  • A5008 Potteries Way, Hanley - 311

  • A53 Leek New Road, Baddeley Green and Stockton Brook - 249

  • A449 Wolverhampton Road, Stafford - 161

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