Critics say the camouflaged digital cameras are designed to raise income through fines and not improve road safety
The stealth cameras have already been tested on the M25 and have caught out 700 drivers
Camouflaged digital ‘stealth cameras’ are to be rolled out on some of the UK’s busiest motorways in an attempt to catch out drivers breaking the 70mph speed limit.
The cameras – which are painted grey to make them tricky to spot, instead of the standard yellow – have already been tested on the M25, where they have caught out 700 drivers in two months.
Most of those – 520 – were braking the 70mph limit, but 148 of them were drivers breaking the variable speed limits of between 40mph and 60mph imposed to ease traffic flow.
The cameras – positioned to the edges of gantries on motorways – can scan four lanes at a time and use front and back cameras to verify speeds.
They automatically adjust depending on which speed limit has been imposed across the lanes.
The plan is to expand the technology to motorways around the UK soon – including the M1, M3 and M60.
Drivers identified by the technology would face fines of at least £100, leading to accusations that the cameras are designed to raise income instead of improving road safety.
The cameras form part of the Highway Agency’s mission to create “smart” motorwaysthat use a range of technologies to ease the flow of traffic and enforce the 70mph limit.
Other tactics include using the hard shoulder as an extra lane when needed.
Source: Daily Mirror
