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SPECS Speed Cameras
SPECS average speed
camera systems utilise
state of the art video system with
Automatic Number Plate Reading
(ANPR) digital technology. Consisting
of a minimum of two
cameras each fitted with infra red illuminators fitted on gantries above
the road, so they can work day or night. SPECS speed cameras work out the
vehicles average speed, given the time it takes to drive between the two camera
positions.
SPECS average speed cameras are
fitted either at the roadside or in the central reservation (as pictured
below) a set distance apart
to create a speed controlled
zone, or where
appropriate, groups of cameras
can be linked to create a speed controlled network.
As vehicles pass between the
entry and exit camera points their number plates are digitally recorded,
whether speeding or not. Then, by ANPR recognition, the images on the
video of matching number plates are paired up, and because each image
carries a date and time stamp, the computer can then work out your average
speed between the
cameras. There is no film used for SPECS.
SPECS are commonly used to
enforce speed limits on dual carriageways and motorways. This is because
one SPECS gantry can monitor up to four lanes of traffic at any one time.
Nottinghamshire currently has
the most SPECS speed cameras with no less than 43 pairs all
located in permanent sites.
SPECS speed camera are
currently in use in permanent locations in the following counties:
Northamptonshire,
Nottinghamshire,
Greater London,
Northern Ireland,
Strathclyde,
Cornwall,
Gloucestershire and
South Yorkshire.
In addition SPECS average
speed cameras are being used in the following temporary locations:
Hertfordshire,
Kent,
Wiltshire/Berkshire,
Devon,
Perthshire,
Cheshire,
Greater Manchester,
Staffordshire and
West Midlands.
View
all SPECS speed camera locations within the Speed Camera Database.
Quote from the manufactures of SPECS system.
"The SPECS system is so efficient and user friendly that Manchester CTO
processed 2,500 offences in 6 man-hours".
Points and
Penalties
Being prosecuted in the UK by a SPECS speed/safety camera system can result
in a minimum of 3 penalty points and a £60 fine. This fine amount is
currently under review by the government and may increase in near future.
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