Home > Speed Camera Types > SpeedCurb Speed Camera
SpeedCurb Speed Camera UK Guide (2026)
The SpeedCurb is a fixed roadside speed camera most easily recognised by its height - it is typically the tallest pole-mounted speed camera you will encounter on UK roads. Installed at the roadside on a tall pole, SpeedCurb is most commonly used to record speeding offences, though it can also be deployed to monitor traffic light violations.
Like the Gatso speed camera, SpeedCurb is rear facing, capturing photographs of the back of a vehicle. However, where the Gatso uses radar to detect speeding, SpeedCurb relies on piezo sensors embedded in the road surface - a detection method also used by the Truvelo and DS2 camera systems. This means SpeedCurb cannot be detected by a radar detector.
Most SpeedCurb sites across the UK are single-camera installations monitoring one lane or one direction of traffic. However, twin-head SpeedCurb units can be mounted on a single pole, and when positioned on a central reservation of a dual carriageway or motorway, a single twin-head installation can monitor up to four lanes of traffic - two in each direction - simultaneously.
What is a SpeedCurb speed camera?
SpeedCurb is a fully digital, rear-facing fixed speed camera manufactured specifically for UK and international road enforcement. Its distinctive tall pole mounting sets it apart visually from other fixed cameras at the roadside. It is used by local authorities and Safety Camera Partnerships across the UK, with a notable concentration in London and other urban areas where its height gives a clearer line of sight over lanes of traffic.
Beyond speed enforcement, SpeedCurb can also be configured to enforce red light offences at junctions, making it a dual-purpose traffic enforcement tool at some sites. The camera unit itself is digital throughout - there is no film, and all images are transmitted electronically for processing.
How does SpeedCurb work?
SpeedCurb cameras use three piezo sensors embedded in the road surface, spaced one metre apart. As a vehicle drives over the sensors, the elapsed time between each sensor is recorded across three measurement intervals: sensors 1 to 2, sensors 2 to 3, and sensors 1 to 3. If the speed calculated from these time differences exceeds the enforcement threshold —- for example 33 mph in a 30 mph zone - the SpeedCurb camera is automatically triggered.
When triggered, the camera takes a total of three digital photographs. The first two are wide-angle images that show the vehicle, its make and model, and the surrounding environment. The third is a close-up of the vehicle's number plate. Together these three images provide a comprehensive photographic record of the offence.
The image on the left shows a SpeedCurb camera monitoring two lanes of traffic. The three vehicles in the picture all have their speeds monitored by the single SpeedCurb unit visible in the top right of the photograph.
Do you have a question about SpeedCurb speed cameras? You can read UK motorists' SpeedCurb questions and answers and also submit your own unanswered question via our online form.
Secondary speed check: road surface markings
In addition to the piezo sensor readings, SpeedCurb also uses check marks painted on the road surface to provide a secondary confirmation of vehicle speed. This is required by UK law for unmanned speed enforcement devices - the camera's primary electronic reading alone is not sufficient to secure a prosecution. By examining the positions of the vehicle in the first two photographs against the painted check marks, enforcement officers can independently verify the speed calculated by the piezo sensors after the event.
This dual-evidence approach - electronic sensor timing and photographic check mark verification - is the same principle used by the Truvelo and other piezo-sensor-based cameras, and reflects the legal requirement that there must be a secondary means of speed confirmation at every unmanned enforcement site.
SpeedCurb vs Gatso: what is the difference?
SpeedCurb and Gatso are the two most common rear-facing fixed speed cameras on UK roads and share several characteristics, but differ in important ways:
- Detection method: Gatso uses radar to detect a speeding vehicle. SpeedCurb uses piezo sensors embedded in the road. Radar detectors will warn you of a Gatso; they will not warn you of a SpeedCurb.
- Physical appearance: SpeedCurb is mounted on a significantly taller pole than a Gatso and is usually the tallest camera visible at a given site. Gatso cameras are typically on shorter, standard roadside poles.
- Photography: Gatso takes two photographs (used together with the white road lines as a secondary speed check). SpeedCurb takes three - two wide-angle and one number plate close-up.
- Digital vs film: SpeedCurb is fully digital and transmits images electronically. Older Gatso cameras used wet film that required periodic collection. New digital Gatso models are also filmless.
- Secondary enforcement: SpeedCurb can also enforce traffic light offences at some sites. Standard Gatsos cannot.
Does a SpeedCurb camera flash?
Yes. SpeedCurb cameras produce a visible flash when triggered, in a similar fashion to a Gatso. Because SpeedCurb is rear facing, the flash is directed away from drivers approaching the camera at the moment of capture. However, a driver who has been caught may notice the flash in their rear-view mirror shortly after passing the camera.
Can a radar detector warn me about SpeedCurb?
No. Because SpeedCurb uses piezo sensors in the road rather than radar or laser to measure speed, it produces no radar or laser signal for a detector to pick up. A radar or laser detector will give no warning of an approaching SpeedCurb camera. The only device that will alert you to a SpeedCurb site is a GPS speed camera detector, a sat nav with speed camera alerts, or a smartphone app - all of which use a database of known camera locations rather than signal detection.
No film: always active
Unlike older camera systems that used film, SpeedCurb cameras are fully digital. All photographs are stored electronically and transmitted to a central office for processing, where the data is recorded and stored ready for an officer to review and decide whether to proceed with a prosecution. Because there is no film to run out, a SpeedCurb camera is always capable of recording an offence - there is no limit to the number of vehicles it can catch.
Penalties for SpeedCurb speed camera offences
Being caught by a SpeedCurb camera carries the same penalties as any other fixed speed camera offence in the UK:
- £100 fixed penalty fine
- 3 penalty points added to your driving licence
- An offer to attend a speed awareness course in some cases, as an alternative to points
More serious offences - where the recorded speed is significantly above the posted limit - may result in a court summons rather than a fixed penalty notice, potentially leading to higher fines or a driving ban. For full details on the penalties and the NIP process click here.
One motorist who challenged a SpeedCurb prosecution illustrated just how difficult and costly a contest can become. They disputed an alleged 36 mph in a 30 mph zone on the A358 at Henlade, noting that their own photographic evidence showed a speed below the 35 mph prosecution threshold over the road markings. At the pre-trial hearing they were told the photographic evidence was inadmissible and that the piezo sensor reading of 36 mph was the primary evidence — with the expert witness costs potentially reaching £20,000 if found guilty. Faced with that financial risk, they had no practical alternative but to plead guilty. This case underlines how difficult it is to mount a successful challenge to SpeedCurb piezo sensor evidence in court.
SpeedCurb speed camera locations
What is your view and experience with SpeedCurb speed cameras in the UK? Tell us and read more SpeedCurb comments. Alternatively, if you have a question about SpeedCurb fixed speed cameras, please see our SpeedCurb Q&A page.
Want to know where the UK's SpeedCurb speed cameras are located before you drive? Here at SpeedCamerasUK.com we have a UK speed camera location database covering thousands of fixed camera sites. This database also includes Gatso, Truvelo, Truvelo D-Cam, SPECS, Peek, Traffic Light speed cameras and more. Read more about all speed camera types.
Speed camera alerts as you drive
Because SpeedCurb cannot be detected by radar or laser detectors, the most reliable way to be warned of an upcoming SpeedCurb site is to use a GPS speed camera detector, a sat nav with speed camera alerts, or a smartphone speed camera app - all of which use a database of known camera locations to give you advance warning on your route.
Last updated: 8th April 2026
