Beware of the super speed trap

chris

Hi-tech French speed cameras could be heading to Britain's roads

Britain's motorists are about to be hit with a new breed of hi-tech sneaky speed cameras.

Nicknamed the 'supertraps', the latest generation of speed cameras do not flash, can cover multiple lanes at once and tell the difference between speeding lorries and over-the-limit cars.

The new devices won't be easy to spot, either. They look like nothing more than steel posts by the roadside, which means many drivers may not even realise they've been caught until they get their fines through the post.

Out with the old: The new, hi-tech 'supertrap' speed camera, left, could soon replace its more basic yellow counterpart if French trials are successful

The new cameras were invented in France and are set to be tried out on French roads before making their way across the Channel.

According to French motor magazine Auto Plus, the French government intends to introduce them within a year and the UK is likely to follow within months.

French roads are often used as a testing ground for speed camera technology before being rolled out across the rest of the EC.

Governments are expected to welcome the cash generated by the supertraps which are officially known as 'digital speed monitoring with advanced functionalities.'

The hi-tech cameras will be bad news for truckers. Lorries often have a lower speed limit imposed on them than cars but get away with going above this as long as they remain under the overall limit.

The new cameras are programmed to tell the difference between a car doing more than 70mph and a lorry exceeding a 50mph limit, even if both are in the same lane.

Auto Express, the UK sister title of Auto Plus, said: 'Continental roads get new systems such as this before the UK, and Auto Plus has uncovered plans by its Government to introduce the hi-tech cameras.'

The move has not been welcomed by motoring groups with many resenting the 'stealth' aspect of cameras which do more to catch speeding drivers than getting them to slow down.

The RAC Foundation said it 'spelled misery for UK motorists.'

A spokesman said: 'New cameras, especially if they do their job by stealth, will be treated with suspicion.

'They should be only one part of the fight to reduce road casualties and their positioning should be based on evidence that they will save lives, not help balance the books for politicians.'

The news comes shortly after the UK's Highways Agency revealed it is to spend £58million on new digital cameras to monitor drivers using the hard shoulder of motorways.

However, the Conservatives have indicated that if they won the election, they would concentrate more on speed warning signs than cameras to prevent fast driving.


Source:dailymail

Attached Images

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