UK Speed Cameras

Britain's roads are now covered by more than 6,000 fixed and mobile speed cameras. These are sited at road sides, on bridges, and mounted on overhead gantries. Some of the current system types are listed and described below.

Points and Penalties
Being prosecuted in the UK on evidence provided by any of the various speed/safety cameras will almost certainly result in a minimum of 3 penalty points on your Driving Licence and a £60 fine. Please note that the points and fines system is currently under review and is likely to be increased in the very near future!

Gatso Speed Cameras

Fixed Gatso speed cameras are rear facing so that the cameras 'flash' does not blind oncoming motorists. sited at the road side. They use radar technology to detect and measure the speeds of passing vehicles. As a vehicle passes the camera it’s speed is instantly calculated and if in excess of the limit then the flash assisted camera is triggered and a photo is taken of the rear of the vehicle.

There are over 4,000 fixed Gatso speed cameras currently in use across the UK, accounting for almost 90% of all fixed speed cameras.

The Gatso is used for fixed speed cameras, in-car mobile units, on tripods and can even be used from moving vehicles.

Fixed Gatso cameras can take up to 400 pictures. They can also differentiate between cars/vans, and HGV’s. If the speed limit in a controlled area is 60mph for cars/vans and 40mph for HGVs then the camera will enforce the two separate limits.

Truvelo Speed Camera Truvelo

Speed cameras sited at the road side, facing oncoming traffic. Truvelo cameras use loops in the road to trigger when the speed limit is exceeded

The forward facing Truvelo camera system is designed to take photographs of the front of a passing vehicle, this allows the picture taken to show the driver of the vehicle as well.

To avoid the 'flash' which is given out by a rear facing Gatso camera the Truvelo system uses an infra red flash which produces no visible 'flash' to the approaching driver. These rely on 3 white-lines in the road, painted just before the camera, and are triggered by strips in the road, used to gain the vehicles speed.

Truvelo cameras are becoming increasingly more commonplace

SPECS Speed Camera SPECS average speed camera system

SPECS average speed camera systems utilise a video system with Automatic Number Plate Reading (ANPR).
The system normally consisting of a minimum of two cameras each fitted with infra red illuminators to allow them to work day or night. They are generally mounted on gantries above the road to allow all lanes to be covered. SPECS are also often used to monitor motorway road works where reduced number of lanes are enforced, by being mounted on poles at the roadside or central reservation.

SPECS cameras are positioned at 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.

All vehicles passing between the Entry and Exit camera points have their number plates recorded digitally whether speeding or not. Then using ANPR recognition, the images on the video of matching number plates are paired up, and because each image carries a date and time stamp, a computer processor 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.

Peek Speed Camera .Peek

PEEK Traffic cameras within the United Kingdom are in minority in built up areas. Counties currently using Peek Traffic cameras include; Leicestershire, Greater London and Berkshire.

Peek rely on radar technology, similar to a Gatso. They are also rear-facing due to the 'flash'

Speedcurb - Speedcurb roadside speed cameras are often used to monitor traffic light offences as well as speeding offences. These traffic cameras are rear facing and are used in fixed permanent speed camera locations. Like both DS2 and Truvelo speed cameras, SpeedCurb use piezo sensors embedded in the road.

Watchman - sited at the road side, Watchman speed cameras use radar technology to measure speed, a photo of the back of the vehicle is taken.

Traffic Light cameras - sited at the road side, Traffic Light cameras although mainly used to enforce red lights, these systems can also be used in the same way as a Gatso speed camera

DS2 speed cameras - sited at the road side,

Mobile speed cameras -

More speed camera systems will be added to the above list shortly

UK Speed camera systems