Speed cameras record a vehicle’s speed by using detectors in the road or radar technology, depending on the type of camera. If the camera detects speeding, it takes a digital image and will catch the vehicle’s colour, type, make and registration plate.
The average fine for a speeding driver is £100 and three points on their licence.
This could be higher depending on how fast the car was going and some motorists could even get a court summons.
If it’s a first offence and you don’t have points on your licence, you could be offered a speed awareness course instead of penalty points.
The Department for Transport revealed that all speed cameras were to be painted yellow by October 2016.
All Gatso cameras are rear-facing so the flash doesn’t dazzle drivers, but acts to light up the car and registration plate, as well as white lines painted on the road in front of the cameras.
Truvelo Combi speed cameras are forward facing and use infra-red technology instead of flashes.
The Truvelo D-Cam is an upgraded version of the Truvelo Combi, using similar technology which are both front and rear facing.
The HADECS (Highway Agency Digital Enforcement Camera System) camera are mostly used on smart motorways and record a maximum of five lanes of traffic and capture vehicles using lane identification, vehicle position and positive vehicle identification.
Average speed cameras work by recording your speed at two different points, rather than using a flash.
The SPECS camera uses Automatic Number Plate Reading (ANPR) to record drivers between a set of cameras at least 200 metres apart.
This allows the cameras to calculate the average speed of the vehicle and using the ANPR system, send a fine to the registered address.
Other average speed cameras include the Siemens SafeZone camera, which is mainly used in towns and cities, and the SpeedSpike camera, which fits into a network of up to 1,000 separate camera.
Speed and traffic cameras use radar to capture and record a speeding motorists and also monitor traffic light offences too.
The SpeedCurb are often mounted high, the REDFLEXred monitors traffic light offences and the REDFLEXspeed monitors up to six lanes of traffic on a motorway.
The final speed camera is the Long Ranger mobile speed cameras which can capture speeding drivers from one kilometre away.
This can also be used for recording drivers not wearing seatbelts and people using the phone while driving.
In the future, speed cameras could get even smarter and could pick up even more offences on the road.
Speed cameras on smart motorways now capture drivers who use lanes with a red ‘X’ over them and could soon even catch drivers who are using their phone.