SPECS speed camera's..... Do they take a picture of the driver?

Question

SPECS speed camera's.......Do they take a picture of the driver?

Question Details: I think i got caught by a SPEC's speed camera yesterday doing 55 ish on a 50 mph motor way speed enforcement motorway.Does anyone know what the trigger limit is for the SPECs camera on a motorway that has had its speed reduced to a temporary 50mph?

Also

Does anyone know if the picture of the driver is taken?

Thanks

Answer 1

Do they take a picture of the driver?

Yes. The system is similar to the congestion charge cameras. If you've ever received a penalty notice for the congestion charge you will see that the driver and surroundings are pictured. That does not mean it will always be possible to identify the driver from the image. The congestion charge cameras are mounted higher than the SPECs so it is more likely that the driver will be identifiable in a SPECs image.

Does anyone know what the trigger limit is for the SPECs camera?

Because the accuracy is better, the trigger for a SPEC is usually lower than for a GATSO. For a GATSO, it might be up to 10%, whereas for a SPEC it might be 5% or lower. However this limit is at the discretion of the enforcing authority. Another thing to bear in mind is that the indicated speed on your car is up to 10% higher than your actual speed. This is done deliberately by manufacturers so that in the event of an accident, they are unlikely to get sued because the car was indicating a speed lower than the actual speed.

Will you get a penalty notice?

If your average indicated speed was 55 throughout the restriction, then you will almost certainly not get a penalty notice. Your actual speed would have been around 50, plus you've got a slight tolerance from the system.

Hope that helps you relax.

If you don't receive anything within two weeks then it's very unlikely you ever will.

Drive safely.

Answer 2

Most systems actually record a video of infractions.  Typically, drivers are distinguishable in the shots, but it depends heavily on the location of the cameras.  However the primary method of enforcement is plate recognition.  The driver is largely irrelevant, the owner receives the ticket.

Answer 3

Sorry, not to sure.  But I remember top gear saying that you get 10% extra on speed limit..  Hopefully you'll be lucky.