Mobile road safety cameras use a radar to determine the speed and the direction of a vehicle. The camera can detect speeding vehicles in 1 or both directions and from either side of the road.
red-light speed cameras – installed at high risk intersections where there are traffic lights. These cameras also detect and record when a vehicle crosses the white stop line after the traffic lights have turned red.
You can check this for free if you have been served with a penalty notice for a speed camera offence. Simply go to the Service NSW website and go to 'view camera photos online'. You should then enter your penalty notice number and the offence date.
Flash illumination for the cameras is provided by either a red or an infrared flash. Up to three lanes of traffic can be monitored simultaneously, while all vehicles travelling abreast or in tight formation can be tracked and caught.
About vehicle monitors
Vehicle monitoring devices for heavy vehicles automatically record details about the vehicle at all times, whether the engine is on or off.
If you think you have been flashed by a speed camera, you have to wait 14 days for it to be confirmed or not: that's how long the police have to issue a 'notice of intended prosecution', or NIP. It is sent to the registered keeper of the vehicle – worth bearing in mind if you drive a company car.
“So for example, travelling at 35mph or above in a 30mph zone will be recorded as a speeding offence. “However, Go Safe say thresholds vary and can change without notice. “Officially, any speeding offence occurs at 1mph above the limit, but most forces will allow a variance.”
Average speed cameras work by recording your speed at two different points. They don't capture your speed in a single flash. Instead, they'll monitor your speed over a length of road. This is so people don't slow down just before they see a camera and then speed up again afterwards.
Visually, they look like ordinary CCTV cameras; they're mounted in tall poles or overhead gantries. They will be painted grey or white; they will not be marked in yellow as they merely capture footage rather than detecting speed.
Yes and no. Anecdotal evidence suggests enforcement officers sometimes take blurry, unclear pictures which may or may not show the driver's face, but they will at least attempt to capture an image of every speeding vehicle. It's the registration plate and the make of your car they're looking for, after all.
And how long do speeding fines take to arrive? NSW doesn't really have a specific timeframe in which a fine should arrive in the mail by, but within two weeks would be reasonable.
Within 14 days of your vehicle being caught speeding the registered keeper will be sent a; Notice of Intended Prosecution. Section 172 notice.
The most usual corroboration is by way of static or mobile camera or hand held laser, but a police officer can also use his own speedometer in his vehicle to corroborate his opinion that you are speeding. It is also sufficient in law for a second police officer to corroborate the evidence of another officer.
Red-light speed cameras detect and record the speed of a vehicle by using vehicle tracking radar or electronic detectors that are embedded in the road's surface. These detectors both accurately measure the speed of a vehicle as well as its location when the traffic lights change to red.
At busy junctions and crossings you'll often also see smaller cameras on top of the lights themselves. These are there to help monitor traffic and congestion on roads, but do not flash for driving offences.
They're part of systems called magnetometers which can detect vehicles and can be used to monitor traffic flows.
You'll either be offered a speed awareness course, be issued a speeding ticket, or – in the most dangerous circumstances – you'll be sent to court, where you'll receive a fine, points on your licence or a driving ban.
Don't believe the urban legend that most cameras are just empty boxes, but it is true that not all speed cameras flash. Ultimately, there's really only one way to tell whether you've been nabbed by a roadside speed camera, and that's the appearance of a fine notice in the post.
Most speed cameras are rear facing, however there are exceptions. Truvelo Combi cameras, radar and laser speed guns, and the new 'Long Ranger' camera – that can measure speed and check for other driving violations from a kilometre away – all work by facing the front of vehicles.
Points: Speed camera offences and penalty points
In addition to the cash penalty, you will normally receive between three and six penalty points, depending on the offence (see above). Anything above six penalty points will almost certainly be heard in court, due to the severity of the offence.
This is a myth – many of them catch you with infra-red technology instead. So, no flash doesn't automatically mean no speeding ticket. Here's what you need to know about speed camera tolerances.
You should receive your Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) and a Section 172 notice inside of 14 days of your car being caught speeding. Exactly how long it takes for a speeding fine to come through depends on what system caught you, which police force is handling the notice, and the time of year.
What is the 'rule'? The 'rule' itself is quite straightforward: if the speed limit is (for example) 30mph, the rule states that you won't get a speeding ticket unless you are going 10% plus 2 mph faster than the limit.
If you drive along the A1092 or elsewhere in Clare you have probably noticed the Speed Indicator sign, or 'SID'; it is often referred to as VAS – vehicle-activated sign. It does not contain a camera or a number-plate recognition system, but it indicates to drivers their speed about once a second.
The 10% rule
That's because the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) urges police officers to use their discretion when dealing with drivers who break the speed limit. To be more specific, they recommend only handing out speeding tickets if a driver surpasses the speed limit by 10% plus 2.