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New Speed Cameras Can Detect If You're On Your Phone Or Not Wearing A Seatbelt

New Speed Cameras Can Detect If You're On Your Phone Or Not Wearing A Seatbelt

A new set of speed cameras is to be introduced in Plymouth that can tell if drivers are on the phone or not wearing seatbelts

Mike Wood

Mike Wood

Bad news for bad drivers, as speed cameras are set to get even more high-tech - with new cameras announced that will be able to detect whether the driver is wearing a seatbelt or not and whether they are on their phones, eating or drinking while driving.

The new cameras, known as 'yellow vultures' because of their lurid paint job, have been rolled out in Plymouth and may spread elsewhere in the UK in the near future.

They feature new LED infrared equipment and look nothing traditional speed cameras, so some motorists might not even realise that they are about to be snapped.

The new equipment is able to track whether people are eating, drinking, smoking or chatting on the phone while driving, as well as being able to spot whether or not the driver is wearing their seatbelt.

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They are the latest innovation after average speed cameras, which measured speed over time rather than taking one snapshot.

Average speed cameras, which have been introduced in a number of locations of recent months, have seen a huge increase in fines.

One location in Liverpool has snapped 6,000 offences in the first year of their use, with a full thousand in the first month alone.

The system on Southport New Road had seen a spate of accidents and was deliberately chosen by police and road safety experts as a trial location for the new cameras.

Since then, motorists have become aware of their use and adjusted their speed accordingly, choosing slower but safer driving over a potential £100 fixed penalty notice plus three points on their driving license.


The Lancashire Road Safety Partnership released a statement celebrating the success of the new average speed cameras.

"We are delighted to see a significant decrease in the number of motorists detected exceeding the speed limit following the installation of the Southport New Road Average Speed system last year," they wrote of the scheme in Liverpool.

"There is a large volume of traffic that uses this route and the vast majority of motorists are obeying the speed limit.

"We'd like to thank the motorists who have helped to make Southport New Road safer for all road users and residents in that area."

I know no-one particularly likes a speed camera, but the rules are pretty simple - don't break the law and you won't get snapped.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, Cars