Road safety cameras have been controlling traffic for years, but various myths about them still persist. Let’s tackle five of the most common:
1. Only police officers can use them
This isn’t actually true, as an enforcement officer can be a civilian who has been trained and authorised by the Chief Constable.
- Traffic cameras must be visible
There are no laws that say traffic cameras must be visible. However, most police forces find that visible cameras are a helpful deterrent, so they tend to flag them up with marked police cars and high-vis yellow cameras. This type of colouring can also be used with other types of CCTV cameras across industries to reduce crime and improve safety, such as security CCTV Worcester installed by a CCTV specialist such as apmfireandsecurity.com/cctv-installation/cctv-installation-Worcester/.
- Signs must be put out
Again, traffic police don’t need to put signage in place at a traffic enforcement site. A sign will be placed on a streetlamp or along the roadside before the enforcement area so that drivers have ample time to check their speed.
- There’s a 10% allowance
This is a common myth but it’s not one to rely on. Many drivers think they can legally drive at the defined speed, with 10% on top plus a bonus of 2mph, allowing a 35 mph speed in a 30mph zone.
However, these thresholds aren’t set in stone and they can change at any time. An offence is technically committed at just 1 mph above the limit, even if most forces do allow a variance in practice.
Bear in mind too, that AI cameras are now being tested, and these will automatically have speeds built in that ignore any personal discretion. They can also catch seatbelt offences.
Some drivers also complain that camera vans are parked illegally when carrying out road safety checks, but – sadly – they aren’t actually subject to these regulations in the same way that drivers are.
With these myths debunked, stay within the road speed limits for a hassle-free driving experience and safer roads all around.
