Bad news for those with lead feet: Britain is testing a new type of speed camera that can track your average speed over long distances while mounted on satellites in space. Similar to radar guns used here on Earth, the cameras will combine plate reading technology with GPS, and will be able to cover a network of streets rather than just a straight line of detection.
According to The Telegraph, the new technology--called the SpeedSpike system--is undergoing tests at two sites, one in Southwark, London, and the other somewhere between Antony and Torpoint in Cornwall. Developed by PIPS Technology Ltd., the system works by calculating the average speed between any two points in the network, and then applies that average against the vehicle moving through the same two points.
The company claims that the new technology can capture plates in all weather conditions, 24 hours a day. There was also mention that the system carries a low cost, and is easy to install. Its main use would be for enforcing speeds on heavily congested roadways, and to cut down on the number of speeders zooming through school zones. It would also eliminate the need for physical speed traps, allowing departments to assign officers to other duties.
So is this new system working? "The Home Office said it was unable to comment on the trials because of 'commercial confidentiality,'" the Telegraph reported.
