"Don't try to beat the speed cameras!" That's the message from the AA as it looks to encourage drivers to ignore some common myths and stick to the rules.
Since the first speed camera was installed in the UK in 1991, a number of tricks and tips have often been cited as ways avoid a ticket and three points on your licence. But, as reported by the Liverpool Echo, the AA warned drivers must ignore these dangerous myths. The motoring association said: "You shouldn't be trying to avoid getting caught. It's safer for everyone to stick to the limits - and the law - by not speeding in the first place."
A 24-year study carried out by the London School of Economics and ending in 2016 found that speed cameras have reduced motoring deaths by between 58 and 68%. Urban myths pop up all the time about how best to "trick" camera.
One identified by the AA was that, on an average speed camera network, changing lanes could confound the system. But the AA said: "While older speed cameras could’ve been ‘tricked’, more advanced cameras now use multiple sets of cameras at each point to track all the lanes and compare average speeds."
Another misconception is around the colour of the cameras. Although the Department for Transport has revealed all speed cameras are set to be painted yellow to improve visibility, the AA said it was not true that speed cameras need to be visible in order for the offender to be penalised.
The AA said: "Just because you didn’t see a speed camera clearly doesn’t mean the fine is invalid. They aren't there to be spotted and dodged - the point of them is to encourage drivers to stick within the speed limit."
How do speed cameras work?
The first camera type invented is still used today and is named the Gatso after Dutch rally-driving inventor Maurice Gatsonides. The Gatso is a type of fixed speed camera which means that it records the speed at which your car passes at a particular spot.
According to the AA, there are four different kinds of fixed speed cameras and these are mainly found in locations where it is vital that you slow down to preserve people's safety - such as near a school crossing.
Another type is the average speed camera - which records the speed that drivers are travelling at on different points over a length of road. This means drivers are unable to just slow down as they approach the camera and there is no limit to how long an average speed camera network can be - as the SpeedSpike average speed cameras can fit into a network of up to 1,000 separate cameras.
The other type of speed camera is a speed and traffic camera - which uses radar to capture how fast a driver is going. If your car is detected as breaking the legal limit, the speed camera will take a digital image of the vehicle including the colour, type, make and registration plate.
The registered owner of the vehicle will then be sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) within two weeks of being caught. The minimum penalty for speeding is generally a £100 fine and three points on your licence. However, this can be escalated depending on how much you broke the speed limit by - or if you are a repeat offender.
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