Two new speed camera threats for bikes

Two new speed cameras are both bad news for speeding riders.

A new camera van can film the same bike from the front and rear, while the firm behind Gatsos fixed cameras is ready to switch the 4000 on our roads from film to digital by replacing the internals.

The speed camera van, called the Commander, can capture both our registration numbers and a 180˚ view of bike and rider. One camera films the rider as he approaches while his speed is measured with a laser device. More cameras on the side of the van film the motorcycle as it passes and proceeds along the road.

Up till now, camera operators have had to rely on taking a note of the number plate once the bike has passed, a process which can lead to errors and disputes.

The new system ready to go in Gatso housings means the cameras will never run out of film, potentially allowing thousands more speeders to be caught. Gatsos are one of the few fixed cameras capable of catching bikes as most others are front facing. In the past it has been reported that up to two-in-three are out of action at any one time in some areas because they have run out of film.

Michael Clarke, spokesman for Serco, the UK distributor for Gatsometer, said: “You can take more pictures and you could potentially download them down a data link instead of having to send a man out with a van to empty the film and bring it back to the lab.” He said the firm hoped the new system would win type approval from the Home Office within months.

A spokeswoman for the Northern and North East Safety Camera Partnerships, in charge of cameras in north and east Scotland, where the new van is in use, said: “The Commander system works alongside the existing mobile cameras to provide 360˚ vision around the safety camera unit. The system is designed to assist in the identification of motorcycle offenders by recording images when the bike passes the camera van.”

Get tomorrow’s MCN to find out why the Commander system could be the best tool the police have had yet to catch speeding bikers and where else it’s in use.