Technology will stop motorists claiming someone else was at the wheel
DRIVERS who try to evade speeding penalties by claiming that someone else was at the wheel will be the target of a new camera that captures a clear image of the driver’s face, The Times has learnt.
Police are investing in the new technology because of the growing problem of drivers “passing off” penalty points to relatives and friends in order to avoid an automatic six-month ban for accumulating twelve points within three years.
A study last year estimated that more than 700,000 drivers had passed off points in the past decade. Police issued 1.9 million camera penalties in 2004 and there are currently 160,000 drivers with a strong incentive to pass off points because they have nine points on their licences, one offence away from a ban.
The new forward-facing camera has been developed by Gatso, the biggest speed camera supplier, to work in conjunction with traditional rear-facing cameras. The flash of the first camera triggers the second, which takes a digital image of the front of the vehicle, using an infra-red filter to prevent the driver from being dazzled and to ensure clarity in darkness.
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