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You will find speed cameras all over Scotland. They are not invincible. We win speed camera cases everyday. There is no easy formula to follow. Each case needs to be tackled head on and every angle checked. That is what we will do if you want us to deal with a speed camera case for you.

The infamous GATSO tends to be sited at the side of the road. In the past it used induction loops laid into the road to detect speeding drivers but now most models use radar. In Scotland they tend to be set so that they can only "observe" one side of the road. One of the most common questions we receive is "Can the GATSO camera get me when I am driving towards it?" The answer is No they take photographs of the back of the vehicle. The purpose being to identify the vehicle and then the registered keeper receives a NIP requiring that they name the driver. However TRUVELO Speed cameras can take a photograph of you approaching and this can be from either side of the road. More common in the east of Scotland but being used more and more due to cot being lower than the GATSO and the fact that they can "Shoot" in either direction.The old film devices are being replaced with digital technology that takes the picture, the computer then accesses registered keeper details and automatically prints a letter to serve on the registered keeper. The photograph is of the back of the vehicle therefore it is difficult if not impossible to identify the driver with the photographs obtained. We visited the factory last year and have to admit that they run a really impressive operation.

The Truvelo speed camera is a lot like the GATSO but it has the added advantage of being able to position it facing in either direction. It can photograph oncoming vehicles therefore can get a shot of your face as you drive past. How and when such a photograph can be used against you in evidence is questionable. It raises some interesting points about your human rightsand the right to "private life" They are also cheaper than the GATSO. When we last checked the GATSO cost around £44,000 and the Truvelos were around £28,000. Although you will see a flash in your mirror when you speed past a GATSO the Truvelo doesn't do that. It uses infra red light so no flash required.

The SPECS speed camera system is well know to anyone who trvels up and down to Ayr. They are sited on gantries over the road and have been nicknamed "the yellow vultures" They consist of a couple of video cameras that use infra red to allow them to work 24/7.

Drivers pass between the entry and exit camera points positioned along the relevant roadway. (Normally Dual carriageway or motorway) their number plates are digitally recorded, Then, by ANPR recognition, the images on the video of matching number plates are paired up, and because each image carries a date and time stamp, the computer can establish your average speed between the cameras.

Again similar to the GATSO. Peek cameras use inductive loops in the roadway to detect the speed contravention then take a photograph of the back of the vehicle.

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Again similar to the dreaded GATSO but use piezo electric cells for speed detection of the vehicle. The piezos are positioned in the ground at start and end position. These guys take a photograph of the back of the car so again an identification issue may arise depending upon how you respond to the Notice of Intended Penalty.

The Road Safety Initiatives throughout Scotland use a variety of mobile and hand devices to detect speeding. Sometimes referred to as the "Talivan"

These systems include; Mini-Gatso, TSS system and Teletraffic (laser guns). LTI 20/20,Mini-Gatso, the technology used in a Mini-Gatso unit is very similar to that used within a fixed position Gatso speed camera, using radar. Laser technology is radically different and involves aiming a laser beam at a vehicles number plate from a great distance away. There have been very few scientific studies regarding the effect of large distance detection eg. Has the beam spread wide enough to detect the white reflective road markings?

Graham Walker LLb,DipLP,NP

25 Years practising as a Criminal lawyer in Scotland. Specialising in road traffic law .