Types of Speed Camera

There are many different types of speed camera used by the police in Scotland to detect speeding drivers. All devices require to be subject to Home Office Type Approval which requires certain conditions to be met. There are a large number of devices that currently hold this type approval. If you have been caught speeding by police using a device other than those listed on this page then please contact our office for further advice. This section focuses on the most commonly used or ‘notorious’ devices.

Click below to read about the different types of Speed Cameras…

 

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GATSO Speed Camera

The GATSO is the most widely known speed camera. Its bright colouring and familiar shape are well known to almost every motorist in Scotland today. As a consequence of the bright colouring these devices are easily seen by drivers. There are still however a great deal of drivers caught speeding every year by GATSO cameras.

The most common types of GATSO camera measure approaching vehicle speed using radar. If a vehicle is travelling over a certain speed the camera will take two photographs in quick succession. The vehicle speed is calculated using the vehicle position relative to the calibration lines on the road in the two separate photographs. The pictures are taken using a bright flash that illuminates the vehicle registration plate. This allows the registered keeper to be traced. The police procedure involves sending a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) to the registered keeper with a requirement under Section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988. This requires the registered keeper to identify the driver of the vehicle at the specified time.

There are various issues that can be raised in a trial involving a GATSO camera. We have considerable experience in conducting cases involving GATSO speed cameras. If you have been flashed by a GATSO camera and need advice or representation please contact us immediately.

UNIPAR SL700 Laser Speed Meter

The manufacturers of the UNIPAR SL700 Laser Speed Meter boast that it has been ‘championed by the media as the Rolls-Royce of Laser Speed Meters’. With such praise you could be forgiven for thinking this device cannot be challenged. If however you search ‘Unipar SL700’ on google the first news article that appears is about a case conducted by our own Terry Gallanagh. This landmark victory earned Terry the nickname ‘The Speeding Loophole Lawyer’. He successfully appealed a high profile client’s conviction for speeding that had been based on a reading from a UNIPAR SL700. We have already shown that the readings from these devices cannot be taken as gospel and we could do the same for you. If you have been charged with speeding based on a reading from a UNIPAR device please contact us immediately in order that we can begin investigating your case.

To read the Daily Mail article on Terry Gallanagh’s famous UNIPAR appeal click here.

Mobile Speed Detection Devices

There are many different types of non-stationary devices used by police in Scotland on a daily basis to detect speeders. These include the Unipar SL700, LTI 20/20 Speedscope and many others. All devices require calibration before use and annually and should never be accepted as accurate without taking legal advice. We have conducted many trials in the past in relation to many types of mobile speed detection devices. We have had great successes in challenging the accuracy of these devices in court.

SPECS

SPECS is an abbreviation of Speed Check Services. If you have travelled the A77 from Glasgow to Ayr or the A9 from Dunblane to Inverness you will have experienced these devices first hand. They are commonly known as average speed cameras. They use automatic number plate recognition to calculate the average speed of vehicles between each of the overhead gantries that support the cameras.

Many people assume that these systems are infallible. However they are subject to the same evidential considerations that arise in all speeding cases and we are experienced in challenging them. If you have any questions regarding the SPECS system or are subject to a prosecution based on evidence from a SPECS monitored section of road please contact us and we will be happy to provide advice or representation.