SPECS3, the first distributed average speed camera system can now go live. The long wait is over and SPECS3 has received its full Home Office Type Approval. This means that the latest in average speed enforcement technology can be applied on the UK road network.

SPECS3 allows a network of cameras to measure the average speed of vehicles between camera locations, covering simple sections of road or area based networks. This delivers a far more flexible solution than earlier generations of SPECS, allowing distributed cameras to communicate with each other. Due to simplified installation and advances in technology, SPECS3 solutions are now considerably more cost effective, presenting road safety professionals and highway designers a powerful new tool that can be rapidly configured and installed.

Remote video cameras continually monitor traffic as it passes, routinely sending number plate data back to a remote central server. If a vehicle is detected as travelling above the Police threshold between two valid camera locations, images are retrieved and an offence file is created. This offence file will then be viewed by an operator, before any further action is taken.

Traffic flow through a SPECS speed control section improves considerably, resulting in a safer, smoother and more reliable journey. Vehicles can merge and diverge more easily, allowing drivers to enter or leave the carriageway without speeding up or slowing down to find a gap. The overall result is a conveyor belt type flow, with uniform speeds, little braking, larger headways, fewer collisions and reduced emissions. This delivers safer, more reliable journeys for all road users, whilst maximising throughput on roads with a high traffic volume.

It is anticipated that SPECS3 will be operated in 20mph zones, rural routes, strategic trunk roads and Managed Motorway applications. In doing so, the cameras should ensure that the roads are safe, journeys are reliable, emissions are reduced and only a very few drivers will need to be penalized, which is ultimately the mark of an effective speed management tool.

SPECS3 Overview Document (Click here to view)