TFL LAUNCHES TRIAL OF NEW RADAR-BASED SPEED CAMERAS TO IMPROVE ENFORCEMENT AND CRACKDOWN OF DANGEROUS DRIVERS

Transport for London (TfL), working in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), is trialling a new type of radar-based speed camera at up to 10 sites across the capital.

Evidence shows that exceeding the speed limit or travelling too fast for the conditions is a factor in around half of all fatal collisions, and TfL and the Met remain committed to enforcing safer speeds and modernising and expanding London’s safety-camera network.

The new cameras will be installed over the next few weeks at sites in Haringey, Tower Hamlets, Havering, Croydon, Hammersmith and Fulham, Brent, Hackney, Ealing and Sutton.

All sites are located on 20mph or 30mph roads and have been identified on the basis of suitability and risk.

The current spot speed cameras at these sites use sensors embedded in the road surface to detect the speed of all passing vehicles. The new cameras combine 4D radar and a 4k colour camera that requires no visible flash or white light and no in-ground sensors or road markings, offering increased reliability and a more effective method of detection.

The cameras also provide better quality images, which in turn improves the police enforcement process for drivers caught speeding. They can provide coverage of up to five lanes of bi-directional traffic flow from a single camera, whereas the current spot speed cameras can only monitor up to three lanes of traffic, requiring sensors in each of the lanes.

All enforcement signage will be checked and cameras will be calibrated before the police begin enforcement, as per TfL/MPS policy.

Speeding or driving too fast for the conditions remains one of the biggest risks to road users, with around half of the 2024 fatal collisions in London reporting speed as a contributory factor.

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, said: "Speeding continues to be a major cause of the most devastating collisions on our roads. This trial allows us to test new radar-based camera technology to ensure it meets London’s future enforcement needs. Upgrading our camera network is vital to maintaining strong, consistent enforcement, and together with the Met we are using every tool available to deter speeding, reduce road danger and save lives."

Detective Chief Superintendent Donna Smith, of the Met’s Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: “It is tragic whenever anyone is killed or seriously injured on our roads, and speeding remains a major factor, which is why our officers are totally committed to reducing that risk.

“Working alongside TfL, the Met will use every tool available, including new radar?based camera technology, to deter dangerous driving and support Vision Zero’s ambition of eliminating deaths on London’s roads.

“This trial will improve reliability and deliver better quality images, helping our officers hold offenders to account and ensuring we have a modern and effective enforcement system that saves lives.”

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