RedSpeed cameras are manufactured by Redspeed International Ltd. All of the RedSpeed cameras in use by the SEU are supplied by Redspeed who also performs the installation, calibration testing, any required maintenance and back office system operator training.
The RedSpeed camera system has Home Office Type Approval (HOTA) for use in detecting and recording evidence of traffic light or speeding offences. A copy of this approval can be viewed here: RedSpeed HOTA.
RedSpeed cameras are designed to monitor when vehicles cross the stop line at a traffic light controlled junction or pedestrian crossing and also monitor the speed of passing vehicles.
The camera is connected to the traffic light head and so knows how long the amber and red lights have been illuminated. For each lane there are sensor loops embedded in the road just before and after the stop line. Once the red light has been illuminated for 1 second the camera will be triggered by any vehicle that passes over the loops before and after the stop line.
For each lane there is a set of 3 piezoelectric sensor strips in the road surface spaced 1 meter apart. The camera can detect when a vehicle's wheels pass over each strip. By comparing how long it takes the vehicle's wheels to pass over the first and second strips, the second and third strips and the first and third strips it can accurately calculate its speed. If the detected speed is above the set enforcement threshold the camera will be triggered.
The camera will then record 3 images of the alleged red light or speeding offence as well as data such as how long the amber and red lights had been illuminated when the vehicle crossed the stop line or the detected speed. These images and data are then automatically transmitted via a secure link to the SEU office for processing.
Each RedSpeed camera has been installed and tested by Redspeed who issue a Calibration Certificate to confirm that the camera is working correctly. They also perform annual calibration testing.
Each time the camera is triggered it records two wide view images of the road so a secondary check can be performed. A trained member of Police staff inspects the images to confirm that an offence has been committed before a Notice is issued to the vehicle's registered keeper. For a red light offence that means any part of the vehicle has moved over the stop line while the red light was illuminated. For a speeding offence that means the secondary check speed is within the HOTA required +/-10% of the primary speed reading.