I drove past new ‘AI’ speed cameras and I’ve never been more nervous

Speed cameras are getting smarter – and it’s becoming harder for drivers to get away with breaking road laws. New speed cameras^[1] have been rolled out in a number of locations over recent months as part of a new crackdown, and I recently found myself driving past some of these so-called ‘smart’ cameras.

They caught my eye immediately. In the West Midlands, we’re more used to the clunky old yellow box cameras fixed at the side of roads. These shabby structures haven’t worked for years but remain in place to act as a deterrent and keep motorists guessing.

But new cameras have recently returned to Midlands roads, and they are very much working. They are fitted with improved digital technology making them more effective at catching speeding drivers.

READ MORE: £100 fine warning over little-known rule nearly all drivers break^[2]

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They can also detect if motorists are using phones or not wearing seat belts. I was recently driving along the A449 in Stafford, one of the first locations for these new ‘smart’ cameras.

I noticed them up ahead. They didn’t look like the older cameras – they were new, modern-looking, somehow cutting edge. Unlike the old cameras, these are two-pronged with the traditional camera accompanied by a smaller measuring device.

I drive at the speed limit anyway but their presence suddenly had me feeling more pressured. I’d reported on these cameras so knew they were equipped with the latest technology, and that hundreds of drivers had been caught speeding by them.

I was suddenly very aware of my speed and, eyes glued to the speedometer, even made sure I was under 30, as if they were about to catch me out or I might nervously press the accelerator and take off like Lewis Hamilton. More than anything, I just wanted to be sure I hadn’t made a mistake.

Other vehicles in front of me seemed to be doing the same and it was slow progress as we made our way through. There’s a lot to focus on when we’re driving and it makes you realise how little you look down at your speed.

Creeping over is easily done, especially if a car in front is going a bit faster than it should be or you’re going downhill. Not that I would ever use my phone while driving, but I made sure it was well out of the way. Many drivers don’t know this, but just touching your phone while behind the wheel is now an offence, potentially leading to a fine and points.

I made it through seemingly unscathed but then, just a few hundreds yards up the road, another set of cameras! This is clearly a problem road which has been identified by police. So it was the same routine again, look down at the speedometer, make sure I’m under 30, both hands on the wheel, not touching my phone.

Speed cameras are, of course, a positive thing. When working, they ensure drivers stick to a speed limit, for a certain period at least. Nothing makes motorists slow down more than the threat of a financial penalty or points on the licence.

They are effective tools and should be funded by the Government and rolled out more widely. But driving past them can be an uncomfortable experience – in the same way as being watched in the corridor by the headteacher or a bouncer on a nightclub door.

You’re almost overly keen to show you’re doing nothing wrong – “nothing to see here”. It’s a feeling drivers should get used to. With AI cameras starting to be rolled out on our motorways and A-roads and police forces keen to install as many as funding will allow, intelligent cameras are only likely to be used more widely in the years to come in the police’s war on speeding.