Traffic Police armed with new speed cameras

The Straits Times reported that the Traffic Police (TP) will deploy a new speed laser camera at 44 speeding hotspots from Thursday, the 19^th of May. This is the first time the cameras have been upgraded since speeding enforcement operations started in 2004.

These new cameras can capture higher resolution images, work better in low light conditions and have double the battery life of eight hours. They also have the ability to capture video. Officers will be stationed on overhead bridges or by the roadside. Signs will be placed about 200 metres before the speed laser cameras.

They are the latest effort by TP to curb the scourge of speeding. Statistics show accidents caused by speeding fell to 1,197 last year from 1,363 in 2014. The TP has attributed this decline to its new technology it has deployed on the roads to nab speedsters. In recent years, it has replaced its ageing film cameras on the roads to digital ones, and deployed mobile speed cameras, which can be taken down and set up quickly at speeding hotspots.

But the number of injuries and fatal accidents involving speeding vehicles have gone up. Last year, there were 8,021 injury accidents, up almost 3 percent from 7,809 cases in 2014. Fatal speeding accidents rose to 48 last year, from 43 in 2014.