TonyM
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- Jul 30, 2013
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New controversial app turns smartphones into speed cameras
Auto Express linkA new smartphone app, which allows users to record passing cars with their camera and determine whether they’re breaking the speed limit, is generating controversy after only weeks on the market.
The app, named Speedcam Anywhere, can be used by pedestrians to take a video of a passing car suspected of speeding. The software will read the car’s number plate and use DVLA data to identify its make and model, then determine the length between its front and rear axles. It then compares this information to the footage to calculate whether the car was speeding or not.
The footage can then be saved by the user and a report can be generated. The idea is that this report can be shared with the relevant authorities. The app cannot be used to penalise drivers in the UK, as the Home Office has not approved it as a certified speed detection device. The app is also being prepared for launch in the US.
Do we think this is a good idea?
In the past I have submitted dashcam video evidence of dangerous driving to the police, and they have acted by penalising them for traffic offences. However I'm not sure I support the idea of villagers standing at the side of the road videoing every passing car trying to catch those who are speeding