There’s nothing new about people resorting to guerrilla tactics to tackle dangerous driving – people have even disguised bird boxes as speed cameras, but James Thom has gone a step further with his AI-powered DIY speed camera.
James’s code turns any webcam or camera phone into a virtual speed camera. It overlays the current speed so you can see which vehicles are speeding in real time. you can watch it in action here.
The results of the community speed survey using this software was used to successfully persuade the council to install traffic calming measures on the road.
I want my own speed camera, but can’t write code…
If you like the idea of using speed camera data to lobby your local council about traffic calming measures , but don’t have the programming skills to build your own system like James did, help is at hand in the form of the Android Speedcam Anywhere app.
Speedcam Anywhere uses video from your phone to calculate the speed of a vehicle as well as its location. It generates a link which can be uploaded to police dashcam websites or used to campaign for traffic calming measures.
Point and click: The app automatically calculates the speed of the vehicle you’re filming
The app has not yet been Type Approved by the Home Office, so cannot issue speeding tickets, but evidence from the app can be presented to police forces so they can issue Anti-Social Driving Orders for Section 59 offences, where inconsiderate driving causes alarm and distress.
Rod King MBE, founder and campaign director of 20’s Plenty for Us, has described the system as a game changer: “Speedcam Anywhere bypasses the current resource bottlenecks associated with enforcement. We have police forces that desperately want to reduce road offences and speeding offences, but many will only prioritise minimal resources to the task.”
It is hoped the app will act as a deterrent because any of the people you drive past could be filming and reporting your speed – very different from drivers feeling they only have to comply with the law when approaching a speed camera or when someone in a hi-vis jacket at the side of the road is pointing a speed gun at them.
The app is available to download from SpeedcamAnywhere.com or the Google Play Store.
The ethical choice
The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.
The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK’s most ethical provider.
Buk lau
No ones going to trust that, you could put down whatever speed you want this is not accurate.
Paul
Did you read the article? The council accepted it as supporting evidence for traffic calming measures. So it was good enough for them.
Mr Derek Clark
How’s that, the software works out the speed, you just follow the vehicle with your camera.
Stephen Partridge
Sounds like a good ldea
Rich
I’ve been using speedcam anywhere on the 20mph limit through the village I live in. Over a period of a few days, 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, I clocked 189 drivers in excess of 30mph. This was all sent to our local Councillor and our MP but Kirklees council won’t do anything as there have been no fatalities on the road, despite 2 accidents at the zebra crossing of drivers running in to the back of another who had stopped to let people cross. So much for prevention is better than a cure…
Ian
Would love to use this on my street which (I estimate) sees cars and vans regularly travelling at 40/50 mpg in a 30 zone!! But I havdd we an Apple phone. Anyone know of a similar App which will work on Apple phones?
Paul Wilcox
If you do the correct speed, u have nothing to fear. It’s simple.