Drivers warned as anti-braking speed cameras set to hit UK

Driving laws and rules change all the time, so it's important to keep up to date. But this latest update could really put a spanner in the works if you're not vigilant.

Motorists could soon see new devices which detect harsh braking before speed cameras, as well as catching vehicles who speed back up again over the legal limit. Following a successful trial in Spain, experts are warning drivers that these new anti-braking speed cameras could soon come to the UK.

The ground-breaking new technology will penalise drivers who attempt to avoid penalties by braking harshly to slow down for speed cameras then speeding back up too quickly after passing them. Road safety experts at Road Angel are calling for implementation of the technology, and have reminded all motorists to take responsibility for driving at the correct speed limit regardless of any new enforcement measures.

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The anti-braking devices were trialled in early 2020, and have now been officially rolled out in the Navarra region of North-East Spain after a successful pilot scheme. Experts are warning drivers that the high-tech devices could be rolled out in the UK after proving effective in catching out motorists trying to evade fines for speeding.

Many drivers are guilty of pushing down hard on the brake pedal to reach the legal speed limit on approach to a speed camera, and then pressing back down on the accelerator after passing the surveillance zone. This manoeuvre, despite breaking the legal speed limit, often allows drivers to escape receiving any points on their licence, fines or driving penalties.

Modern technology has been designed to make it harder for drivers to evade penalties, such as using laser systems and "doppler effect technology" to accurately record the speed of a vehicle over a certain distance. Average speed cameras are also a common sight up and down UK roads, where two devices record a vehicle’s number plate to calculate its average speed between both cameras.

However, the Spanish government have gone even further by introducing anti-braking radars and new technology known as cascading. The cascading system involves installing a mobile radar device a significant distance (sometimes over a kilometre) after a fixed speed camera to detect those motorists who speed up again after passing the first camera, thinking they got away with it.

The speeding driver will then be caught by the second mobile speed camera, and may receive a hefty fine and points on their licence. Anti-braking systems have a mobile device located before the fixed speed camera to detect drivers who are slamming on their brakes before reaching the signposted camera.

Therefore, those speeding motorists who brake harshly as soon as the speed camera is visible, have already been caught by the previous mobile device. Gary Digva, founder of Road Angel, has warned all UK drivers that these new anti-braking systems could be used across the nation to control speeding.

He said: "If introduced, these devices will catch and penalise more speeding motorists, encouraging more drivers to stick to legal limits and improve road safety. It comes after the news that one in four fatal collisions occur due to speeding on UK roads. This means that over 2,500 people are seriously injured every year due to excessive speeds.

"These shocking statistics alone should encourage motorists to think twice before speeding, yet it’s safe to say that the new technology will penalise even more motorists who are driving in excess of the legal limit, therefore helping to keep UK roads safer for all users. By capturing drivers who slam on the brakes before passing the fixed speed camera, as well as using technology to apprehend motorists who speed up again after the camera, the new radar devices will be able to penalise many more motorists than current systems.

"Although the fight goes on to reduce incidences of speeding on UK roads and accidents resulting from excess speed we believe introducing this new technology to the UK will help keep roads safer."

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