The latest iteration of Siemens Mobility’s SafeZone average speed enforcement system has received Home Office Type Approval (HOTA).
HOTA allows any evidence from the system to be fully admissible in court for road traffic offences.
The UK-manufactured solution is based on automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology and includes Siemens’ Sicore II camera, providing accurate and effective speed enforcement.
Using the latest HD camera sensors designed for traffic environment, SafeZone has been designed to secure identification in all conditions, 24 hours a day, at vehicle speeds of up to 186mph.
The latest certification covers features including day/night mode functionality, which for many schemes will, according to Siemens, enable the camera to operate without the need for additional lighting to be installed.
Wilke Reints, managing director of Siemens Mobility’s Intelligent Traffic Systems business in the UK, said: “The new standards associated with Home Office approval are high; testing is rigorous and demanding.
“This is really important if traffic offences are to be pursued. With this latest evolution of SafeZone, we have an average speed enforcement solution that leads the market in terms of security, image quality, capture rates and system performance.”
The system is part of a wider project that Siemens Mobility commissioned with WJ Group in October 2020 to deliver temporary automatic speed camera at road works (TASCAR) systems to two work schemes.
The first, for Avon and Somerset Police, was installed at Junction 23 of the M5 in Somerset. The second installation was for Hampshire Police on the A27.
The TASCAR systems also featured the Sicore 11 camera providing accuracy through advanced image control and dual layer optical character recognition capabilities.
The camera’s algorithm resolves issues such as sudden changes in scene brightness, sun blinding and variation in license plate brightness and contrast, said Siemens.
