Operating principle of a speed camera

Operating principles of traffic police cameras for video recording of violations

Today, when traveling around Europe, it is almost impossible to meet a police officer on the roads, but, strange as it may seem at first glance, almost all drivers try not to violate traffic rules. The secret is completely simple - Europeans have been using video cameras to record violations for quite a long time and very successfully. Recently, you can increasingly see such devices on our roads. Many people have mixed feelings about them, but the statistics on reducing traffic violations speak for themselves.

In the modern world, every driver must clearly understand what surprises can await him on the road. In this article we will try to introduce the reader to the existing types of cameras for recording traffic violations.

Types of cameras for video recording of traffic violations

All DVRs used on the roads can be divided into 2 main types:

Automatic cameras.
Cameras that are used directly by traffic police officers.

Cameras for automatic recording of violations

DVRs operating in automatic mode record a fairly wide range of violations, but not all. Drivers need to remember that technology is constantly being improved and the list of rule violations is constantly expanding.

Automatic devices are usually divided according to the following parameters:

In addition to this classification, cameras can also be divided according to their operating principle:

Radar. They are easily recognized by the existing radar sensor and the camera itself. First, the radar detects a violation of the speed limit, and then video recording is made. Unfortunately, devices of this type have a fairly large percentage of errors, for which drivers have to pay.
Laser. These are the most modern cameras used in Europe. In our country you can also find such devices. They are usually attached to the side of the road and can cover six lanes of traffic. In addition to stationary options, you can also find portable devices. They look like a simple video camera, but with two lenses.
Video recordings. The device takes several photographs at a certain time interval and then calculates the speed of the car.

Stationary devices

This type of camera is installed in a specific location and is configured only once. Then they work automatically, recording traffic violations and sending them to the central office. These devices are capable of recording the widest possible range of violations:

exceeding the speed limit;
running a red light;
temporary driving in the oncoming lane;
stopping behind the stop line;
driving through a prohibitory sign;
driving on the sidewalk;
violations when overtaking another vehicle;
pedestrians were not allowed to pass at the crossing;
crossing prohibition lines;
low beam headlights not on;
making a turn from the second row, etc.

Stationary camera

As noted earlier, this list is constantly expanding. For example, today the traffic police is working to ensure that video recording devices can track cars with expired insurance or those driving with a fake policy.

Stationary recording cameras can also be different, and the most common brands are:

“Arrow” – allows you to recognize a vehicle that is programmed in its memory. It can see an infringing target almost 500 meters away (the device is capable of driving up to several dozen cars simultaneously). After the intruder vehicle approaches 50 meters, the “arrow” will record the car’s license plate number and photograph it, then the internal radar will finally set the speed.
“Avtodoriya” - the device does not have a radar, and the speed is determined by photographing the car at the beginning of the segment of movement and at its end. The distance at which a violation can be noticed can range from 100 meters to 3 km.
"AvtoUragan - VSM" records approximately 15 types of traffic violations. There is also no built-in radar here, but a device with an error of 2 km. determines the speed of the car and records the time.
“Vocord” – speed is recorded using a series of photographs.
“Arena” – can be either stationary or mobile. It has the ability to notice an intruder even in the dark, detecting speeds from 20 to 250 kilometers per hour.

Most modern technical means used by the traffic police inspectorate cope well with their functions even in the dark, since they operate in the infrared range. This property also helps to see numbers stained with dirt.

Portable cameras

Portable cameras can be installed in completely different places, changing places as often as possible. These technical means must be reconfigured each time after installation. Such video cameras can practically only detect speeding, often ignoring other, no less serious traffic violations.

Portable camera

Mobile cameras

Video cameras of this type are installed directly in the vehicle of the traffic police inspector. Most often they are intended to record violations:

speed limit;
failure to comply with parking rules;
non-compliance with payment rules for cargo transportation.

Mobile cameras are capable of detecting and recording violations while driving.

All three types of automatic cameras involve recording a violation and sending data and photographs of the violator to the traffic police inspectorate, from where the so-called “chain letters” are then sent out.

Mobile camera

Cameras used by traffic police officers

These technical means are used as auxiliary equipment by traffic police officers. They can be used to record any violations of traffic rules, but a fine is imposed immediately at the place where the vehicle is stopped by an inspector in manual mode. The use of such devices can occur in several ways.

The inspector films the violation and stops the violator. After presenting video evidence to the driver, a fine is issued on the spot.
The inspector records non-compliance with traffic rules and sends the information to the next post, where the violating vehicle is stopped. Then, after the driver familiarizes himself with the available materials, a fine is issued.
The camera is located at some distance from the traffic police post and uses car numbers to recognize them and check them against all the necessary databases. The information is sent to the post, where the desired vehicle is detained.

Camera near the traffic police post

What frequencies do cameras operate at?

In our country, standardized radio frequencies are most often used.

The most common frequency in the CIS countries is 10525 MHz, known as the X-band. In our country it is practically not used.
The most important band in Russia is 24150 MHz. This frequency has much less interference compared to the previous one. Most modern road cameras operate in this range.
The newest range is 34700 MHz. in Russia it is not used, as it is used for military needs.

How the received data is processed

After a traffic violation has been recorded, the automatic camera transmits all the photographs taken to the central server. Here, the owner of the car and his address are determined from the traffic police database. Next, the car owner is sent a letter containing a protocol and a Resolution on an administrative fine, certified by a seal. The letter will also include a photo of the car at the time of the violation. It is important that in such a photograph the license plate number of the car is clearly visible from the front and back. Such letters of “happiness” are always sent with notification. This date is the starting point for the required period of two months. This fine can be paid at any bank using the attached details.

How to find out about possible video recording

Our legislation provides for the installation of warning signs about the presence of automatic recording of traffic violations. This is plate 8.23. Such signs can be found on almost any road and you must always be careful not to receive a notification about an existing fine. Unfortunately, the absence of a sign cannot be a reason to protest the inspector’s decision.

Nobody likes receiving chain letters, but it is important to understand that the presence of automatic cameras is a very effective way to reduce accidents on the roads, and you just need to be very careful and not break traffic rules.

How do video cameras work?

More and more automatic video recording cameras are appearing on the roads. Incorruptible and reliable guards protecting traffic rules. A soulless camera is an excellent anti-corruption solution. True, the majority of drivers are still unhappy and feel offended when a camera photographs their violation. Also, many car owners believe that since they did not receive the protocol in their hands “lukewarm” after it was drawn up by the inspector at the scene of the violation, then it is not necessary to pay fines on the receipt received by mail. Only with a debt of fines exceeding 10,000 rubles, there is a chance not to fly off on vacation, having “stumbled” at passport control.

However, according to manufacturers of automatic fixation systems, the payback period for cameras in Moscow and the Moscow region is three months, in other regions of Russia – five to six months. In order to save money, the authorities install dummies in some areas, the cost of which, including installation, is about 100,000 rubles - this is still several times cheaper than the real thing, and in terms of efficiency it is not much inferior: even knowing the places where the dummies will be installed (they are published in the public domain), Drivers still slow down for them.

Over the past year, with their help, more than 50 million decisions were made in cases of administrative offenses, and this is already 67% of all decisions made for traffic violations, and these figures are growing from year to year. At the same time, not only the number of fines imposed increases, but also the number of articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses under which such fines are issued.

According to the State Traffic Inspectorate, almost 10 thousand such cameras are already operating on the country’s roads today. But so far, 76% of them are only able to track speed violations. This is 89% of automatically recorded violations. But more and more cameras are being used to recognize other types of violations, including:

– not allowing pedestrians to pass at pedestrian crossings;

– driving into oncoming traffic and under the “No Entry” sign;

– violation of the rules for passing signalized intersections and railway crossings;

– violation of the requirements of the sign “Trucks are prohibited”;

– the vehicle enters the public transport lane;

– violation of stopping and parking rules.

Further more. This year, a joint experiment of the State Traffic Inspectorate and the Russian Union of Auto Insurers was supposed to start to check the presence of an MTPL policy using video cameras. Due to the presence of a lot of erroneous information in the RSA database, the start of the project was suspended so as not to escalate social tension. But they will definitely return to this idea as soon as the databases are corrected. Since July of this year, the capital's photo and video cameras began to detect cars driving during the day with their headlights off. And in the Moscow region, authorities are planning to start an experiment that will help fight drivers who litter on the roads. The theoretical list of capabilities of automatic fixation complexes is much wider. Manufacturers compete with each other, adding more and more new features. Most likely, sooner or later all of them will be adopted by the State Traffic Inspectorate. In addition, cameras are effective not only in the fight against traffic rule violators, but also against utility debtors.

Basic principles of operation of video recording cameras:

Based on the principle of operation, the systems currently used are divided into radar, photo-video recording and laser. According to the method of use - mobile and stationary.

Radar cameras are the most “vulnerable” for intruders, since their work is recorded by radar detectors, or rather the signal sent by the locator. They need infrared illumination of the rooms at night, which, if broken, will render them useless. Also, these complexes have a fairly high error - the accuracy of fixation is less than 70%: due to poor visibility, for example. The operating principle of radar fixation complexes is based on the Doppler effect.

By the way, radars based on the Doppler effect are used not only to determine the speed of cars, but also to determine the speed of airplanes, ships and even clouds. The effect itself has found application in astronomy: it is used to determine the radial speed of movement of celestial bodies, including galaxies and stars.

Depending on the manufacturer’s brand, radar systems can detect speeding, driving through a red traffic light, entering oncoming traffic or a bus lane and crossing a solid road, and control from one to four lanes when the vehicle is moving within 150-250 km/h. The most “fierce” radar camera is “Strelka”, or rather, the most common domestic photo-video recording system is “Strelka-ST”, since almost no radar detector can pick it up. A camera, working in conjunction with a radar, takes a photo of the car at the moment the speed is measured, so that there is no dispute about who exactly committed the violation. It consists of two parts: the radar itself and the wide-angle camera. The radar, as the manufacturer claims, was created on the basis of technologies used in Russian military aviation. The wide viewing angle of the camera allows the system to “see” up to five lanes of traffic simultaneously. The direction of movement of cars in this case does not matter. Due to the high cost of the Strelka complex, it is advisable to install it on highways with multi-lane traffic.

Laser cameras work on the same principle, only over a greater distance, and the measured speed is limited to 350 km/h. True, in bad weather they become practically useless.

But the “AutoUragan” violation detection complex does without radar. He only has a wide-angle video camera in his arsenal. But this does not prevent him from determining the speed of cars passing by him with an error of only 2 km/h. Based on the number of frames in which the vehicle number is present, the vehicle's travel time is determined. The dimensions of the road surface are set when installing the camera. Using these parameters, the complex easily calculates the speed of the car.

The stationary photo-video recording complex “AvtoUragan-VSM” is capable of recording 16 types of traffic violations. A video image analysis program is already running here. For example, “AutoHurricane” identifies certain control zones where the car’s headlights are located and is able to independently determine whether the headlights are on or not. Also, because of its ability to recognize signs, the complex formed the basis of the ParkRight system, which monitors illegal parking. This “observer” became especially relevant with the introduction of paid parking in the center of Moscow.

Unlike radar cameras, which first record the movement of the intruder with a locator and then take a photograph, a photo recording camera processes the photographs. Based on the time it took the car (more precisely, its state registration plate) to pass through the “shoot-through” area, or the location of the car relative to the markings and signs, the complex determines the presence of a violation. Cameras can “shoot” not only at an approaching car, but also at a moving one, that is, if the driver presses the gas after the camera passes.

When monitoring an intersection or railway crossing, the complex receives data from the traffic light - if the red signal is on for more than 2 seconds, any car entering the intersection is considered a violator.

The measurement error of cameras is 5%. And unlike a radar, a photo recording complex cannot assign the measured speed to another car, since it “remembers” the license plates in the first frame. And it is impossible to “detect” it using a radar detector. The maximum measured vehicle speed can reach 255 km/h.

Search for cars with headlights off using the AutoHurricane system

In addition to the radar and camera, the standard set of devices for almost all tracking systems includes an infrared spotlight and a GLONASS/GPS coordinate determination module. In addition, they are equipped with power supplies, storage and information processing devices. Almost all cameras used on the roads for recording violations are of domestic production. Today in Russia there are about ten manufacturers of such automatic systems.

The complex sends information about the violation to the server. Here, after processing the image, information about the license plate number and violation, such as speeding, is “extracted” from a set of frames. Next, the system automatically determines the identity of the owner of the vehicle and a resolution on an administrative offense is formed. The system works almost independently. But at the same time, not a single violation can be processed without human participation. Initially, the operator of the violation recording center must confirm that the system did everything correctly. I was not mistaken, for example, in the search results for the owner of a car due to poorly readable license plates. But employees of such centers, as a rule, are civilians, so they cannot issue decisions on bringing to justice. If nothing alerts the center employee, he sends a file with information about the violation to the traffic police inspector. But if there is any doubt, the material is thrown into the trash and is no longer processed.

Classifying a driver’s actions as a violation and issuing a fine is the prerogative of a traffic police officer. The violation resolution is certified with an electronic digital signature and sent to the server. Now it can be printed on paper, packed in an envelope and sent to the offender. Such letters must be sent with return receipt requested.

Since the entire process from recording a violation to issuing a decision is carried out electronically, it is technically possible, immediately after signing the decision with a digital signature, to notify the violator about this in a form convenient for him. In order for the car owner to receive such notifications, he needs to register on the Unified Portal of State Services and request the service of informing about the presence of traffic police fines. In your personal account, in addition to your data, you need to indicate the details of your car and choose a convenient way to receive information: SMS to your mobile phone number or an email message. If you have the Gosuslugi mobile application installed on your smartphone or tablet, information about fines can be received in the form of push notifications. Knowing that a resolution has been issued, all you need to do is go to the website and find all the information about the violation. You can now also pay your fine online. But if you don’t agree with the violation, then it can and should be appealed.

In practice, errors occur in the operation of equipment and employees. Poor visibility on the road due to rain or snow means that the camera cannot correctly recognize the vehicle registration number. Sometimes some car owners do everything to prevent the license plates from being recognized by the system: they cover individual numbers with tape and erase them with a white marker. The violation recognition system algorithms are not always sufficiently developed. All this must be corrected by an employee of the recording center, because his duties include viewing the captured photo and video material, however, he can also make mistakes. Thus, recently a Moscow car enthusiast received a “letter of happiness”, from which it followed that his car had crossed a solid marking line. But when examining the photograph, it turned out that it was not the car that drove onto the side of the road, but its shadow crossed the continuous marking line.

The driver filed a complaint about the unjustified fine through the official website of the traffic police. The story received a public outcry and this is probably why the reaction to the appeal followed quickly. The Moscow traffic police explained the incident as a malfunction in the operation of the photo-video recording system. The decision to impose a fine will be cancelled. If you receive a “chain letter,” you need to understand that the presumption of innocence does not apply to such cases. The car owner will have to prove the absence of guilt (Article 1.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

Secrets of traffic cameras: at what distance to brake to avoid a fine

Our readers often ask the question about the distance at which cameras recording traffic violations begin to drive a car, and about the maximum speed that all-seeing eyes can detect. We answer.

APK "AvtoUragan-VSM2" from the company "Recognition Technologies" is a multifunctional photo and video recording system capable of detecting 17 different violations of traffic rules. Among them are: driving through an intersection when there is a prohibiting traffic light, going beyond the stop line at an intersection when the traffic light is prohibiting, driving through a railway crossing when the traffic light is prohibiting, under a prohibiting sign, along tram tracks in the opposite direction, along bicycle paths, pedestrian paths and sidewalks, on the side of the oncoming lane. But the first point is to record speeding.

To overtake the AutoHurricane you will have to be very fast - according to the official specifications, the system catches everything that moves up to 255 km/h while simultaneously processing 4 lanes of traffic. Information about the distance at which the complex begins to record driving sins is not provided.

The new generation photo and video recording complex “Avtodoriya” from the company of the same name is an extremely unpleasant contraption for violators and has an excellent “appetite”. It can punish for speeding, driving in the public transport lane or on the side of the road, violations of parking and stopping rules, driving through a prohibitory traffic light, driving beyond the stop line and other sins.

In addition, Avtodoriya is trained to measure the average speed over a section from 250 meters to 10 kilometers, although there is actually no limit value. The company told us that the all-seeing eye begins to guide a car moving at speeds of up to 300 km/h at a distance of about 100 meters. To outwit Avtodoriya you will have to buy a Koenigsegg or Bugatti.

But * “Odyssey” from TCBODD LLC (“Technical Center for Road Safety”) remained a mystery: with a radar speed meter, it catches vehicles up to 255 km/h, but the manufacturer refused to name its range of operation for obvious reasons.

In total, “Odysseus” helps to “rebuke” those who violate violations for 12 sins. For example, driving through a prohibitory traffic light, crossing a railway track outside a railway crossing, entering a railway crossing with a closed or closing barrier or with a prohibiting traffic light, entering the lane of oncoming traffic and tram tracks in the opposite direction, failure to comply with the requirements of road signs and markings.

If you received a “chain letter”, then with a high degree of probability the violation was recorded by “Strelka-ST” from the company “Systems of Advanced Technologies” - one of the most common photo and video recording systems, which, like the above-mentioned guards, is capable of not only determining the speed of movement , but also to distinguish between traffic in the oncoming lane, the side of the road, a public transport lane, record the rules for violating the passage of intersections, driving beyond the stop line, and even moving freight vehicles in prohibited places.

According to some reports, Strelka-ST does not have time to catch a car moving at a speed of over 180 km/h, but it has a kilometer range and detects a violation at a 500-meter distance.

The Simikon company previously produced KRIS-S complexes, and now produces Kordon in stationary and mobile versions. It is not only “rapid-firing” - it catches vehicles up to 300 km/h, but it also records everything in the control zone, that is, it is trained to determine the pace of movement in all lanes in any direction.

Note that among the variety of options, there is a complex that determines the average speed on a traffic section.

So, how to outwit speed detection systems? Let's not be original - don't break it. Some use smartphone apps with a database of installed cameras, which warns in advance of the risk of being fined. Having passed the camera, they fly further again. Do you do this too? Remember that the Rules are mostly written in blood, and racing on public roads usually ends badly.

How it works: cameras recording traffic violations

When we get behind the wheel and drive out onto the road, we find ourselves under the gaze of cameras recording photo and video violations. It is probably difficult to find at least one driver who has never received a “letter of happiness” from the traffic police. Today we will figure out how automatic cameras for recording traffic violations work and why they sometimes make mistakes.

Almost every driver in our country knows what a camera for automatic photo-video recording of traffic violations is. Today they are installed on roads in almost all regions of the Russian Federation. Over the past year, with their help, more than 50 million decisions were made in cases of administrative offenses, and this is already 67% of all decisions made for traffic violations, and these figures are growing from year to year. At the same time, not only the number of fines imposed increases, but also the number of articles of the Code of Administrative Offenses under which such fines are issued.

– not allowing pedestrians to pass at pedestrian crossings;

– driving into oncoming traffic and under the “No Entry” sign;

– violation of the rules for passing signalized intersections and railway crossings;

– violation of the requirements of the sign “Trucks are prohibited”;

– the vehicle enters the public transport lane;

– violation of stopping and parking rules.

Based on the principle of operation, the systems currently used are divided into radar, photo-video recording and laser. According to the method of use - mobile and stationary. The operating principle of radar fixation complexes is based on the Doppler effect. Electromagnetic waves are sent towards the car. They are reflected with a changed frequency, which is recorded by the radar. The change in frequency determines the speed at which the vehicle is approaching or moving away from the radar. Laser speed measurement systems work in much the same way.

A camera, working in conjunction with a radar, takes a photo of the car at the moment the speed is measured, so that there is no dispute about who exactly committed the violation. One of the most common domestic photo-video recording systems is Strelka-ST. It consists of two parts: the radar itself and the wide-angle camera. The radar, as the manufacturer claims, was created on the basis of technologies used in Russian military aviation. The wide viewing angle of the camera allows the system to “see” up to five lanes of traffic simultaneously. The direction of movement of cars in this case does not matter. Due to the high cost of the Strelka complex, it is advisable to install it on highways with multi-lane traffic.

But, as mentioned, modern cameras record not only speeding. The stationary photo-video recording complex “AvtoUragan-VSM” is capable of recording 16 types of traffic violations. A video image analysis program is already running here. For example, “AutoHurricane” identifies certain control zones where the car’s headlights are located and is able to independently determine whether the headlights are on or not.

The recognition system of the KORDON-M violation detection complex, according to the manufacturer, is created on the basis of neural network technology. The technology provides the ability to quickly learn new formats of state registration plates.

What to do if you receive a resolution, but do not agree with it. The photo is not your car or, as in the previous example, only a shadow crossed the dividing line. There is no point in ignoring the payment of the fine. Sooner or later it will have to be paid. There may be other unpleasant consequences, such as restrictions on traveling abroad. The decision can be appealed within 10 days from the date of its delivery. Since the “chain letter” is sent with acknowledgment of delivery, the car owner receives it by mail, and from that moment the countdown of days begins until the end of the appeal period. If during this time the car owner does not exercise his right to appeal, the decision will enter into force. You have 60 days to pay the fine. If you fail to pay, the case will be transferred to the bailiff service. The decision is appealed either through the traffic police department that issued the decision, or through the court. As a rule, it is most convenient to file a complaint through the traffic police website.

Recording cameras - how do they work and what are they?

Cameras recording traffic violations are literally taking over the roads of our country today. They can do almost everything, and modern cameras can video record violations at a distance of up to half a kilometer and measure almost any vehicle speed.

What types of cameras are there to record violations, how do they work and, most importantly, how this information can be useful to us.

How do traffic cameras work?

The operating principle of most video recording cameras (except Avtodoriya) is the Doppler effect. Its essence lies in the fact that in our case, the camera emits electromagnetic rays towards a moving car with a certain oscillation frequency, they are reflected from it and change their frequency by an amount that depends on the speed of the car. Thus, it is possible to most accurately measure the speed of a moving car using a recording camera.

Electromagnetic waves reflected from the car increase the vibration frequency in front of the car as it moves forward.

Cameras for automatically recording traffic violations

Automatic video recording camera "Arena"

“Arena” is one of the most “classical” and low-functional camera systems. Today it enjoys little popularity and is being replaced by more modern cameras. “Arena” can be both stationary and mobile.

Measured speed range - 20-250 km/h
Distance to the car - 7-9 meters
Road coverage width - up to 10 meters
Can work in the dark

Fixation camera "Iskra"

The Iskra radar, unlike the Arena, is a mobile recording system and serves to detect not only speed violations, but also others. It consists of a speed sensor, monitor and control panel and is usually installed in a patrol car.

Measured speed range - 20-240 km/h
Distance to car - up to 800 meters
Cannot work in the dark

Photo recording camera "Strelka-ST"

The Strelka-ST camera is usually stationary - hanging on a pole or a special crossbar. It is very expensive, so it is often installed on high-speed country roads and in places with high traffic. The camera consists of two separate components that work in pairs: the speed sensor itself and the photo recording camera.

Measured speed range - 20-240 km/h
Distance to car - up to 400 meters
Can work in the dark

The Strelka-ST complex also has a variation of the mobile unit appropriately called Strelka-M, which is installed on converted vehicles.

Recording camera "Avtouragan"

The Avtouragan complex, unlike Strelka, does not have a separate sensor - everything is built into it from the very beginning. The camera is distinguished by the most accurate recording of speeding and its small size. “Avtouragan” records up to 16 different violations.

Measured speed range - 10-255 km/h
Cannot work in the dark
Ability to recognize heavily soiled and damaged license plates
Not recognized by most radar detectors

Recording camera "Cordon"

“Cordons” are also stationary and mobile. According to the manufacturer, this is a unique camera, allegedly based on artificial intelligence technology (neural networks), capable of self-learning to recognize non-standard license plates.

Another distinctive feature of Cordon is that the complex almost independently generates a “letter of happiness” to the owner of the car in which the speed limit was violated.

Measured speed range - 10-250 km/h
Can work in the dark
Measuring range - up to 600 meters

Chris family camera

Some of the most common speed cameras on Russian roads are “Kris-1” and “Kris-P”. The camera is inexpensive and at the same time low-functional - it measures speed only on one lane of the road and cannot work in the dark. But it differs in that it can work with repeated speeding violations, as well as automatically send chain letters.

Measured speed range - 10-240 km/h
Cannot work in the dark
Measuring range - up to 100 meters

Camera "Avtodoriya"

The Avtodoriya camera has a fundamentally different way of recording speed violations than all the radars listed above. Avtodoriya measures average speed. And this happens in the following way: two “Avtodoria” are installed at a certain known distance (from 50 to 1000 meters) from each other, and both of them record the time the car passes by each of them. Next, a simple formula calculates the average speed of a car on this section of the road between two cameras.