Camera Detection

As you approach a camera you will come within detection range. The detection criteria is a complex algorithm combining time, speed and distance, along with the direction of travel and active angle of the camera, with respect to your car and the camera(s). Once you are in the effective threat zone of a camera a warning is given and the camera details are displayed at the bottom of the screen.

In the examples above: the left screen does not show or sound an alert even through the speed cameras are quite near. The reason it does not alert is that the cameras are around the corner from my current location. The yellow arrows at the camera icons signify the direction of travel that it targets. Turning left at this junction onto the B6145 takes me to a regular spot for a mobile camera van. This operates in both directions, as shown by the 2 yellow arrows, and therefore gives an alert. The GPS status logo is now replaced with a speed sign indicating the immediate threat, and the detail of the camera is displayed at the bottom.

I have now tapped on the list icon to show me the details of other cameras in the area. To the right of the warning detail there is a blue arrow. This indicates the direction of the camera relative to where you are – i.e. there are four fixed Gatso’s behind me. Other details shown are the identification data for the camera and the direction in degrees (1-360) in which the camera operates.

A unique feature of CamerAlert is the average speed calculation. As you aproach an average speed camera (SPECS are one type frequently used in UK roadworks) you are alerted to the speed and the speed icon is displayed. When you reach the camera itself it automatically starts the average speed display. You will be alerted if either your speed goes over the set limit or your average speed is over the limit. The average speed display will automatically turn itself off when you leave the average speed zone. However, there may be times, for example if you leave the average speed zone before the end of it, where it does not automatically stop. You can, in these instances, simply tap the speed or average speed display to manually control it.

Approaching the first average speed camera we see the speed limit icon in the top right and the camera details in the alert banner at the bottom. Note how the average speed display has not been activated yet.

As soon as we reach and pass the first camera the average speed display starts. At the moment we are very slightly over the speed limit so it is highlighted in red. Note that even though the alert banner is no longer showing (as we’re not yet approaching a physical camera) you can still see the current speed alert in the top right corner.

As we approach the next cameras the alert banner is displayed again. This time our speed and average speed have both lowered and are no longer ‘too fast’ so are shown in green. After the final camera the speed icon will change back to the GPS logo, the average speed display will close and the ‘all clear’ will be sounded.

If you tap on the detail entry (or tap an icon then the blue arrow) it shows more details and allows you to submit modifications to the camera information for us to verify and update our database with. For details of the changes that can be made see reporting cameras below.