A Traffic Police officer operating the new speed laser camera on a bridge over Nicoll Highway.
Speed demons beware, the Traffic Police have a new gadget to nab those who break the speed limit.
Yesterday, the TP unveiled a new portable speed laser camera that will be deployed at 44 speeding hot spots, including West Coast Highway, Braddell Road and Changi Coast Road.
It is the first time the older cameras are being replaced since speeding enforcement operations began in 2004.
Manned by a single officer, the new camera can capture higher-resolution images, works better in low-light conditions and has a battery life of eight hours – double that of the older model.
It can also capture video, unlike the older model.
Officers will be stationed on overhead bridges or by the roadside. (See list of enforcement areas below).
Signs will be placed about 200m before the speed laser cameras.
“The intent is to let motorists be aware that they are entering an accident-prone area, so slow down and drive carefully,” said TP deputy commander Devrajan Bala.
The new speed laser cameras will complement existing efforts to curb speeding with the TP’s other cameras on the roads, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Devrajan said.
When asked why it took 12 years for the TP to replace the speed laser cameras, he said: “The technology has improved tremendously. We were looking for something that would be a game changer, in terms of camera capabilities.
“In the past, (cameras performance was) dependent on light conditions… The current ones are very reliable.”
The number of accidents caused by speeding fell to 1197 last year, from 1363 in 2014.
But there were 8021 injury accidents last year, up almost 3 per cent from 7809 in 2014.
Fatal speeding accidents rose to 48 last year, from 43 in 2014.
In recent years, the TP have replaced their ageing film cameras with digital ones and deployed mobile speed cameras – autonomous devices that can be taken down and set up within a week – at speeding hot spots.
The mobile speed cameras, first launched earlier this year in Seletar Link, have been deployed at two more locations – Jurong Island Highway and Lim Chu Kang Road.
“The mobile speed cameras have been very effective; we see very good behaviour now… Our idea is to shape the motorist’s behaviour,” said TP commander Sam Tee.
Motorist Steve Keh, 41, who works in the maritime industry, said: “These will surely be effective and make people drive carefully.”
Enforcement locations for the new cameras
1. Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 towards Upper Thomson Road
2. Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 towards Boundary Road
3. Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 towards Buangkok Green
4. Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 towards Yio Chu Kang Road
5. Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) towards Tuas
6. AYE towards Marina Coastal Expressway
7. Braddell Road towards Bartley Road
8. Braddell Road towards Lornie Road
9. Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) towards Woodlands Checkpoint
10. BKE towards Pan Island Expressway (PIE)
11. Central Expressway (CTE) towards Seletar Expressway (SLE)
12. CTE towards AYE (between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 exit and Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 exit)
13. Changi Coast Road towards Nicoll Drive
14. Clementi Avenue 6 towards AYE
15. Clementi Avenue 6 towards PIE
16. East Coast Parkway (ECP) towards Changi Airport
17. ECP towards city (between Bedok South Avenue 1 exit and Still Road South exit)
18. Jalan Buroh towards Pioneer Road
19. Kranji Expressway (KJE) towards BKE
20. KJE towards PIE (between Choa Chu Kang Drive exit and Choa Chu Kang Way exit)
21. Lentor Avenue towards Yishun Avenue 2
22. Lentor Avenue towards Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6
23. Lornie Road towards Braddell Road
24. Lornie Road towards Adam Road
25. Nicoll Highway towards Guillemard Road
26. Nicoll Highway towards Esplanade Drive
27. PIE towards Tuas (between Pioneer Road North exit and Upper Jurong Road exit)
28. PIE towards Changi Airport (between Upper Jurong Road exit and Pioneer Road North exit)
29. PIE towards Tuas (between Lorong 2 Toa Payoh exit and Thomson Road exit)
30. PIE towards Changi Airport (between Thomson Road exit and Lorong 2 Toa Payoh exit)
31. PIE towards Tuas (between Eunos Road exit and Paya Lebar Road exit)
32. PIE towards Changi Airport (between Paya Lebar Road exit and Eunos Road exit)
33. Tampines Avenue 10 towards Bartley Road East
34. Tampines Avenue 10 towards Tampines Expressway (TPE)
35. TPE towards PIE (between Punggol Road exit and Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway exit)
36. TPE towards SLE (between Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway exit and Punggol Road exit)
37. TPE towards PIE (between Sengkang West Road exit and Seletar Link exit)
38. TPE towards SLE (between Jalan Kayu exit and Sengkang West Road exit)
39. Upper Bukit Timah Road towards Jalan Anak Bukit
40. Upper Thomson Road towards Lornie Road
41. Upper Thomson Road towards Sembawang Road
42. West Coast Highway towards Jalan Buroh
43. West Coast Highway towards Pasir Panjang Road
44. Woodlands Avenue 12 towards Woodlands Avenue 10
