Wednesday 24th May 2006

Speed cameras invade personal privacy

They'll identify your face not just your car

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We know where you live

Speed cameras are being developed that recognise your face -- and if you're in London or Essex, you should worry because that's where the first ones are being installed.

Scameras have traditionally been focused on the car, and the law has relied on drivers identifying themselves. It's led to civil liberties groups arguing that this process violates human rights, one of whose principles is it's for the authorities to prove a case against an alleged criminal, not for citizens to incriminate themselves.

That could  be all in the past, however, as The Times reports today that police are about to install new technology that will be able to capture an image of the driver's face. It's designed to solve what the police call the growing problem of drivers passing-off penalty points to others with the aim of avoiding penalty points on their driving licences. Stats suggest that there are 160,000 drivers with nine or more points whose incentive to pass off points would be great.

The new camera will allow police to investigate further if they believe that a passing off attempt is being made in such circumstances. They may even come round to your house to take a look.

Already, the Essex camera partnership has trialled the device, which is made by Gatso. According to the report, some 1,000 cases have been identified where the driver attempted to pass off points.

London's partnership is installing some in Lower Thames Street, and Derbyshire has, apparently, shown an interest, and they will soon spread across the country.

So when you're driving, not only will your car be identifiable, soon you will be too -- whether or not you have points on your licence or you're breaking the speed limit. There appears to be no end to the extent to which our authorities, who are spending our money after all, are prepared to go to invade the privacy of the country's citizens.

[sybaseian]

Simple answer is this :-

Tony Blair

[jasandjules]

Wouldn't it be nice if the CCTV cameras they used had such clarity? That way, when some poor sod gets kicked in for no reason on a Saturday night, someone would actually get caught.

[catso]

It matters not that all manner of Crims get away with all types of Violent offences, as long as we can still get the Motorist.

But it's not about the money........ Honest.

[s2art]

As someone else pointed out, the effect of these things will be that everyone drives around with their sun-visor down. Great for road safety that, limiting visibility should work wonders.

[deltafox]

Im going to adopt multiple personalities and dress up in wigs, dresses (optional) and all manner of fancy get ups.
Then when they come knocking even i'll have a problem remembering who was driving....now, was it archie, errol, doris, willy (snigger, he said willy),roger, betty or beryl?

>> Edited by deltafox on Wednesday 24th May 17:26

[dazren]

Larger thread already running:

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=272619&f=10&h=0