Smartphone app lines up to catch speeders

OFFICIAL

CAMERA, ACTION

Speedcam Anywhere lets users video passing cars and then calculates their speed

TECHNOLOGY SPECIAL

“The footage can be saved by the user and a report can be generated, including the calculated speed”

Speeding app allows smartphone users to become DIY traffic police

OFFICIAL Footage can be shared with the police, but cannot legally be used to penalise motorists

Tristan Shale-Hester

tristan _ shale-hester@autovia.co.uk @tristan _ shale

A NEW smartphone app allows users to record passing cars with their phone cameras and determine whether drivers are breaking the speed limit.

Speedcam Anywhere can be used by pedestrians to take a video of a vehicle suspected of speeding. The software will read the car’s number plate and use DVLA data to identify its make and model, then determine the length between its front and rear axles. The app then compares this data with the video images to calculate the speed at which the car was driving.

The footage can then be saved by the user and a report can be generated, including the calculated speed, which can then be shared with a police force or local council. But the app’s information cannot currently be used to penalise drivers in the UK, because the Home Office hasn’t approved it as a certified speed-detection device.

Google has allowed Speedcam Anywhere to be published on its Play Store, where it is available for download in the UK for Android devices. But Apple has yet to approve it for distribution on its App Store for iOS devices, such as iPhones and iPads. The app is also being prepared for launch in the US.

Whatever your thoughts about ‘citizen policing’ , there are increasing provisions for members of the public to report driving they consider dangerous, such as the Nextbase National Dash Cam Safety Portal. Currently used by 38 of the UK’s 45 police forces, the portal lets drivers upload dash-cam footage of their fellow motorists’ driving habits.

A total of 48,610 clips have now been uploaded to the portal – up by 23.1 per cent in the last four months – with the greatest number coming from the West Midlands, followed by Northumbria and West Mercia.

Official data acquired by Auto Express back in January revealed a 16 per cent fall in road traffic police officer numbers since 2015, with forces becoming increasingly reliant on public submissions.

Speedcam Anywhere was developed by a team of artificial-intelligence scientists, with backgrounds from UK universities and Silicon Valley in the US. Their identities are being kept secret, however, because they claim to have received abusive E-mails from members of the public who disagree with the purpose of the app.

DOES IT WORK? We’ve tested it...

WE downloaded the Speedcam Anywhere app and tried it out for ourselves. It offers two modes: regular and pro. The former estimates a passing car’s approximate speed, whereas the latter reads the vehicle’s number plate and offers a more detailed result.

A regular check costs one credit and a pro check is five credits. You get 30 credits for free when you first download Speedcam Anywhere; after that, you can buy an additional 1,000 credits for £15.

We performed two runs in a car at an indicated 30mph and used the app’s pro mode to record it. The readout was 36.9mph on the first run; on the second, it was 42.9mph. These results were worryingly inaccurate, both drastically overestimating the speed of the car.

After recording the video, we noticed there was a delay of around 30 seconds to a minute before the results came in. But this may be because we didn’t have great phone signal at the test location.

Land Rover gives Velar SUV the flagship HST treatment

Ioniq 5 named as world champ

PLUSH

Standard-fit panoramic roof should let plenty of light into HST’s cabin

WE’VE seen the HST badge appear on the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport in recent years, and now Land Rover has given its Velar SUV a similar sporty makeover, too.

Based on the R-Dynamic model, the new range-topping HST Velar variant is available with two powertrains. Buyers can opt for either a 296bhp D300 diesel six-cylinder mild-hybrid engine or a more powerful 395bhp P400 petrol six-cylinder mild-hybrid unit, which is used in the Range Rover Sport HST.

Both are linked to an all-wheel-drive system and an automatic gearbox (nine-speed for the diesel and eightspeed for the petrol). Land Rover hasn’t revealed any performance figures for either of the new models yet.

HST trim gets Arroios Grey exterior paint and 21-inch gloss black alloy wheels. A black contrast roof and the brand’s ‘Black Pack’ are also available. Being based on the R-Dynamic, the HST gets privacy glass, Black Suedecloth headlining and a panoramic roof. Electronic air suspension with adaptive dampers is included, alongside Land Rover’s configurable dynamics system.

Orders are being taken, with prices starting from £69,865 for the diesel car and £73,815 for the petrol Velar HST.

HYUNDAI’S all-electric Ioniq 5 – the current Auto Express Car of the Year – has been crowned World Car of the Year for 2022.

Other winners, announced at the 2022 New York International Auto Show, included the Mercedes EQS (World Luxury Car of the Year), Audi’s e-tron GT (Performance Car) and the Toyota Yaris Cross (World Urban Car of the Year). The awards panel includes Auto Express editor-in-chief Steve Fowler and chief columnist Mike Rutherford.

Useful Contacts

THE following provide help with motoring problems. Some services are free, others charge a fee or operate on premium-rate lines (p), while some offer advice for members only (m)

Legal AA: 0345 850 1130 (m) RAC: 0330 159 1446 (m) Citizens Advice Consumer helpline: 03454 040506 Local Trading Standards Local Citizens Advice Bureau We want to hear your views. Send your questions or opinions to the E-mail address below

Contact Tristan Shale-Hester

HOT TOPIC Farewell to Mondeo

FROM: Richard Mahon

VERY sad the Mondeo is no more. I’ve had loads of them from several generations. They’ve all been great to drive and all but one of them were extremely reliable. Not everyone wants an SUV, contrary to brands’ popular beliefs. FROM: Peter Johns

THE first three Mondeos looked good in their day, especially the Mk3, which still looks excellent now in my opinion. After that, the design became lumpy and heavy, so I can see why this may have contributed to the Mondeo’s end.

Production of the Mondeo in Europe has ended, with the next version only available in China

Join the debate at www.autoexpress.co.uk

■

“Shame the new Mondeo is for China only. I’ve owned two and they’re great cars. ” Matthew Hughes ■

“The Mondeo was slowly ruined by Ford. I feel the Focus is going the same way. ” Dave Tongue ■

“The last Mondeo was a shadow of its former self. The Insignia effectively replaced it. ” nsanderson

Five-year warranty cover should be law

FROM: Andrew Dunn

WHY has the Government, in conjunction with the UK motor industry, never made it a requirement for all new cars sold to come with a minimum five-year warranty? Well done to some firms, such as Toyota, for trying to do something different in this area.

It’s high time Ford built electric Fiesta

FROM: Ashley Ward COME on, Ford, we need an electric Fiesta to rival the very disappointing (in my opinion) Vauxhall Corsa-e. It can’t be too hard to create one, because an electric Puma is already due in 2024. I have owned six Fiestas and would love the opportunity to own an electric one.

Concern over cost of accessible chargers

FROM: Ian Wilson

IF wheelchairaccessible public EV chargers are made mandatory, steps will need to be taken to prevent the same issue facing wheelchair-accessible buses. The cost of providing them spiralled so much that many areas have now been left with no bus service at all.

Shocked at cost of charging e-tron EV

FROM: Mike Lewis

I LIKE the look of your Audi Q4 e-tron long-termer, but I can’t believe it cost £36.54 to buy enough charge to cover 160 miles (Issue 1,722); that’s almost 23p per mile! I reckon my diesel would work out at about 17p per mile. Is this an example of hidden EV running costs?

Used car inspections AA: 0800 056 8040 RAC: 0330 159 0720 Technical advice AA: 0370 142 0002 (m) Driving licences DVLA: 0300 790 6801 Car registration/history HPI: 0113 222 2010 AA: 0800 316 3564 DVLA: 0300 790 6802 RAC: 0808 164 1923 Traffic information AA: 0906 888 4322 RAC: 09003 444999 (p) Problems with dealers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Consumer Ombudsman: www.consumerombudsman.org RMIF: 0845 305 4230 Scottish Motor Trade Assoc. 0131 331 5510 Problems with makers The Motor Ombudsman: 0345 241 3008 Financial problems Financial Ombudsman: 0800 023 4567