A NEW app boasts that it can turn any smartphone into a speed camera and make it more difficult for drivers to get away with traffic violations.
Speedcam Anywhere lets users record videos of vehicles as they drive past, before uploading them to a site that determines the approximate speed it was traveling.
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Developers claim that the app is accurate to within two percent in “pro” mode, or 10 percent in “basic” mode, the Express reports.
The footage can even be submitted to the police, who can decide whether to issue a citation.
The app can not only estimate a vehicle’s speed, but also its location, in addition to identifying hotspots for speeding.
Recordings taken with the app are saved as links, which are automatically emailed to the user.
Already launched in the UK, the app has yet to be approved by any law enforcement department, and it is questionable whether the footage would be admissible in a court.
What the developers are saying
Developers of the app have said that the communication between law enforcement and the public will make the streets safer and encourage people to drive more responsibly.
“The app is not critically dependent upon the angle of approach or departure of the vehicle as long as the number plate and side can be seen in the video captured,” developer Sam Bailey said to Local Transport Today.
“Only a two-second clip of the passing vehicle is needed.”
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What law enforcement is saying
Law enforcement officials agree that the app could serve as a deterrent to dangerous driving habits.
Detective chief superintendent at Lincolnshire Police Andy Cox told Local Transport Today that five people on average die per day in UK road crashes.
“This devastation is preventable and we need to develop innovative methods to eradicate road danger,” said Cox.
“One such method is the use of dashcam and headcam technology by the public to capture dangerous and reckless driving and report it to the police.”
“The police cannot be everywhere all of the time but the public can be and as word spreads of this capability it is likely to act as a deterrent to bad driving.”
When will Speedcam Anywhere launch in the US?
According to the app’s website, Speedcam Anywhere is “being evaluated for launch in the United States.”
Currently, the app works anywhere in the UK and is not yet available to download outside of the country.
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