Mobile cameras which can detect speeders up to 1km away to be deployed on roads
A new PSNI pilot programme will see hand-held cameras equipped with laser and video capability used to catch speeding motorists in Northern Ireland.
The new mobile cameras can detect a speeding vehicle from a distance of up to one kilometre and can be deployed on any road in the region.
Three Trucam II cameras, a hand-held equivalent to the safety camera vans, will be deployed over the next three months as part of the initiative.
The PSNI is running the project with the Northern Ireland Road Safety Partnership (NIRSP).
The cameras combine a speed-detecting laser with a video recording function, and can capture the information needed to prosecute drivers speeding without them stopping.
The cameras can be used on roads where road safety vans cannot be deployed.
Head of the PSNI’s Road Policing Unit Chief Inspector Celeste Simpson said: “Working with the Road Safety Partnership, we are committed to changing driver behaviour, improve road safety and deliver Operation Lifesaver to tackle speeding.
“We often hear police aren’t doing enough to tackle speeding on our roads, especially on rural roads.
“Having these cameras means we reach those roads where it isn’t suitable to deploy NIRSP safety camera vans, where there’s a proven history of collisions and where there is community concern.
“These cameras, for use initially by our Road Policing Unit officers, can travel anywhere, at any time, on any road across Northern Ireland and can operate during hours of darkness.”
Ms Simpson added: “They can record moving footage and provide a high-definition image which can be processed without the need to stop the vehicles at the scene, streamlining the process of speed enforcement.
“They can detect speeding vehicles from distances up to one kilometre and, for anyone speeding, by the time they’ve seen it, it will be too late.
“They will have been detected and receive a notification in the post, the same as if detected by NIRSP safety camera vans.
“As well as NIRSP safety camera vans and average speed cameras, this state-of-the-art technology should serve as a deterrent to anyone who thinks speeding is acceptable and they can get away with it, especially off the main roads.
“We work every day to make our roads safer for everyone and the Trucam II cameras will enable us to enforce speed limits more effectively, and respond to local priorities and concerns.”
So far 36 people have died in road collisions in Northern Ireland in 2026.
The senior officer said: “These are devastating losses. Lives changed in an instant and forever.
“The number of people dying on our roads is unacceptably high. Reducing serious and fatal collisions is a priority for The Police Service. Tackling excessive speed, one of the fatal five, is key to this.
“Our message to everyone on our roads is remember the ‘fatal five’ – slow down; don’t be careless; always wear your seat belt; don’t drink or take drugs and drive and never use your mobile phone while driving.
“Together, by making safer choices, we can help keep our roads safer for everyone and reduce serious and fatal road collisions on our roads.”