New speed cameras without flash or road markings arrive to catch more motorists

A hi-tech and stealthy new type of speed camera that doesn’t flash when it detects speeding motorists, doesn’t need road markings and produces higher-quality images of offending motorists is about to be introduced in London. 

The current speed cameras use sensors embedded in the road surface to detect the speed of passing vehicles, but the new ones feature advanced 4D-imaging radar technology and a 4k camera that makes them more reliable and effective, says TfL.

What’s more, one of these new speed cameras can cover up to five lanes of bi-directional traffic, compared to the old units which could only monitor up to three lanes of traffic travelling in one direction.

The new cameras will be installed over the next few weeks at up to 10 sites across the capital, specifically in Haringey, Tower Hamlets, Havering, Croydon, Hammersmith and Fulham, Brent, Hackney, Ealing and Sutton. All of the locations chosen are on 20mph or 30mph roads and, according to TfL, have been identified on the basis of suitability and risk.

TfL says speeding was a contributing factor in around half of the fatal collisions in London in 2024, and new statistics from the Home Office revealed that, in the same year, more than 2.5 million people across England and Wales were caught speeding – the highest number since 2011 when comparable records began.

These hi-tech cameras are part of city-wide efforts to prevent deaths and serious injuries on London's roads over the next five years through the new ‘Vision Zero Action Plan 2’, and they’re not the only new technology being introduced to crackdown on motoring offences. 

TfL is also partnering with the Met Police to trial cameras that can use AI to detect drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts, new tech to detect illegal number plates, and enhanced roadside drug-testing technology. There are also plans to expand the number of safety cameras to at least 20 new locations identified partly by persistent concerns from the community about speeding.

Detective Chief Superintendent Donna Smith of the Met's Roads and Transport Policing Command said about the new cameras: "It is tragic whenever anyone is killed or seriously injured on our roads, and speeding remains a major factor, which is why our officers are totally committed to reducing that risk. 

"Working alongside TfL, the Met will use every tool available, including new radar‑based camera technology, to deter dangerous driving and support Vision Zero's ambition of eliminating deaths on London's roads.

"This trial will improve reliability and deliver better-quality images, helping our officers hold offenders to account and ensuring we have a modern and effective enforcement system that saves lives."

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