UK, can speed cameras tell the difference between lorries and cars?

On non-motorway dual carriageways and on ordinary roads, there are different speed limits for cars and lorries. For example, the national speed limit on an ordinary road is 60mph for cars, but 50mph for lorries. Does this mean that lorries can do 60mph without any danger of being caught by a speed camera? or are the cameras sophisticated enough to tell if the vehicle they are measuring the speed of is a lorry rather than a car?
Additional Details
For anyone interested, here are the national speed limits for different vehicles for motorways, dual carriageways and single carriageways respectively:
Cars & Motorcycles: 70, 70, 60
Cars with trailers or car derived vans: 60, 60, 50
Buses and coaches: 70, 60, 50
Lorries under 7.5 tonnes MLW: 70, 60, 50
Lorries over 7.5 tonnes MLW: 60, 50, 40

Twisted_Ace

Yes, some can.

For example, the ones along the A303 north of Salisbury in Wiltshire can (and do) catch trucks exceeding their 50mph limit on the dual carriageway and 40mph limit on the single carriageway sections.

They work by using a low powered laser beam across the road at a height of 11 feet, just ahead of the camera tower. Anything that cuts the beam is regarded as a truck and the speed camera triggers at a lower speed.

I know this, because I used to be a transport manager and drivers were always getting caught on that stretch of road (in one case, a driver got caught twice in the same day, by the same camera...).

girth & length

depends on the speed camera!

dadseimaj

Thisisme... you are wrong! facing cameras DO exist and work.

I believe some police authorities are running a pilot scheme where the height of the vehicle is used as a guideline to separate larger vehicles such as vans and lorries and trigger them at an appropriate speed

So watch out
Coming soon to a street near you...

Dave J

It's a good job half the people above don't drive any vehicle other than a car!!!!!

Yeah some cameras CAN tell the difference.

Some work on weight - if you look at the floor just before or during the camera's vision there are black lines criss crossing through the tarmac.

Oh and the speed limit for lorries that are articulated (C+E) is 40mph on a single carriageway not 50mph.

It is 50mph for a rigid lorry (C) on the single carriageway :)

firthmuir

i think they can. have been told they have sensors to give the length of vehicle.and if they can do the height as well, could tell difference of car, van, Lorrie, car and trailer etc - to certain degree anyway

J G

A lot of answers missing the point, and you are in fact correct in your assumption: ALL speed cameras are set to trigger at a specific pre - programmed speed, so yes, LGVs can in fact exceed their speed limit on a motorway, dual carriageway, or even A - road without being caught (The national speed limit for LGVs on all A class & lesser roads is 40 mph).
This is why the use of speed cameras is seen more in terms of revenue generation than safety.
Motorcycles, of course, don't have front number plates, so can do any speed past front - facing cameras without any problems!

failte1950

Sure they can, they even can tell who is driving the vehicle!
Big Bro is watching

Mercedes

it doesnt what car it is the speed camera catches any vehicle breaking the speed.

Andrew B

My understanding is on National speed limit roads the speed limit is 60 mph. However the cameras do not trigger unless you are doing over 70 I believe.

When you are on a dual carriageway or a motorway (where the speed limit is 70mph) the cameras do not work unless you are doing 81/82 mph.

The lorries will not get snapped if they go 70 however if they are caught by police doing more than 60 then they could lose their licence.

Also lorries have a system (tacs) that keep track of their speed that police can look at.

This is me.

good question but speed cameras are there to catch people that break road speed limits.
If a Lorry isn't breaking the road speed limit then the camera won't work, even it the Lorry is traveling faster than the particular Lorry is allowed.
However, in trucks there is a gizmo that's fitted somewhere within the speedo which is constantly recording the truck's speed. It's a round piece of paper.
Drivers cannot tamper with it but the police can.
So if a truck was breaking the speed limit this morning and the police checks it tonight he will still get done for speeding.
JG, front facing cameras don't exist. When you see one flashing at your front, have a look at it to see it's set for vehicles on the other side of the road. Not sure how you get the Top Contributor's badge talking like that.

Hannibal the Cannibal

It's reviewed by the Government because speed camera's take a snapshot of the said car/lorry. So, It's not actually the speed camera that tells the difference, it's the Government.

vegasboy007

asrobs

Camera`s will if operating take photographs ,---SO.

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