Speed camera detectors selling fast

PROMINENT figures from the business and music worlds are among hundreds of people who have bought illegal speed camera detection devices to thwart the road-safety campaign launched earlier this week.

Armagh-based company Speed Camera Defence says it has received more than 500 orders in the last week alone from people on this side of the border willing to pay up to £2,000 (€2,340) for equipment that will forewarn them that they are approaching one of the new mobile speed cameras which began operation on Monday.

“We have been extremely busy this week and have sold over 500 units,” said Wayne Lyons of Speed Camera Defence. “This week we have sold equipment to very prominent business men and women and famous music artists, both of which most people have heard of.”

The company has been selling the equipment since 1997, and while it is legal in the north, it is illegal here.

As with any technology, the more money the customer spends, the more effective the product is. The base price model which costs £499 (€583) is dashboard mounted and so could conceivably be visible to gardaí. However, the £2,000 model is integrated into the car’s bumper and is very hard to detect.

“Over 80% of sales so far this week are to previous customers who bought equipment as far back as 13 years ago,” said Mr Lyons. “They are ringing up to see what equipment we have for the new GATSO vans because they know what we sell works well.”

On Monday, 600 mobile cameras came into effect. They are being operated on behalf of gardaí by a private company called GoSafe who secured the five-year €65 million contract.

They have been placed in locations identified by gardaí as high risk for accidents.

All counties are included, with the 750 sites in 518 zones. Some zones contain a number of sites with cameras. Donegal (63), Cork (62), Meath (52), Wexford (44) and Tipperary (40) have the most sites.