Safe-T-Cam (Safety Camera) is an innovative digital imaging system. Combined with target classification, scene analysis, and Optical Character Recognition software, it has the ability to recognise number plates and can provide the RTA with a reliable instrument to monitor heavy vehicle traffic, in a more comprehensive manner than has hirtherto been possible. Safe-T-Cam has a myriad of potential issues. The most promising appear to be those with a direct relevance to heavy vehicle road safety, namely, the detection of excessive driving hours and excessive average speeds between nodes of a Safe-T-Cam network on rural highways, and the detection of unregistered vehicles. A Safe-T-Cam network is vehicle tracking system and, as such, raises questions about possible invasions of privacy. With appropriate safeguards, it does not appear to present any more threat to individual privacy than existing surveillance systems such as red-light or speed cameras. Nevertheless, its introduction will need to be managed carefully to avoid arousing undue public anxiety. Similar systems that present no real threat to privacy have been rejected because the public tends to react to the potential for abuse in a new system rather than what is actually does.
Abstract