Section control is a method of speed enforcement involving a series of cameras installed over a stretch of road. An image and data are recorded for each vehicle as they enter and leave two points in the system (a section of road). The data are then used to calculate the average speed of the vehicle by dividing the time taken to travel through two points by the distance between them. Time / Distance = Average Speed. The average speed is then checked against the speed limit for that section, and if the average speed exceeds the speed limit, a fine or other sanction can be issued to the offender. In the late 1990s the Netherlands became the first country to implement this technology and a number of other countries are using it or have trialed it since (mostly in Europe, but also in Australia). The system has been given a number of names including: time over distance cameras or average speed enforcement (in the United Kingdom), trajectory control (in the Netherlands), ‘Tutor’ (in Italy), point to point speed enforcement, and section control. For ease of reference we use the term Section Control (as in the 2006 OECD publication on speed management). The present Fact sheet will present a brief review of the experience gathered from countries that have started using this technology as an addition to more traditional speed enforcement techniques. (Author/publisher)
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