Police News from Be Wiser

Police use Google Cars to fine drivers

Police use Google Cars to fine drivers

With Google currently photographing most of the UK for their “Google Street View” services, which are available online, the police are using the images to chase up drivers who are illegally parked on the roadside.

The Google cars are very noticeable vehicles, with huge 360 degree cameras placed on top of an 8 foot pole that are capable of taking quality, high resolution photos.

Google Street View will allow map users to gain a better understanding of the local area they are in if they get lost, but police are using it to attain the car registration details of vehicles that are illegally parked.

Not only are the police using Google’s own images to find illegally parked cars, they are taking the technology and applying it to police vehicles. The cameras are capable of zooming in from long distances, meaning that unwitting motorists won’t know they have been snapped until a fine lands on their doorstep. The cameras are also capable of such high-res photos that they can see if you are wearing your seatbelt or not.

Police claim that the new cars will help reduce road deaths, but many drivers feel that it is just another attempt by the government to extort further tax money from already hard-hit motorists.

The government already takes for than £105 million in fines each year from speed cameras and fixed penalties.

Read more news about: