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Speed detection and automatic number plate recognition systems have always been popular amongst frontline traffic officers. The speed detection system ProVida 2000 has been in service for over two decades. As speed detection and automatic number plate recognition technologies are widely adopted nowadays, their development and research in the local arena is reaching maturity. Since 2021, Traffic Branch Headquarters (TBHQ), together with the local contractor and expert in these technologies, have developed the in-Vehicle Average Speed Tracker (iVAST), which combines the speed detection and automatic number plate recognition systems into one.
The installation of iVAST in new generation large estate vehicles since January 2022 results in less internal space being taken up by hardware, enhances the quality of speed-detecting video and boosts the detection accuracy of the systems. During product development, officers of TBHQ worked closely with the technology supplier and relevant experts to conduct on-site tests and make enhancement so that the system would cater more appropriately for the enforcement needs of frontline officers and evidence requirements of the Court. All these were done in the strive for excellence in supporting frontline traffic enforcement with technology.
To meet the operation needs of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, TBHQ plans to complete the installation of iVAST on 20 large estate vehicles by mid-2022. The Police Driving and Traffic Training Centre is proactively providing training in this respect to relevant officers. The system will facilitate colleagues choosing appropriate mode of enforcement and operation flexibly in the future to strengthen the Force’s capability in combating traffic offences.
