Frequently asked questions
About this site
What is this site?
A community-built reference guide to cameras appearing on UK roads. Contributors identify each camera, document what it actually does, and link to the evidence. No official talking points — just what can be found out and proved.
Why does it exist?
Because you cannot find this information anywhere else. Every one of these cameras had a contract, a procurement process, and a specification for what it can do. That documentation exists somewhere. But try searching for it and you will find almost nothing.
People who do go looking get dismissed as conspiracy theorists. This site exists to cut through that — document the cameras, gather the evidence, and let people make up their own minds.
How do you verify information?
Every entry is reviewed and given an evidence status: confirmed (official documentation exists), well-supported (strong identification from multiple sources), or unverified (not nailed down yet). Sources are linked wherever possible so you can check for yourself.
How can I help?
Send us a clear photograph and the road or area where you saw it. If you can identify a camera already in the catalogue, or have evidence about what it does, you can contribute that too. Everything is reviewed before it goes live.
Do you publish personal data?
No. Photographs are reviewed and may be cropped or edited. Email addresses are never published. See our privacy policy for the full picture.
About UK roadside cameras
Are all yellow cameras speed cameras?
No. Fixed speed cameras must be painted yellow, but plenty of yellow boxes on poles are doing something else entirely — traffic monitoring, air quality sensing, number plate recognition. The colour tells you very little about what the camera is actually recording or who is looking at the footage.
What is an ANPR camera and what does it record?
ANPR stands for Automatic Number Plate Recognition. These cameras read your registration plate and log where you were and when. Police, councils, and private companies all use them. What exactly is stored, how long it is kept, and who can access it is not always made clear to the public.
Can average speed cameras do more than check speed?
Yes. Modern average speed systems use ANPR, which means they are also logging your plate, your location, and the time. Some can flag vehicles of interest to police or check insurance and MOT status. Whether you were told about that when the cameras went up is another question.
What are the small cameras on top of traffic lights?
Usually traffic sensor cameras — they detect vehicles to adjust signal timing. They are not supposed to be enforcement cameras and should not issue fines. But the line between monitoring and surveillance gets thinner every year, and new AI capabilities are being added to cameras that were not originally designed for enforcement.
Who is paying for all these cameras?
You are. Every camera on a public road was paid for with public money through some contract or procurement process. Where that information can be found, it is published here. Where it cannot, that is worth asking about.
I have spotted a camera that is not in the catalogue.
That is exactly what this site is for. Send us a clear photograph and where you saw it. The community will try to find out what it is — and more importantly, what it is actually doing.