Roadtrips: How number plate recognition works on UK roads

So you’re planning a road trip to one of the UK’s many appealing mini break destinations, and you want to make sure that your journey is as seamless as possible. There are a lot of things to consider, from the route you take to the amenities and obstacles that might stand in your way.

The rise number plate recognition technology in recent years has raised a number of questions which motorists might need answering before they get behind the wheel on their next road trip. To dispel any concerns, here are the ins and outs of the systems currently in place.

Mobile ANPR Cameras

The vast majority of new police vehicles are now equipped with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) capable cameras. That means if you are out on the road and you drive past a cop car, it will almost certainly have scanned your number plate, checked it against a central database of plates to see if there are any outstanding issues that are of interest to the police, and provided the traffic officers with the option to take action if necessary.

Whether you have a default number plate or have invested in private number plates for your car, it will be identifiable almost instantly thanks to this technology. With this in mind, it makes sense to be even more cautious when driving in view of police cars and ensure that your vehicle is properly taxed and insured before you head out on a road trip, since officers will be alerted to infractions and could pull you over and arrest you on the spot.

This technology is being deployed more widely to tackle the issue of disqualified drivers ignoring their bans, with the ability to scan and assess around a million plates in the course of a single motorway shift.

Fixed ANPR Cameras

Many of the major roads across the UK are equipped with static cameras that are used to monitor traffic, look out for incidents and also scan number plates in order to help with crime prevention.

The idea is that since criminals will know that there are these cameras in place, they will think twice about carrying out their activities since it will be easier for police to track their vehicles, gather evidence and pounce when the time is right.

Unlike speed cameras, the locations of fixed ANPR cameras are not published, so there is no way of knowing where they are or whether they are active. If your road trip in the UK will take you down any motorways or other prominent routes, it is a sensible assumption that multiple ANPR cameras will capture your plate.

Data Use

With all this scanning technology being used, you might be worried that as an entirely innocent motorist, your movements will be monitored as you drive from A to B without the police having a legitimate reason to do so.

Privacy concerns were raised when ANPR was first introduced, but a strict framework now exists to ensure data is not used maliciously or unnecessarily.

If a number plate is flagged on police systems for whatever reason, when it is detected by a mobile or fixed ANPR camera it will often result in some kind of response or reaction. If the plate and driver are clean, this data will be retained for a maximum of 2 years, with only higher-ranking law enforcement staff having access to it for this extended period.

In short, if you are sketching out a road trip in the UK then you can feel a bit safer knowing that disqualified drivers, those without insurance and dangerous criminal gangs will find it harder to share public roads with other motorists thanks to ANPR technology.