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Bulletproof speed trap caravan is the new weapon in the war on speeding

The Vitronic Enforcement Trailer is manoeuvrable, bulletproof and WiFi connected - it’s the speed camera of the future...

Meet the Vitronic Enforcement Trailer. The next time you see one, it could be positioned on a roadside and you’d better hope you’re driving within the confines of the legal speed limit. 

Vitronic, a German industrial automation and traffic technology company, has developed the Enforcement Trailer as the next generation in traffic surveillance. The unmanned speed camera is wirelessly connected, easily manoeuvrable and protected from vandalism by a sealed, bulletproof shell. 

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With a 5-day battery life it can be left in position at the roadside for extended periods without the need for an operator. Photographs and information on offenders are then passed wirelessly back to police HQ in an encrypted feed designed to thwart hackers. 

The trailer, which resembles some sort of stealth caravan, is light enough to be moved by almost any vehicle with a tow bar and once it’s in position, it can be controlled remotely or simply left to monitor traffic independently on the targeted road. It’s by no means defenceless when left unattended by police operators though. 

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First, the trailer chassis and wheels retract into the body to prevent any opportunistic thief, or disgruntled motorist, from attempting to tow it away. Second, an alarm system immediately alerts local police if the trailer is tampered with and third, that special protective shell is designed to withstand any attacks, even from firearms! It seems the only remaining course of action left open to motorists angry at being caught by the Enforcement Trailer is to sit at the roadside and weep.

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The technology within the Enforcement Trailer is highly advanced too. Not only do the high performance batteries allow it to monitor traffic constantly for full a working week with no external power supply, it can also be connected to police through an optional internal modem and is able to monitor multiple lanes of traffic simultaneously. The LIDAR based PoliScanspeed speed measuring system can even enforce different speed limits at different times of day and for different types of vehicle. There really is no escape.

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Vitronic says that its Enforcement Trailer is designed primarily for use in locations that would be dangerous or difficult for human operators. As well as for remote places without the power or data connections that a traditional stationary speed camera would need. 

The Enforcement Trailer is on test with police forces in Germany with a view to it being put into active use on the roads. There’s no word on if, or when, it might come to the UK.

What do you think of the Vitronic Enforcement Trailer? Would you like to see it used by UK police forces? Let us know in the comments section…

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Head of digital content

Steve looks after the Auto Express website; planning new content, growing online traffic and managing the web team. He’s been a motoring journalist, road tester and editor for over 20 years, contributing to titles including MSN Cars, Auto Trader, The Scotsman and The Wall Street Journal.

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