29. 12. 10. - 16:21

'Crazy' speed camera flashes all drivers

Red-faced police in Salzburg have admitted a speed camera has flashed every driver regardless of the speed they were going for several hours.

Motorway officials announced today (Weds) a radar trap took a picture of every car going on the A10 Tauern motorway on Monday for four hours due to a technical malfunction.

Autobahn workers were eventually ordered to switch the speed camera off and put a dark cloth over it as all technicians at the firm which produced and maintains the radar trap were on holidays.

Police already checked the recorded material but have so far remained tight-lipped over whether they will be able to identify speeders among all motorists caught on camera in the four-hour period on Monday.

Traffic officials in Upper Austria meanwhile hope recently purchased high-tech speed cameras will be reintroduced soon. They were set up only around half a year ago to catch foreign drivers breaching speed limits on motorways and main roads in the province.

The new type of radar traps take pictures from front of the cars – in contrast to older generations of speed cameras which flash vehicles’ backsides. Officials decided to buy the new models to clearly identify the drivers and make it harder for them to escape coughing up the fines ranging between 35 and 55 Euros.

The pricey cameras are currently all out of order as road salt – which is currently extensively used as most parts of the province are blanketed in snow – damaged the devices’ sensitive lenses. Repairing them will cost several thousand Euros, according to local newspapers. Reports also claim it is unclear when the speed cameras will be back in operation.