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This distinction determines what the data may be used for, so it needs to be understood before anyone plans a system of penalties based on it.
What can be measured on private property
On private property you can record a vehicle passing between two points and the time it took. With a known distance, that gives the average speed over the section, calculated simply and predictably, with no measuring equipment. A breach is logged with the vehicle, the time and the place, and events can be summarised: which carrier and how often.
The value of the mechanism lies in the summary. A single run says little, but the same carrier speeding regularly is information you can act on, and material for a commercial conversation.
In TraxSystem section speed measurement belongs to the Site surveillance module, together with the vehicle locator and car parks. The ANPR cameras at the measuring points are hardware priced separately, and the pricing page gives the price of the Site surveillance module.
What you cannot do with speed data
You can’t issue a fine: it is private property, the plant has no power to impose fines, and the system is not a legally verified instrument. What you have are contractual and disciplinary measures: a conversation, a note on record and, in extreme cases, a site ban. Nor should the system’s reading be presented as metrological evidence, because it doesn’t have the status of an official measurement. The system won’t stop a vehicle either, because it doesn’t close the barrier on account of speed.
Consequences for employees need separate thought. Speed data for a vehicle driven by an employee is data about that employee, so taking action requires a basis in the workplace rules, agreement with the person responsible for data protection and often informing the employee representatives as well.
What works better than measuring speed
On a plant site, physical measures usually achieve more than recording speed: speed humps, narrowings and a traffic layout that makes it impossible to build up speed. They can’t be got round and don’t need anyone’s attention.
An induction before entry helps too. A driver who goes through the induction in their own language on a terminal at the gate knows the rule; a driver who was handed a sheet of paper in Polish doesn’t. A summary of breaches sent to the haulage company has more effect on the carrier than a sign, because it touches the commercial relationship.
What section speed measurement does not do
Section speed measurement is not a legally verified speed meter and doesn’t measure instantaneous speed continuously, because it calculates the average over the section between recording points. Nor does it recognise the driver behind the wheel. It links the event to the vehicle, and who was driving follows from the entry registration, if one was made.
The system doesn’t record camera video continuously. The cameras are there to recognise the plate, and when the limit is exceeded, photos from both measuring points are kept and attached to the report.
Questions and answers
Can I use this to charge the carrier a contractual penalty?
That depends on the wording of the contract and how it defines the way a breach is established. A lawyer will decide that; the system provides the record of the event.
Is section measurement reliable?
Yes, as an average over the section, provided the route between the points is unambiguous. A vehicle that stopped on the way produces a lower result, and that error works in the driver’s favour.
Can it be done without cameras?
No. The measuring points in TraxSystem are plate recognition cameras at both ends of the section, because it is the plate read that links passing point A with passing point B.
See also: Controlling vehicle dwell time on site · Health and safety induction for drivers who don’t speak Polish · What is ANPR: number plate recognition explained