The Ministry of Public Security has begun deploying scores of new traffic enforcement cameras, manufactured by Dutch company Gatsometer BV, on Israel's roads in the past couple of weeks. The cameras take high-quality digital photographs, which are sent wirelessly to a control center, resulting in unlimited photographic capacity and the rapid delivery of speeding tickets to offenders, in contrast to the several weeks currently needed.
The new cameras can monitors vehicles' speeds on up to four lanes of roads, and measure the speed of both approaching and departing vehicles. The cameras are also undetectable by current radar detectors.
Since radio frequency detection devices are useless against Gatsometer's cameras, the best way to locate them is to use GPS devices, which are available on the market. While they are navigation devices, they can also provide additional services, including alerts about traffic enforcement cameras and police cars. GPS device manufacturers heard the media noise about the new cameras, and began offering users updates about the new cameras, whose locations are public knowledge.
Taiwan's personal navigation device (PND) manufacturer Mio Technology Corporation is due to publish a special update on its website about the new traffic enforcement cameras. The cost of the update is NIS 40, and customers who recently updated their maps will pay NIS 20.
Hungarian-Israeli NavNgo kft, which markets under the iGo label, already offers an update on the cameras on its website at no cost. The update currently lists 35 cameras, and the company regularly updates the list.
Ituran Location and Control Ltd. (Nasdaq:ITRN); TASE:ITRN) is planning a similar update, but the company will only implement it when the cameras are operational. The update will appear in the company's quarterly digital map updates, and will cost either NIS 200, or nothing for subscribers who have not updated their maps in the first year since purchasing their PNDs.
Herzliya-based Telmap Ltd., a developer of navigation software for mobile devices, is planning to shortly add updates on the location of the traffic enforcement cameras. Switerland's Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) is not yet providing alerts on the cameras via the company's software in Israel, but customers can input the information on their own, which is the prevailing method for most PNDs on the market.
Israeli social mobile driving application developer Waze Ltd., which operates free navigation software, says that its users update the location of the traffic enforcement cameras.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on September 1, 2010
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