The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is warning motorists to be mindful of their speed on the nation’s roads.
This, as 20 new Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) speed enforcement devices are being deployed along key highways and byways across the country.
Speaking at the launch on Tuesday, Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro says officers will no longer need to manually operate speed guns, as the technology will significantly enhance their ability to detect speeding and other traffic violations with greater accuracy and efficiency.
“So gone are the days where you’ll see the police vehicles parked up in visible places. I saw some very humorous social media memes with police hiding in the bush and all of that to catch people speeding. Technology has taken over, and we are now embracing that technology to bring road safety to Trinidad and Tobago.”
The new LIDAR speed devices are designed to detect speeding violations with greater precision while reducing human error.
TTPS Road Safety Coordinator Brent Batson explained that the technology is being adopted by law enforcement agencies worldwide due to its reliability and advanced features.
“Our technology goes further because we can actually get image captures of the vehicle registration plate printed out to provide the driver with the evidence. Our new technology also has with it what we call ‘licence plate illuminators’ that allow a high level of enforcement during the night when we know most of the speeding tends to take place. This has expanded now so that we can cover all police divisions.”
Transport Commissioner Clive Clarke urged motorists to obey posted speed limits, reminding them that speeding offences attract various fines, depending on the severity of the violation.
“Those tiers are: speed limits above 1k to 9 kilometres: $2,000. The second tier, we talk about between 10 to 20: $3,000. And then the third tier, which spans between 20 to 30 thereabout, carries 4,000. And then the final tier above, 31.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Eli Zakour emphasised that the introduction of the devices is about saving lives.
“When motorists know that speeding can be detected, behaviour changes, and when behaviour changes, lives are saved. These devices are not about punishment for punishment’s sake. They are about deterrence, they are about prevention and they are about ensuring that law-abiding citizens, pedestrians, passengers and families, are better protected every single day.”
The LIDAR speed enforcement devices were officially launched at the Audrey Jeffers Highway layby near the foreshore on Tuesday morning.