Leeway given to drivers under Automated Enforcement System

Clearer picture: An operator processing data at the AES control centre.

PETALING JAYA: When the light turns amber, you have just two seconds before it turns red and the cameras catch you committing a traffic offence under the Automated Enforcement System.

This allowance is given in consideration of the “human element” in the event that you are not able to stop immediately when the light turns amber.

Under the AES, you are also given a leeway of 10kph beyond the speed limit, according to Road Transport Department director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan.

For example, if the speed limit is 110kph, you will only be “captured” on AES camera if you exceed 120kph, he told a media briefing here yesterday.

“Thus, offenders can no longer argue they only drove a couple of kilometres over the speed limit or that the traffic light turned red halfway.”

Solah also said the system started on Sunday with 14 cameras installed at accident-prone areas in Perak, Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur 10 to catch speed limit breakers and four to nab those who beat the red light.

In those two days, 2,952 offenders were caught on camera 809 for speeding and 2,143 for beating the red light, he added.

Solah said that cameras would be installed at 817 blackspots nationwide in the next one year.

He said the cameras, with an 11 megapixel resolution, could capture clear images of vehicles even when they were moving at high speed.

“The images captured will be sent automatically to the AES control centre and the vehicle registration numbers of the offenders will be cross-checked with the database of the Road Transport Department before a summons notice is mailed to the vehicle owner.

“Offenders will receive their summons notice within five days of the date they violated traffic rules. They are given two months to pay their RM300 compounds. They can be hauled to court if they refuse to pay up,” he said.

Solah stressed that the AES was not aimed at issuing summonses, but to educate people to be good road users and reduce the number of deaths due to accidents in the country.

As such, he said, signages were put up to give ample warning on the presence of cameras.

Two concessionaire companies, ATES Sdn Bhd and Beta Tegap Sdn Bhd, operate AES, each investing between RM300mil and RM400mil.