Drivers travelling Gauteng’s major highways could soon face a new type of speed enforcement that doesn’t just measure how fast you are travelling when passing a camera. Instead, it calculates your average speed over several kilometres, meaning slowing down just before a camera may no longer be enough to avoid a fine.
The development follows confirmation by Transport Minister Barbara Creecy that the Gauteng Provincial Government and the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) are working on plans to repurpose former e-toll gantries for road safety and law enforcement initiatives.
One of the technologies under consideration is Average Speed Over Distance (ASOD) monitoring.
How average-speed cameras work
Unlike traditional speed cameras or roadside radar traps, ASOD systems use two cameras positioned a set distance apart.
The first camera records a vehicle’s registration plate and the time it enters a monitored section of road. A second camera records the same vehicle when it exits the section.
The system then calculates the vehicle’s average speed over the distance travelled.
This means a driver who speeds between the two cameras and only slows down near the end of the section can still be fined if their average speed exceeds the legal limit.
E-toll gantries could become enforcement points
Gauteng’s e-toll network includes 43 gantries across major routes such as the N1, N3, N12 and R21.
If the provincial government’s plans move ahead, these structures could be used for average-speed enforcement, creating one of the most extensive speed-monitoring networks in the country.
For truck drivers, fleet operators and long-distance transport companies, the change could have significant implications. Maintaining a legal speed throughout a journey may become more important than ever, particularly on routes where gantries are located several kilometres apart.
The technology is not entirely new
Average-speed cameras are already being used on certain roads in South Africa.
Truck drivers travelling between Johannesburg and Durban will be familiar with ASOD systems operating on sections of the N3, while similar technology has also been deployed on parts of the N1 between Pretoria and Polokwane and on selected routes in the Western Cape.
Read | Durban Speed Cameras Return After 8-Year Hiatus to Crack Down on Reckless Driving
However, Gauteng’s extensive gantry network could dramatically increase the reach of average-speed enforcement if the proposal is fully implemented.
More than just speed monitoring
The Gauteng Provincial Government is also investigating the use of high-speed weigh-in-motion technology on gantries.
These systems can identify potentially overloaded vehicles while they are travelling at normal road speeds, reducing the need for vehicles to stop at traditional weighbridges.
The province is also exploring ways to use existing gantry and communications infrastructure for other transport-related services.
Cape Town testing new camera technology
While Gauteng considers average-speed enforcement, the City of Cape Town is pursuing its own technology upgrades.
The metro has installed smart speed signs on several roads that display a driver’s speed in real time. Officials are also considering placing enforcement cameras shortly after these signs to catch motorists who accelerate again after slowing down.
Cape Town is additionally seeking approval to permanently introduce artificial intelligence-powered cameras capable of detecting motorists using cellphones while driving or failing to wear seatbelts.
What it means for drivers
For years, many motorists have relied on spotting speed cameras, radar traps or warnings from navigation apps before reducing their speed.
Average-speed enforcement changes that strategy completely.
Whether driving a passenger vehicle, taxi, bus or heavy truck, motorists will need to remain within the speed limit throughout the monitored section of road, not just when approaching a camera.
If Gauteng proceeds with its plans for the former e-toll gantries, drivers may soon discover that slowing down at the last moment is no longer enough.
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