Tackling congestion by influencing travel behaviour
We aim to tackle congestion by providing access to information that enables people to make smarter travel choices.
Gender Equality Report
Gender Equality Action Plan - a progress report on the first year.
Travel and Delay Times on Variable Message Signs
We are now providing a new national information service for drivers and would welcome your feedback. This follows a successful trial in the West Midlands and South West.
Driver location signs help drivers when reporting incidents
When reporting a problem, use the driver location signs to help the emergency services and Highways Agency find you quickly.
Traffic news on your desktop
Helpful ways to access the latest traffic information when you need it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Traffic Cameras
How many traffic cameras does the Highways Agency have in operation?
There are traffic cameras distributed around the Highways Agency's network, the motorways and trunk roads in England. Wales and Scotland have separate operations. The primary users of the traffic cameras are the Highways Agency's Regional and National Traffic Control Centre operators.
Why does the HA need to have traffic cameras?
Traffic cameras allow our Control Centre operators, at the National Traffic Control Centre for England (NTCC) and the seven regional control centres (RCCs), to monitor traffic conditions on the motorways and trunk roads in England.
What are the HA's traffic cameras used for?
Our control centre operators monitor what is happening 24 hours a day seven days a week. The operators can see what is happening on the road and respond to any incidents and congestion that occurs.
What do the operators do?
The operators set the electronic signs on motorways which provide information to drivers about conditions ahead; they put in place diversion routes with the help of the Police; they inform our road Traffic Officers, the police and emergency services when accidents and other incidents occur; and they provide information to our maintenance teams.
Who controls the cameras?
Only operational personel have control with the ability to move cameras.
How do the cameras help?
The cameras give a bird's eye view of what is happening at an incident or accidents which helps the operator to decide what level of support needs to be mobilised. The images are sent to Highways Agency's Information Line (HAIL) in order to keep the public informed. The images from the cameras help verify information received from other sources.
Where are these cameras located?
The cameras are located on masts and gantries mounted above motorways and trunk roads along the busiest sections, such as around M42 and M6 in Birmingham and the M25 in London. Elsewhere, cameras are placed close to junctions as these tend to be the areas that are under the greatest traffic pressure. There are many different coloured cameras (yellow, green, blue) on the road network.
Are all roadside cameras Traffic Cameras? If not what are they used for?
There are many different cameras on our roads that are used for a number of different purposes and by different people. As well as Highways Agency traffic cameras there are Police cameras, Local Authority traffic cameras, Safety Camera Partnership cameras, and cameras used as traffic detectors to provide congestion data to third party information providers.
Can members of the public get access to the camera images?
The Agency licenses traffic information service providers to re-use the traffic images to develop and provide still images and live video image traffic information services for the public to help people to better plan their journeys. Current licensed traffic information providers are listed on the Traffic Images for the Public page of this website. You can access their services through the internet. We do not provide direct access to the camera feeds to individual members of the public.
Are all cameras used to provide traffic images for traffic information services?
No. Only images from traffic cameras are licensed for re-use by third parties. Images which may be captured from any other cameras on the network, including enforcement cameras or cameras to which Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology or other data recognition technology is attached, are not provided to traffic information service providers or the public.
What happens if a camera is broken – what does the public see and what should the public do?
If a camera is broken it will not be able to capture an image so the public will not see images from that camera. There is no need for the public do anything about a broken camera. The Regional Control Centre will know automatically that a camera is not working.
Are the cameras used by the Police?
Yes. The Police Service has access to the cameras to fulfill its statutory duties assist with managing road accidents and other incidents. Police use is governed by common law and statutory legislation. Police make use of the cameras in managing major incidents on the network and are responsibile for criminal investigations.
Will viewers be able to identify people from the camera images?
The technology by which the images are transmitted to the public has an automatic Image Control System which prevents the transmission of images to the public when the cameras zoom in beyond a pre-defined safe limit at which individuals could be identified. Only the Agency's operators and the Police Service can override this automatic system so they can continue to undertake their traffic management and police functions.
What if an accident happens? Can the public see the images?
Our operators and the police manually blank the images to non operational staff when their viewing is not considered in the public interest. This is in addition to the automatic technology which prevents the transmission of images when the cameras are zoomed to provide close up images where individuals could be identified.
Does the Highways Agency record images from its traffic cameras?
Not usually because the Agency has no need to record the images to carry out its functions on the road network. Occasionally however images may be recorded for Health and Safety reasons, research and staff training purposes but will not be retained any longer than needed.
Will individuals or organisations be able to request copies of recorded images (eg for insurance claims)?
Images are not routinely recorded. In exceptional cases where images are recorded they are for a specific purpose and are destroyed as soon as they are no longer needed. If very exceptionally the Agency holds a recorded image and receives a request for a copy, the Agency handles the request in accordance with data subject requests under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 1998) and access requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI 2000).
Are the images used as evidence in matters of criminality?
Images are not routinely recorded. If recordings exist and the Agency receives a formal request from the Police Service for access to the recordings to fulfill its statutory duties in investigating incidents on the network and tackling criminality, the Agency is obliged to supply the recordings provided the request complies with the legislative framework and the various Codes of Practice, Procedures and Guidance of the Highways Agency and the association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
Frequently Asked Questions for Traffic Information Service Providers and Operational Partners
What plans does the Agency have to make Traffic cameras available to the public?
The Traffic cameras can be viewed on the Traffic England web site. In addition, we license traffic information service providers to re-use the traffic images to develop still images and live video image services providing traffic information services to the public to help people to better plan their journeys.
Why can't the public have internet access to real-time live video streams?
Transporting live streaming video images requires a large amount of bandwidth. We do not have the available bandwidth at our disposal to be able to offer this to members of the public or internet-based licensees. Nor do we think it would be appropriate since it would make editorial control of inappropriate images much more difficult. By making the images subject to minimum and maximum refresh rates it is possible to convey traffic conditions whilst preventing the viewing of a sequence of events concerning incidents on the network.
When will access to these images be available to the public?
We have already licensed a number of traffic information service providers who are currently providing still images and live video image services. For a list of licensed services see the "Traffic Images for the Public" page on this website.
Will the public be charged to access the images?
No. Access to the images will be provided free of charge to members of the public through a Highways Agency website. Many other licensed traffic information service providers also provide the images to the public free of charge through their websites.
Are there any restrictions on public access to or use of the images?
Yes, the traffic images are Crown Copyright protected and may only be re-used under Licence from the Secretary of State. They may however be reproduced free of charge for travel information purposes, for research, private study, subject to the material being reproduced accurately and not used in a misleading context. Where the images may be accessed from handheld devices they must not be accessed whilst driving. In law a person may be regarded as driving a vehicle whilst the engine is running even if the vehicle is stationary.
Why is the Highways Agency making these images available to the public?
The Government is committed to making available its information where it is of use to the public. One of the Highways Agency's objectives is 'Safe Roads, Informed Travelers and Reliable Journeys'. Providing access to traffic images from the motorway and trunk road network contributes towards these aims, by supplementing the Highways Agency's other traffic information sources.
What makes traffic images so special?
The images are a user-friendly source of real time information for members of the public that helps them to understand the traffic conditions prior to commencing their journey. This will allow them to consider alternative route options or to delay starting their journey until conditions have improved.
Will the public be able to see all of the cameras all of the time?
No. Cameras will be unavailable from time to time to allow for maintenance work to be carried out. Similarly images from the cameras may be blanked from public viewing by our operators in the event of an emergency or security situation. Blanking will also be in place if it is considered that their viewing by the public is not in the interests of operational requirements, the public or policing. This is in addition to the automatic technology which prevents the transmission of images to the public when the cameras zoom in beyond a pre-defined safe limit.
PRIVACY ISSUES
Why do the Police have access to Traffic cameras?
The Police Service take the lead in managing major incidents on the network, to prevent and detect crime and tackle criminality, and to disclose information where necessary for the prevention, detection and prosecution of crime. Police use of the cameras is governed by common law and statutory legislation.
Do the cameras from which the images are distributed have data recognition technology attached to them?
No. Enforcement cameras or cameras to which Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology or other data recognition technology are attached are not distributed to the public or licensed traffic information providers.
Can Licensed users record images from the Highways Agency's cameras?
Licensees re-using the images are data controllers as defined in the Data Protection Act 1988 with respect to their own use of the images and are required to comply with the provisions of the Act. They are responsible for determining their own recording and retention policies.
