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Truvelo D-Cam Speed Camera UK Guide (2026)
In 2013 a new type of digital Truvelo speed camera was launched, known as the D-Cam - short for Digital Camera. Since then, a number of police forces and constabularies across the UK have opted to replace ageing fixed Gatso speed cameras with Truvelo D-Cams. This transition from Gatso to D-Cam has been most visible in Norfolk, where Norfolk Constabulary have installed no fewer than 27 Truvelo D-Cams at former Gatso sites.
Unlike the original Truvelo speed camera, which is always forward facing, the D-Cam can be installed to face either direction - meaning it can target the front or rear of passing vehicles depending on the configuration chosen by the operating force. The D-Cam can also function as a red light camera and is capable of monitoring up to three lanes of traffic simultaneously.
The cost of installing a Truvelo D-Cam is approximately £10,000, and the fully digital design means running costs are substantially lower than older wet-film cameras. To read more about the original Truvelo speed camera click here.
What is a Truvelo D-Cam speed camera?
The Truvelo D-Cam is part of a new fully digital speed camera range, mounted on poles at the side of the road or on a central reservation. The step change from the original Truvelo is the elimination of film entirely. D-Cam cameras can either store up to 100,000 digital photographs internally, or transmit images in real time via an ADSL or 3G connection directly to a back-office processing system.
Where images are stored on location rather than transmitted, the camera housing conveniently lowers so that data can be downloaded to a laptop or other device on site, before being processed at the relevant police authority or Safety Camera Partnership office. This "fit and forget" approach significantly reduces the operational burden compared to traditional film-based cameras, which required technicians to visit each site regularly to collect and develop film.
How does the Truvelo D-Cam work?
The Truvelo D-Cam uses one of two technologies to detect speeding vehicles and trigger the camera.
The first is called D-Cam P, which uses piezo sensors embedded into the road surface. As a vehicle drives over the sensor strips and its calculated speed exceeds the limit, the D-Cam's infra-red camera is triggered to photograph the offending vehicle.
The second method, D-Cam L, uses a laser beam to measure the speed of approaching vehicles. When a car, van or other vehicle is detected travelling too fast, the camera activates to capture a photograph of the driver and number plate.
In both cases, the D-Cam uses an infra-red flash to illuminate the scene, producing little or no visible light for the driver. Because the D-Cam can face either direction, it may photograph the front of the vehicle (showing the driver's face) or the rear (showing the number plate), depending on how the individual installation is configured.
Do you have a question about Truvelo D-Cam speed cameras? You can read UK motorists' Truvelo D-Cam questions and answers and also submit your own unanswered question via our online form. Alternatively, read UK drivers' Truvelo D-Cam camera comments.
Does the Truvelo D-Cam flash?
The Truvelo D-Cam does not produce a bright visible flash in the way that a Gatso speed camera does. Instead, D-Cam cameras use an infra-red flash which generates little or no visible light to the approaching driver. This is either built into the camera housing or provided by a separately mounted unit - as pictured below.
Truvelo D-Cam vs original Truvelo: what's the difference?
Both cameras share the same Truvelo heritage and use infra-red illumination, but there are several important differences between the D-Cam and the original Truvelo:
- Facing direction: The original Truvelo is always forward facing. The D-Cam can be installed facing either direction.
- Technology: The original Truvelo uses only piezo sensors. The D-Cam offers a choice of piezo (D-Cam P) or laser (D-Cam L) detection.
- Image storage: The original Truvelo used film. The D-Cam is fully digital, storing up to 100,000 images or transmitting them in real time.
- Additional functions: The D-Cam can also operate as a red light camera, which the original Truvelo cannot.
- Lane coverage: The D-Cam can monitor up to three lanes of traffic simultaneously.
Penalties for Truvelo D-Cam speed camera offences
Being caught by a Truvelo D-Cam carries the same penalties as any other fixed speed camera in the UK:
- £100 fixed penalty fine
- 3 penalty points added to your driving licence
- An offer to attend a speed awareness course (available in some cases, in lieu of points)
More serious offences - where the recorded speed is significantly above the limit — may result in a court summons rather than a fixed penalty notice, and could lead to higher fines or a driving ban. The Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) will carry the relevant code: SP10, SP20, SP30, SP40 or SP50. For full information on speeding penalties click here.
Truvelo D-Cams in West Yorkshire
In September 2013, two new Truvelo D-Cams were installed at accident blackspot locations in West Yorkshire that had previously been enforced by Gatso speed cameras. Because the D-Cams are configured to face approaching traffic at these sites, the photographs they capture now clearly show the driver of the vehicle - leaving no doubt about who was at the wheel at the time of the offence.
Simon D'Vali, chair of West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership, commented that the new cameras on York Road were the first sites in the Leeds district to be replaced with modern digital cameras, noting the housings had been in place for 13 years and that camera technology had moved on significantly in that time. He described a rolling programme that, over 20 to 30 years, would see all of the county's cameras transition to digital.
He also noted that the new digital sites transmit photographs and speed readings directly to the back office for checking, removing the need for technicians to drive to each site to collect and develop film. He concluded that the digital cameras allowed the partnership to do more for less money while continuing its core mission of reducing casualties on West Yorkshire's roads.
Where are Truvelo D-Cam cameras located in the UK?
Truvelo D-Cams have been adopted by a growing number of police forces across England as the natural replacement for ageing wet-film Gatso cameras. The rollout has been most extensive in Norfolk, where 27 D-Cam units replaced former Gatso sites, but installations have also taken place in West Yorkshire and other counties.
What is your view and experience with Truvelo D-Cam speed cameras in the UK? Tell us and read more Truvelo D-Cam comments. Alternatively, if you have a question about Truvelo D-Cam fixed speed cameras, please see our Truvelo D-Cam Q&A page.
Want to know where the UK's Truvelo D-Cam speed cameras are as you drive? Here at SpeedCamerasUK.com we have a UK speed camera location database covering thousands of fixed camera sites. This database also includes Gatso, Truvelo, SpeedCurb, SPECS, Peek, Traffic Light speed cameras and more. Read more about all speed camera types.
Speed camera alerts as you drive
The most reliable way to be warned of Truvelo D-Cam and other fixed speed cameras before you reach them is to use a dedicated speed camera detector, a sat nav with speed camera alerts, or a smartphone app. All of these can draw on a speed camera database to alert you to upcoming camera locations on your route.
Last updated: 8th April 2026
