World's most extreme speed camera

"UK roads could soon be under the surveillance of the ultimate speed camera.

Known as ASSET (Advanced Safety and Driver Support for Essential Road Transport), the camera uses 3D technology to detect multiple driving offences at the same time.

As well as speeding, ASSET can determine if a driver is wearing a seatbelt, and measure the distance between his car and the car in front to see if he's tailgating.

It also reads number plates and tax discs to see if the driver has valid insurance and Vehicle Excise Duty.

Just like today's speed cameras, ASSET will generate instant multiple penalties for drivers - raising the possibility of an instant ban. It will be fitted to police patrol vehicles and the information will be fed back to a central police database.

ASSET, developed by the VVT Technical Research Centre in Finland, has been funded by £7.1 million of European Commission money. The project began in July 2008 and testing - currently taking place in Finland, France, Germany and Austria - will be completed by December 2011.

It's expected to go to market in 2013 and cost the Government £50,000 per camera.

AA President Edmund King believes that the camera will be welcome on UK roads, as long as it is not used as a "money-making machine". He said: "Tailgating is more dangerous in most cases than speeding, so I think most motorists would welcome it.""