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BENDIGO Highway Patrol's newest toy, a car fitted out with the latest mobile Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology, has been pulling its weight just over a week after its first use.
Senior Sergeant Mark Edwards said the car had been used by patrol members on at least four shifts since hitting Greater Bendigo's streets late last month.
He said the results in four shifts spoke for themselves; helping police identify eight unregistered cars, two unlicensed drivers, one suspended driver and one driver in breach of an interlock condition.
"It's averaging two unregistered cars per shift, and around about one unlicensed or suspended driver per shift," he said.
"That’s a figure we don’t normally get in our policing."
The car's technology involves four cameras on top of the car which constantly scanning passing cars' number plates.
The data is then transmitted back to a server at the station and cross-referenced with records on the driver attached to the number plate.
Should any red flags come up, alerts are sent back to police in the car via the car's computer.
Senior Sergeant Edwards said the car gave police the capacity to check vehicle registration very quickly, and the technology was more than capable of scanning number plates from very long distances.
"I've seen it pick up number plates from a great distance, well over 100 metres," he said.
"Those people who want to question the technology, well the results will speak for themselves."
He said the car was an effective tool for improving road safety.
"It's about removing undesirable drivers and cars off our roads, which make our roads safer."
While highway patrol members were still learning to use the car, Senior Sergeant Edwards said they were improving each day.
"We're still mastering it, guys going well, getting positive feedback," he said.
"There's a fair bit involved in using it and getting proficient in its use, as my guys perfect it I'd expect those numbers (of car's identified) to go up."