A pioneering new speed camera is being developed which will make even the most law-abiding drivers shiver as they pass by. The "Asset" camera doesn't just measure speed, but also takes pictures of the interior of your car to determine whether you are wearing a seatbelt, and checks your number plate to confirm that you are fully taxed and insured.

This latest weapon in speed camera technology can capture footage from 150 ft away. It is the first to detect multiple offences at the same time. Aerials transmit pictures to police headquarters via satellite so that prosecutions can be enforced within seconds of the offence taking place. Britain currently has separate cameras to detect the offences of speeding, tax and insurance violations, but Asset can spot a number of offences at the same time.

Europe is expected to see the introduction of the cameras, called "Asset" or Advanced Safety and Driver Support for Essential Road Transport, in the next few years. The EU allowed the scheme to happen by donating 7 million to the development of the camera, which is currently being tested in Finland.

But reactions to this new technology have not all been positive. The AA have recognised the potential improvements in road safety that could be brought by the new camera, but their President Edmund King also questioned the intentions of the scheme, saying that it could easily become "a money-making scheme".

Traffic police were worried that the camera would effectively usurp their jobs, as the device will soon be fitted into all police cars, reducing the need for manpower. Instead, the only way to reduce accident is to increase police patrols and provide better training for motorists.

The government seems to be making a U-turn after proposed cuts to the road safety budget. Police in Oxfordshire are now turning back on all of the speed cameras after speeding rocketed in their absence. Hopefully the Asset will be the answer to road safety problems.