With a science fiction design and German ballistic protection, mobile units replace vehicles on the highways and bring severe punishments for offenders
Montgomery County, Maryland (USA), has started operating new mobile traffic enforcement units that have attracted attention both for their look and for their robustness. Dubbed “Cybertruck radars” by locals due to the silvery, angular design , the devices are officially called the Poliscan Enforcement Trailer and resemble armored vehicles worthy of sci-fi movies.
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Manufactured by the German company Vitronic, the six new radars represent a direct response to a historical site of depredation. Unlike conventional cameras installed on poles, these units function as mobile fortresses: they have a reinforced structure and bulletproof glass to protect the lenses and high-precision sensors. The goal, according to the manufacturer, is to ensure “optimal protection” against intentional damage.
The adoption of the equipment marks a strategic operational shift in the county’s enforcement logistics. While the old mobile cameras required the presence of a parked van with a police officer on standby, the new trailers operate 100% autonomously. They are monitored remotely and can be quickly relocated to so-called “high-injury-risk networks,” roads where speeding has become a systemic problem.
This technological upgrade is part of a plan to substantially expand automated traffic control in Montgomery. In all, the local administration plans to install 140 new speed cameras — including 96 smaller portable devices and 38 fixed cameras specifically aimed at school areas — in addition to 76 pieces of equipment focused on catching red traffic lights.
Along with modernizing the enforcement fleet, Maryland also adjusted the charging system to discourage speeding more rigorously. The old fixed rate format was replaced by progressive punishments, which weigh on the driver’s pocket depending on the severity of the infraction:
