ANPR, Automatic Number Plate Recognition, has revolutionised our roads and car parks. ANPR has many benefits and uses as an advanced security/monitoring system capable of reading car number plates without human intervention.
What is the use of ANPR?
ANPR systems capture number plates and convert them into digital data. They can match number plates with real-time vehicle information, including time, place and speed, helping operators with increased security and a smooth, fast service.
ANPR systems are used by police forces around the country, helping detect, deter and disrupt criminal activity. ANPR can help with traffic control, tolling, bus lane enforcement, travelling criminals, organised crime groups and car park management. The system can offer a line of evidence for any potential crime, helping investigations on a national scale.
Two different groups generally use ANPR, including:
- Private companies, local authorities and the Department for Transport (DfT)
- Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), including the police
ANPR is used across motorways to check the average speed of vehicles, control the traffic flow and monitor ticketless car parks. This technology makes it easier to manage car parks, including checking visible spaces and ensuring visitors pay when parking.
What does ANPR check for?
ANPR is an innovative technology that can read a number plate or a vehicle registration number (VRN) on a car to check details against certain databases.
As a vehicle passes by an ANPR camera, a picture of its number plate is taken and passed to a specially designed reader, which finds the VRN and reads the letters and numbers on the registration plate. Once it identifies the VRN, the system stores the information on a secure server. Police can access this server for various reasons, such as if they believe the vehicle is of interest to them.
How do ANPR cameras work in car parks?
ANPR cameras are specifically designed for number plate recognition, helping you manage your car park effectively. The systems can give highly accurate readings of number plates, monitor space visibility and log number plate data.
As the demand for parking spaces typically outstrips availability, ANPR has become a crucial aspect of car park management strategies. Car park owners need a reliable way of enforcing their car park rules, such as parking within the spaces provided, ensuring only disabled motorists use disabled spaces and visitors pay for parking tickets.
Car park management companies like Creative Car Park use high-speed image capturing with supporting illumination and character detection within the captured image to store information on any car or vehicle that passes through your car park.
High-speed image capturing enables them to determine how long a vehicle has stayed in your car park and assesses your capacity at any given time. You can manage your car park more efficiently without regular walkarounds and manual checks, which could lead to human error and missed revenue opportunities.
What are the benefits of ANPR?
ANPR has many benefits in streamlining car park management, generating revenue and space monitoring. You can use ANPR systems for parking automation and ticketless parking to reduce the time you’ll need to spend on administrative work.
Car park administration can drain finances and resources. Consider the time and effort you might spend handling and managing complaints and challenging unauthorised users.
Other benefits include detecting car theft and ‘lost ticket’ fraud prevention, parking access automation, lost vehicle guidance, and gathering customer data around car park user habits, which could help you manage your car park more efficiently by understanding your peak usage times.
For retail businesses, ANPR can also increase store revenue through ‘free parking’ schemes under the condition of purchase.
ANPR can help many sectors with car parking management, including retail, healthcare, residential, commercial and leisure & tourism. With regular visitors and parking essential for many hotels and restaurants, ANPR can simplify how customers park.
Simplify car park management with ANPR
Creative Car Park offers a sophisticated ANPR-powered solution that takes the time and hassle out of car park management.
Contact our specialised team today to get the most from your car park through our ANPR management systems. We also offer car park consultancy, helping you find a relevant solution for your business and car park.
