HOTA Call for Evidence Launch Event

On 17 January, Intelligent Transport Systems UK (ITS UK), in partnership with the Home Office, will hold an event exploring a new Call for Evidence for the Home Office Type Approval (HOTA) of road enforcement technology.

This online event, running from 10am to 11am, will offer you the opportunity to hear directly from the Home Office on what the Call for Evidence will cover, the process for how to respond and will allow you to ask questions to the team directly.

This event is organised as part of ITS UK's Enforcement Forum, but is open to all - you do not need to be an ITS UK member to attend.

Please register below - a link to registered delegates will be circulated a few days before the event.

Agenda

10:00am | Welcome and overview of session

Max Sugarman, ITS UK 

10:02am | Introduction and background

Geoff Collins, Chair, ITS UK Enforcement Forum & General Manager, Acusensus

10.05am | The Call for Evidence 

Marc Clothier, Sussex Police

10.15am I The Call for Evidence

James Cooke, Head of S&T Strategy and Assurance Transformation, Home Office Science, Technology, Analysis and Research

10.25am | Q&A

10.55am | Closing Remarks: Why industry should respond

James Riley, Managing Director, Neology UK

11.00am | Event Close

Background
In June 2023, ITS UK launched the ‘Let’s Get HOTA Working’ campaign calling for a review of the HOTA process in order to ensure it was enabling the roll out of enforcement technology and supporting greater road safety. We’re delighted to see the Home Office launch this Call for Evidence, which we urge industry to input into. ITS UK are supporting the Home Office to engage with industry and stakeholders in getting a wide scope of views.

About the Call for Evidence 
The Call for Evidence will support a review of HOTA for Road Traffic Law Enforcement Devices (RTLEDs) used by the police and other law enforcement agencies in Great Britain. The Call for Evidence is designed to gain insights into stakeholder experiences of HOTA and to invite any suggestions for improvements that the Home Office could consider. It launched on 15 January 2024, two days before this event, and will close on 14 February 2024. 

The Call for Evidence will cover RTLEDs as described in “The Speedmeter, Traffic Light and Prohibited Lane Enforcement Camera Handbook v2.0” The Handbook contains a description of the technical requirements to be met for consideration of type-approval of certain types of speed, traffic light and prohibited lane enforcement equipment which are prescribed devices for the purposes of the road traffic legislation. HOTA of breath testing devices and drug-testing devices are out of scope of this Call for Evidence.

You can find the Call for Evidence here. Please note, this page will be in draft form until the Call for Evidence is launched on 15 January.

What is HOTA?

HOTA provides assurance that the device is accurate, precise, consistent and reliable and that its evidence can be relied on. Under section 20 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, in proceedings concerning certain traffic offences* records or measurements made by police equipment for traffic law enforcement can admissible as evidence subject to the following conditions: the equipment is a type approved by the Secretary of State and that any conditions subject to which the approval was given are satisfied.

* The offences are listed in s20(2) Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988