Scotland is set to upgrade its network of road safety cameras to digital technology with an investment of £2.4m.

The upgrade will result in all 168 fixed cameras being digitalised, which will cut out the need for officers to make regular visits to develop the film in order to issue fines for speeding.

This new technology will instantly send the images of motorists breaking the speed limit to four backroom offices for processing.

The new cameras will also offer a variety of benefits, such as improved reliability, faster processing of offences and clearer images of vehicles.

The majority of the existing cameras on the country’s roads have been in use since the early 1990s and are approaching the end of their serviceable period.

"This new technology will instantly send the images of motorists breaking the speed limit to four backroom offices for processing."

The latest investment includes the cost of buying new cameras, as well as upgrading or replacing the existing poles, housings and associated viewing equipment in each of the four back offices where the information will be managed.

A Transport Scotland spokeswoman said that the safety cameras have been proved to play a key role in helping to achieve road casualty reductions, and this £2.4m investment will result in all wet film safety cameras being upgraded to digital technology.

The move will increase the capacity of the cameras, while contributing further towards keeping the roads safe, the spokeswoman added.

Of the total 168 existing fixed cameras, 58 are on the trunk road network while the others are on local authority roads spread across four safety camera partnership areas, Lothian & Borders (63), North East (29), Strathclyde (63) and Tayside (13).