What is the N system?
A type of device that reads car license plates
What is the N system?Read the license plate information of each car and check if it matches the number already orderedIt is a machine that is installed for
Officially, it is called “automatic number plate reading device”, and “N system” is a common name (hereinafter referred to as N system). The initial N stands for “Number”.
The N system records the license plates of all vehicles passing through its assigned lane.andAutomatically compares the recorded license plate information with the wanted vehicle list held by the policeFlow.
When a car with a license plate on the wanted list is detected, details such as the make, model, owner, etc. of the car and the current location of the car are sent to patrol cars and other police investigation vehicles. increase. Immediately sent to the system to display on the map.
again,Information that the car being wanted has been detected by the N system is sent to the police radio all at once.So, after the patrol cars and investigation vehicles patrolling the vicinity of the wanted vehicle receive it, they start tracking and arresting the wanted vehicle according to the instructions from the communication control room.
N system and Orbis have different roles!
Automatic speed control devices, commonly known as Orvis, are installed on expressways and main roads as a device to crack down on cars and motorcycles that travel significantly beyond the speed limit.
When the vehicle in question passes by, it flashes and takes a picture (sometimes called a “commemorative photo” in the streets), but it is common to get a license suspension if you light up the Orvis.
A letter will be sent at a later date, so you can see that the license plate information is read at the same time as the speed.
The N system reads license plate information just like Orvis does, but does not enforce speed enforcement.These can be said to be similar.
But now it can read both license plates and measure speed.NH systemThere is an opinion that it will become popular, so it will be a point of interest in the future how the differentiation between the N system and Orbis progresses.
How to distinguish between N system and Orbis?
There is an orbis beyond the blue sign
Where fixed orbis is installed, there is always a notice board installed. with a blue sign“Automatic speed control machine installation route”It is characterized by being written asthisIf you see a sign, there is Orvis aheadLet’s understand.
The signs are carefully posted in advance, so even if you happen to be driving faster than the legal speed limit, you don’t have to worry about getting your license suspended if you don’t miss it. However, in order to do so, it is necessary to concentrate on driving while looking at the surroundings and obtaining information on a daily basis.
There is no N system signboard
On the contraryNo signage has been installed announcing the presence of the N System.In the first place, considering that the N system is installed everywhere, there is no need to go out of your way to publicize it because it is “widespread”.
Portable Orvis suddenly
Recently, portable (movable) Orvis has become even more popular. It is a small orbis used by police officers all over the country for speed control.
It’s rare to see a sign that says “I’m cracking down with a portable Orbis ahead.”And I have never seen one.
The fixed orbis countermeasures described above will not work, but with experience and intuition, you can predict where the police are likely to crack down.
Drivers in the oncoming lane who noticed Orvis may also notify you by passing. In any case, drive below the legal speed limit on unfamiliar terrain, wide, straight roads, etc.
however,There is currently no such thing as a mobile N system.
Is the N system actually useful?
It’s a convenient system like this, but I’m wondering if it’s actually good for the world and people just by installing it.
Although it can be appreciated that it can identify and catch a running vehicle that has passed the vehicle inspection before it causes a traffic accident,Whether it plays a role in finding stolen vehiclesandThe privacy aspect of constantly monitoring the carI have a concern.
Contributing to the discovery of vehicles running with expired vehicle inspections
From 2017, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will conduct street inspectionsWe have started trial introduction of portable N system.
In this trial operation, a total of 3,696 vehicle license plates were read, and seven of them were found to have expired vehicle inspections.Driving on public roads is prohibited by law (Road Transport Vehicle Law)Efficient way to locate out-of-inspection carsIt is easy to imagine that expectations have risen as a result.
From September 2018 to March 2019, street inspections were conducted in 35 prefectures nationwide. As a result of 46 inspections at 43 locations, 43 out of 37,403 vehicles that had passed inspection were discovered.
Japanese law presupposes that all vehicles operated on public roads must pass a vehicle inspection. Violation will result in 6 violation points (i.e. license suspension) and imprisonment for up to 6 months or a fine of up to 300,000 yen.
It is a double punch of administrative punishment and criminal punishment. Furthermore, if a traffic accident occurs, a huge amount of compensation will be generated, so it can be said that it contributes to preventing such accidents.
Did you play an active part in preventing car theft?
If you read the “2017 administrative project review sheet (National Police Agency)” published on the web, you will find the outline and purpose of the project (here, “development of an automatic number plate reading device”), budget amount and execution It mentions the amount, etc., and also in the business purpose column“Arrest car thefts and crimes using cars”It is listed.
Therefore, let’s take a look at the “Crime Statistics Data for January to December 2020[Confirmed Values]” published by the National Police Agency. The table below shows the number of recognized major thieves and the number of major thieves arrested from 2016 to 2020.
| Year | Recognition cases | Cleared cases |
| 2016 (Heisei 28) | 11,655 | 5,713 |
| 2017 | 10,213 | 5,357 |
| 2018 | 8,628 | 4,248 |
| 2019 | 7,143 | 3,845 |
| 2020 | 5,210 | 3,006 |
Before the introduction of the N system (2018), the number of recognized car thefts had been on a downward trend.
as far as i see thisIt is difficult to conclude that the introduction of the system contributed to the reduction of theft.I guess. The number of recognized car thefts in 2020 was less than half of the number in 2016, perhaps because the coronavirus epidemic restrained the thieves’ activities.
Privacy protection concerns
The N system is significant in that it can find stolen vehicles and vehicles that have passed inspection, but it can also be interpreted that where you are currently running is constantly monitored through the N system installed in various places. .
More than just license plate readingface recognition systemIf used in conjunction with (possibly already in operation), it will be possible to monitor the location of the vehicle and the person who drives or rides in it.
No speed enforcement using the N system so far
There is currently no speed enforcement using the N system. However, in the future, we cannot conclude that there is no possibility that it will be used for speed control without our knowledge, for reasons such as strengthening the crackdown.
Attention to the future trend of the NH system that records both number and speed
Driving on public roads with a vehicle that has expired vehicle inspection ・ Driving with a borrowed license plate (so-called tempura number)There is nothing we can do about the N system unless you drive illegally.
However, we should pay more attention to how the NH system, which simultaneously captures license plates and measures driving speed, will be used in the future.
Some may argue that speed enforcement reduces accidents, but it also means that our lives are being monitored. We will keep an eye on future trends.