Detection of vehicle speed based on image processing technology recently has been found in many applications over the world. However, the accuracy of those methods has not been investigated taking into account of physical characteristics of the surveillance camera. Based on the operation time of the camera's optical sensor system including shutter time (ST) and sensor operating time, the accuracy of vehicle speed detection on highways as well as inner city streets can be significantly improved. The operation time of the camera’s sensor is essential for determination of frames over time in a vehicle surveillance system. Therefore, control of the shutter time ST will help a camera-based speed detection system to achieve much better accuracy.