Thousands of drivers wrongly fined for speeding since 2021
Thousands of motorists could have their speeding fines canceled following a fault that saw some cameras on British A roads and motorways accidentally triggered.
National Highways said it had detected 2,650 faulty speed camera activations since 2021 due to the delay between cameras and variable speed signs.
Affected drivers will be contacted by the police and fines will be refunded to them, and points will be removed from their licences, where necessary.
Not all camera activations are enforced, so not all incorrect activations will result in a fine.
National Highways apologized for the error and CEO Nick Harris said a fix for the issue had been identified.
“Safety is our number one priority… All drivers should continue to comply with posted speed limits as normal. Anyone affected will be contacted by the relevant police force,” he said.
National Highways, which operates England’s motorways, has claimed there is an “anomaly” in the way variable speed cameras interact with signs on some A-roads and motorways.
This meant a delay of around 10 seconds between the cameras and the associated variable speed signs; This meant that some drivers were mistakenly identified as speeding after the limit changed.
The authority said the 2,650 incidents since 2021 represented less than two each day, compared to more than 6 million incidents where speed cameras were activated on affected roads in the same period.
It was stated that the anomaly affected 10% of motorways and main A roads in England.
The fault affects all variable speed cameras on smart motorways and two cameras on the A14, which connects the north and West Midlands with East Anglia.
He is working with the police to control activations and has vowed that no one will be unfairly prosecuted anymore.
Police forces, meanwhile, have stopped issuing tickets for floating cameras until they are sure they are accurate.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “We apologize to everyone affected. Safety has never been compromised and we are working with the police to ensure no one is unfairly prosecuted in the future.
“Sanctions are still in force and the public can be assured that only drivers who break the rules will be punished.”
