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A technical fault has led to the erroneous activation of speed cameras on certain English A roads and motorways, potentially resulting in thousands of drivers receiving wrongful speeding fines. National Highways discovered that since 2021, there have been 2,650 incorrect speed camera triggers caused by a timing issue between cameras and variable speed limit signs. Those affected by these false activations will be contacted by the police and reimbursed for any penalties, with points removed from their driving licences where applicable. It is important to note that not every camera activation leads to an enforcement action, so not all of these incidents necessarily resulted in fines.
National Highways took responsibility for the problem and issued an apology. Chief Executive Nick Harris confirmed that a solution to the problem has been found. He emphasized that road safety remains a top priority and urged drivers to continue adhering to posted speed limits. Harris assured drivers that anyone impacted by the fault would be contacted by the relevant police force to address the issue.
The problem was traced to an anomaly in the communication between variable speed cameras and their corresponding speed limit signs on some motorways and A roads. This fault caused a delay of approximately 10 seconds in updating the cameras with the current speed limit. Consequently, some motorists were mistakenly flagged for speeding when the speed limit had recently changed. According to National Highways, although these 2,650 false activations have occurred since 2021, this number represents fewer than two incidents per day out of over 6 million correct camera activations during the same period. The issue has affected around 10% of major A roads and motorways across England, including all variable speed cameras on smart motorways and two cameras on the A14.
Efforts are underway to ensure the accuracy of speed camera enforcement. National Highways is collaborating with police forces to verify activations, with a commitment that no one will be wrongly prosecuted. Meanwhile, police have paused issuing fines from variable speed cameras until the issue is fully resolved and they have confidence in the system’s reliability. A spokesperson from the Department for Transport apologized to anyone impacted, stressed that safety was never compromised, and assured the public that enforcement continues and only genuine rule violations will be penalized
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
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