Drivers facing £526m fines from smart motorway cameras
New findings have revealed the true cost of variable speed limits to motorists
UK motorists have been hit with up to £526 million in fines from variable speed cameras since they were first installed on motorways in 2013.
A Freedom of Information request by price comparison site Confused.com found that 210,538 fixed penalty notices were issued to motorists driving over the speed limit when passing under a variable speed camera point.
A survey of 20,000 UK motorists found that one in three motorists have had an accident or near-miss caused by sudden changes in the speed limit, or know of another driver who has.
A further eight in 10 drivers caught speeding have blamed it on sudden changes in speed that came as a result of variable smart motorway cameras. Just one in 10 motorists are aware that variable speed cameras can drop to 20mph on UK motorways.
Two in five drivers agree that the cameras cause motorists to brake more suddenly in an attempt to avoid a fine.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: “There seems to be a perception among drivers that variable speed cameras on smart motorways are there to catch people out, and it’s no surprise with up to £526m in fines issued last year alone.
“We’d advise drivers to research their route before heading out to take note of any areas where there may be a dramatic drop in speed. Keeping a considerable distance between your own car and the car in front can also help to avoid any sudden braking.”
Variable speed limit sections have been found to generate large numbers of penalty notices. Cameras situated between J19 and J20 of the M4 have collected 40,320 fines from 2015 to 2016, coming ahead of cameras on the M5 between J16 and J17 which generated 27,398 penalty notices.
