Thousands of drivers have been caught speeding around Birmingham this year by police speed camera vans. These vans often prove to be more effective than fixed speed cameras as they move to different locations and motorists never know where they are going to be and at what times of the day.
So while drivers may know where fixed cameras are and be able to slow down for them, there is more chance of them being caught unawares by a police van parked at the side of the road.
How the mobile units operate
The marked vans, which are known as mobile units and have speed camera symbols displayed on them, move around the West Midlands. They tend to visit hotspot roads where there are known problems with speeding, parking up at those with the biggest issues most often.
Officers may observe traffic weekly or monthly. While motorists should always stick to the speed limit, this serves a warning they risk being caught on these roads.
Freedom of information data obtained by BirminghamLive has revealed where drivers have been fined most often so far this year. Police vans can catch motorists off guard, and it might be too late to slow down by the time they spot them.
Those who regularly commute along these roads or live nearby may want to bear this in mind.
Top 10 roads for speed camera van fines in 2026
- Fort Parkway, between Spitfire Island and Fort Retail Park - 774 penalties
- Heartlands Parkway, between Star City and Bromford Lane - 583
- Eachelhurst Road, Sutton Coldfield, towards Chester Road - 558
- West Boulevard, towards Barnes Hill - 438
- A4040 Bromford Lane, southbound between Fairholme Road and Washwood Heath Road - 356
- A34 Walsall Road, near Clivedon Avenue - 311
- A4040 Stockfield Road, southbound between Yardley Road and Warwick Road - 293
- Eachelhurst Road, towards Walmsley - 288
- B4121 Shenley Lane, southbound between Shenley Fields Road and Meadowbrook Road - 285
- A453 College Road, southbound near Epwell Road - 283
Birmingham's worst road for fines is Fort Parkway, between Spitfire Island and Fort Retail Park, near the M6. A total of 774 speeding penalties have been issued after being caught by speed camera vans since the start of this year.
Other hotspots include Heartlands Parkway and Eachelhurst Road in Sutton Coldfield.
