Police forces across England have announced they will not issue fines to drivers caught by variable speed cameras on smart motorways until they can be sure the devices are working accurately.
What is the camera fault?
The decision comes after it was revealed that a technical fault has led to motorists being incorrectly penalised. The issue affects cameras that enforce temporary speed limits on smart motorways, like the M6 in the West Midlands. These limits are used to manage traffic during heavy congestion or incidents.
The problem involves a delay between the variable cameras and the changing digital speed signs on overhead gantries. This meant a driver could legally accelerate to a new, higher limit—for example, from 40mph to 60mph—but the camera might still be operating under the old 40mph restriction, wrongly flagging the vehicle as speeding.
Scale of the problem and action taken
National Highways has confirmed it is aware of approximately 2,650 wrongful speed camera activations across the country since 2021. While not all activations lead to prosecution, the error has resulted in some drivers receiving unfair fines and penalty points.
Authorities have moved to address the situation. Nick Harris, Chief Executive of National Highways, stated: "Safety is our number one priority. All drivers should continue observing the posted speed limits as normal. Anyone who has been impacted will be contacted by the relevant police force."
Affected drivers will be reimbursed for any fines paid, and penalty points will be removed from their licences. A temporary technical fix is now in place, but police have said they will not prosecute based on evidence from these variable cameras until their accuracy is guaranteed.
Ongoing enforcement and apologies
It is crucial for motorists to note that other average speed cameras on motorways remain fully operational, so speeding will still be detected and punished. A spokesperson for the Department for Transport told the BBC: "We apologise to anyone who has been affected. Safety was never compromised, and we are working with policing to ensure nobody is incorrectly prosecuted in future."
The spokesperson added that enforcement is still active and the public can be confident that only those who break the rules will face penalties.
