More than 36,000 speeding fines have been cancelled because of a fault in 154 speed cameras on smart motorways across the UK. The issue, first identified in October, affects all smart motorways, including the M1, M6, M5, M25, and M42, and has led police forces to stop processing penalties linked to the defective cameras.
According to The Times, police have refused to process over 36,000 speeding tickets, cancelling the penalties altogether. The problem stems from a “technical anomaly” where cameras register speeds with a delay, meaning drivers were fined after the speed limit had already changed, leaving them technically within the law.
Faulty Cameras and Erroneous Activations
National Highways, the government body responsible for England’s major roads, acknowledged 2,650 instances of “erroneous camera activations” since 2021. Authorities confirmed the cameras are still activating on motorways, but police have lost confidence in their accuracy and are no longer enforcing penalties from these devices.
The Times further reported that more than ten months after the nationwide fault was uncovered, the defective cameras remain under testing by the Home Office and have yet to receive approval for operational use. While awaiting approval, police forces are refraining from issuing any enforcement notices for speeding motorists caught by these cameras.
Affected Motorways and Leadership Changes
The fault affects all smart motorway sections, including major routes such as the M1 (between Junction 6A and 42), M3 (Junction 2 to 4A), M4 (Junction 3 to 12), M5 (around Junction 4A to 6 and 15 to 17), M6 (Junction 2 to 19), M20 (Junction 3 to 7), M23 (Junction 8 to 10), M25 (Junction 2 to 30), M27 (Junction 4 to 11), M42 (Junction 3A to 9), M60 (Junction 8 to 18), and M62 (Junction 10 to 12 and 18 to 30).
In January, shortly after the camera faults were uncovered, Nick Harris stepped down as chief executive of National Highways after five years at the helm, with sources indicating that he had lost the confidence of the board. An independent review commissioned by transport secretary Heidi Alexander into the agency’s management of the matter is expected this summer but has yet to be released.
Reactions and Ongoing Enforcement
Simon Williams, from the RAC, said: “It's very concerning that this has not been fixed and that so many speeding drivers are not facing the consequences. We urge the government to address this as a matter of priority.” A National Highways spokesperson said: “Speeding offences continue to be detected and prosecuted. A range of enforcement measures are in place to help keep road users safe. A fix for the impacted cameras is going through rigorous testing.”
Despite the speed camera issue, some drivers are still being fined for using closed lanes. Smart motorway drivers have been hit with criminal convictions and more than £100,000 in fines, court costs, and victim surcharges this year for ignoring “red X” lane closure signs, according to research. Since the start of the year, court records show 378 drivers have been convicted of ignoring the red X signs, leading to fines totalling £48,409, costs of £33,255, and £20,183 in victim surcharges. Most guilty motorists are also issued with three penalty points, some ending up with a driving ban if they already have points on their licences.
The RAC said it was “concerning” that drivers were continuing to flout the red X rules, which were first introduced with the advent of smart motorways more than a decade ago. RAC road safety spokesman Rod Dennis said: “The signs play an absolutely fundamental role in keeping people safe. This is especially the case on those where the hard shoulder has been removed permanently, as the safety of a driver who has broken down in a live lane will depend entirely on other people reacting to the red X by moving to another lane.” Last week, 12 motorists were convicted of ignoring the signs in private court hearings under the fast-track single justice procedure.
