A major investigation has been launched into faulty speed cameras that incorrectly recorded thousands of motorists breaking the limit on England's motorways and major A-roads.
Government Orders Expert-Led Review
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced the probe, which will be led by a non-executive director of the Department for Transport (DfT). The review will scrutinise whether National Highways and its senior leadership acted appropriately and swiftly enough once the technical problem was identified.
The investigation will also make recommendations on governance and accountability within the agency. This action follows the revelation that approximately 2,650 motorists were wrongly caught speeding in incidents dating back to 2021.
The Technical 'Anomaly' Explained
National Highways, which operates England's strategic road network, identified an "anomaly" in the interaction between variable speed cameras and electronic signs. This fault created a delay of roughly ten seconds between a speed limit change on a sign and the corresponding update on the camera system.
Consequently, drivers who slowed down promptly after seeing a new, lower limit on a variable sign could still be recorded as speeding by the camera for a brief period. The agency stated this issue affected just 10% of England's motorway and major A-road network.
Next Steps for Affected Drivers
Anyone impacted by this error will be contacted directly by the relevant police force. The government has confirmed that drivers will be reimbursed for any fines paid and have penalty points removed from their licences where applicable.
To put the scale in context, the Department for Transport noted that during the period since 2021, there have been more than 6 million camera activations on the impacted roads, with not all activations leading to enforcement. The 2,650 erroneous activations equate to fewer than two per day.
A government spokesperson said: "The travelling public must have confidence that technology on our roads works as intended. An independent review will examine how the anomaly occurred, how it was handled, and what changes are needed to ensure this cannot happen again." National Highways has stated its investigations are ongoing.
