Motoring campaigner Brian Staples is driving extra carefully as he approaches the stretch of road containing the most prolific speed camera in England.
This cash-cow beady ‘eye’ has already trapped 17,498 victims in just eight months – more than 70 motorists a day – and is raking in millions of pounds for the Government. He doesn’t want to join their ranks.
But even Brian, who is giving me a lift in his 1961 Daimler Dart and knows the road well, is nearly caught out by this confusing and busy junction on the A38 in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
There are more than 7,000 speed cameras on our road network – catching millions of motorists every year using a variety of traps
He says: ‘This is a sneaky speed trap – tricking drivers already bamboozled by the jumble of road signs and traffic lights at this crossroads.
‘No one is against traffic-calming measures helping save lives, but this nasty box is just a money-making machine.’
As organiser of the 2,000-strong Griffins Head Classic Car Club, a local group of car lovers who want to share their enthusiasm for motoring, he points out how this busy junction has been designed to snare motorists. It is hard to disagree.
There are no less than 22 separate traffic lights placed around it. Driving along this dual carriageway towards the camera, there is a 70mph speed limit that suddenly turns to 50mph – complete with an average speed camera overhead.
But then, about 100 yards from the crossroads, it inexplicably goes to 30mph. Although signposted, it is one among half a dozen other road signs by this traffic light jungle.
There are more than 7,000 speed cameras on our road network – catching millions of motorists every year using a variety of traps. The first and most common is the Gatso, introduced in 1991.
These rear-facing cameras send a radar signal to monitor movement and take two photos – a double flash – to capture speed and registration. There should also be white lines on the road to confirm speed.
The Truvelo is another popular camera, but this one faces forward. It was introduced to catch an image of the motorist to stop drivers using the excuse of not being behind the wheel.
It does not flash but uses infra-red technology to capture motorists. There are four sensors hidden within the road surface that calculate speed, with three white lines painted across the road. Mobile speed cameras mounted outside or in parked vans are another enemy and can snap you up to a mile away.
On the road: Reporter Toby Walne catches a lift with motoring campaigner Brian Staples in his 1961 Daimler Dart
But stepping outside the car with Brian to study this particular camera we learn it is a Vector SR – the latest high-tech speed trap weapon. It uses an ‘intelligent virtual grid’ within the yellow box that calculates speeds by using a computer programme.
With an infra-red light for illumination, it can snap you in secret without a flash – and works just as well at night and in bad weather.
The high-definition camera can also read your car registration, and the Vector SR has the technology to check if you are wearing a seatbelt, using a phone at the wheel or making an illegal turn. Nationwide speed cameras are believed to rake in £1billion annually.
Legal Expert, a personal injury, compensation and accident claim solicitors, has compiled the most up-to-date map of the worst speed cameras across Britain – with this yellow box in Nottinghamshire coming out top.
Legal Expert made a Freedom of Information request to all 43 police forces in England and Wales asking for the number of speeding fines issued. Only 23 replied.
But they revealed for the 12 months ending April 5 that more than 5.2 million speeding tickets were issued. Adding those authorities that did not reply, an estimated nine million were handed out.
This does not include statistics for Scotland or Northern Ireland.
The minimum fine is £100 plus three penalty points on your driving licence – unless you are able to take a road awareness course.
But for the most serious speeding offences, such as driving over 100mph on the road, you can be fined up to £1,000 – £2,500 on a motorway – and see your licence taken away.
Retired electronics engineer Brian, 76, says: ‘I think that if you get caught by any camera you should first be sent a warning in the post. If you get caught once again it results in a fine.
Cash machine: The speed camera on the A38 has already trapped 17,498 victims in just eight months – more than 70 motorists a day and is raking in millions of pounds for the Government
And cameras should be more clearly marked to ensure you stick to the limit. Hiding them or providing confusing signage is only going to make you less safe as a motorist.’
Back inside Brian’s Daimler Dart, having passed this speed camera on our left, we navigate the traffic lights junction and cross over, heading towards Mansfield four miles north-east.
This particular camera was installed after two fatal road accidents near the junction.
Brian believes although this is a laudable reason for the camera, he is concerned that it could also be treated as a cash cow.
Money from speed camera fines goes into a Consolidated Fund, which is the Government’s bank account held at the Bank of England. It is then used for expenditure, with the Department for Transport distributing much of it through grants.
Since 2000, local authorities have also been able to keep a portion of money raised by speed cameras to fund regional schemes.
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards for motoring group Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) RoadSmart, says: ‘There is a misconception that these cameras are cash cows for the police, but the money usually goes to the Government and local councils.
‘Being caught speeding can be an expensive inconvenience but it can also be a matter of life or death. It is important to strike a balance and always be aware of your speed.’
Slam on the brakes: Driving along the dual carriageway towards the camera, there is a 70mph speed limit that suddenly turns to 50mph which then inexplicably goes to just 30mph
Simon Williams, of motoring body the RAC, says: ‘Frighteningly, eight out of ten admit to excessive speeding. Most see the speed limit as a target rather than something not to break.’
Ignorance is no excuse, and the rules are in the Highway Code. Motorways and dual carriageways have a speed limit of 70mph, single carriageways are set at 60mph and urban roads with street lights 30mph – or 20mph in Wales and city centres, such as Bristol and Manchester, and much of London.
A speed camera is typically set up with a leeway of 10 per cent plus 2mph so you might get away with driving at 35mph in a 30mph zone but you can’t guarantee it.
Penalties for speeding are banded in severity from A to F. Band A is for speeding up to 10mph above the limit and will land you with three points and a fine of up to 75 per cent of weekly income.
Those caught speeding up to 10mph above the limit should be able to opt for a speed awareness day course instead of points and penalty – which at £100 is a better deal.
Band B is up to 20mph above the limit and a fine of up to 125 per cent of weekly salary and six points, while band C is for speeds above this level and comes with fines of up to 175 per cent of weekly income and six points.
Penalty points stay on your licence for four years. You might get a driving disqualification of one or two months instead of points for bands B and C, while bands D to F involve aggravating factors, such as driving while banned – which could land you with a fine of up to 700 per cent of weekly income and see your licence taken away.
Pick up 12 points within a three-year period and your driving licence is suspended for six months.
The RAC says the 1,645 road fatalities last year would have been much higher had it not been for these cameras.
The Government believes 20 per cent of deaths are related to ‘exceeding the speed limit’ so the traps could have saved more than 300 lives.
How to appeal a speeding fine
Only one per cent of speeding fines are challenged – with about half of these appeals successful. You must have evidence. The best challenges involve technicalities.
- If you get a speeding fine you will be sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) in the post. If this contains the wrong information such as time, date, location or speed, you may be able to fight the case.
- You can also argue against a fine if you were not the driver. You must provide details of the person behind the wheel by filling in a ‘Section 172 notice’.
- If speed limit signs were incorrect, broken, hidden or missing, take photos of them.
- If the speed-measuring equipment was not calibrated properly you may have a case. Unfortunately, the only way you might be able to prove this is to take it to court. The police do not have to hand over this evidence beforehand.
- You must plead ‘not guilty’ to the Notice of Intended Prosecution within 28 days.
You can represent yourself but it often makes sense to seek help. Debt support website MoneyNerd suggests contacting an online solicitor service such as JustAnswer.
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