Major UK motorway speed camera glitch 36k fines cancelled – full list

Speed cameras on major UK motorways are still flashing drivers — but police are dropping all the fines

More than 36,000 speeding fines have been cancelled – because of a fault with 154 speed cameras. The problem which impacts 12 motorways in the UK was discovered last October – and lead to thousands of fines being cancelled.

Now police have refused to push through more than 36,000 speeding tickets – and cancelled the fines, The Times reported. The problem impacts all Smart Motorways in the UK including the M1, M6, M5 M25 and M42.

Last year, a “technical anomaly” was identified with 154 speed cameras used on all smart motorways – meaning that there was a delay between the cameras and the speed limits being changed – meaning drivers being sent speeding fines after the limit had changed – meaning they were not breaking the law.

Officials confirmed the cameras are still flashing on the motorways – but police have lost confidence and are not enforcing the fines. National Highways, the government body in charge of England’s major roads, said that it had identified 2,650 instances of “erroneous camera activations” since 2021 but police forces across the country were so concerned that they cancelled more than 36,000 ongoing and historic speeding cases related to the cameras.

The Times reported that more than ten months after the national issue was identified, the malfunctioning cameras are still being put through testing by the Home Office and have not yet been approved for use.

While they wait for approval, police forces are not issuing any enforcement notices for speeding motorists caught by the faulty cameras. In January, shortly after the camera flaws were exposed, Nick Harris resigned as chief executive of National Highways after five years in charge with sources stating that he had lost the board’s confidence.

Major Motorways with Smart Sections

• M1: Multiple upgraded stretches between Junction 6A and Junction 42 (including J prejudicial areas like J10-13, J16-19, and J28-31).
• M3: Junction 2 to Junction 4A (Surrey and Hampshire).
• M4: Junction 3 (Hayes) to Junction 12 (Theale) [0.10].
• M5: Sections around Junction 4A to 6 and Junction 15 to 17 (Bristol region).
• M6: Extensive segments running from Junction 2 up to Junction 19 (including the heavily monitored West Midlands and M6 J10A-13 corridor).
• M20: Controlled and dynamic sections between Junction 3 and Junction 7.
• M23: Junction 8 to Junction 10 (south of London toward Gatwick).
• M25: Large continuous and controlled segments spanning from Junction 2 round to Junction 30 (notably J5-7 and J23-27).
• M27: Junction 4 to Junction 11 (Hampshire).
• M42: Junction 3A to Junction 9 (the original pilot region around the West Midlands).
• M60: Junction 8 to Junction 18 (Greater Manchester ring road).
• M62: Sections covering Junction 10 to Junction 12 and Junction 18 through to Junction 30 (Manchester to Leeds)

The independent review ordered by Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, into the agency’s handling of the issue is due this summer but is yet to be published. 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.”

In a statement at the time the Goverment said: “National Highways has confirmed an anomaly has been identified in the way some variable speed cameras interact with signs on some A roads and motorways.

“This has resulted in a very small number of people incorrectly facing enforcement action for speeding. The anomaly has meant there was at times a slight delay between cameras and variable speed signs, leading to some drivers being incorrectly detected as speeding after the limit had changed.

“As a result, National Highways have identified approximately 2,650 total erroneous camera activations on impacted roads since 2021, which is the equivalent of fewer than 2 a day. Anybody affected will be contacted directly by the relevant police force. They will be reimbursed and have points removed from their licence where relevant.“

What are smart motorways?

Smart motorways are motorways which use technology to manage traffic flow.

In addition to informing drivers of speed limits – which are regulated using speed cameras – the overhead signs can also alert people to accidents or other hazards ahead.

There are three main types:

• Controlled – have a permanent hard shoulder like normal motorways, but use technology such as adjustable speed limits, indicated using overhead signs, to control traffic flow
• Dynamic – the hard shoulder can be converted into another lane of traffic at busy times, with the speed limit reduced to 60mph. Overhead signs will display an ‘X’ over the hard shoulder if it is closed
• All-lane running – the hard shoulder is permanently another lane of traffic, with emergency refuge areas (essentially laybys) at regular intervals (currently every 2.5km) that drivers can use in an emergency