Car activist Brian Staples drives very carefully as he approaches the stretch of road that contains the most prolific speed cameras in England.
This cash cow “eye” has already caught 17,498 victims in just eight months (more than 70 drivers 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 ride in his 1961 Daimler Dart and knows the road well, almost gets caught up in this confusing and busy junction on the A38 at Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.
There are over 7,000 speed cameras on our road network, catching millions of drivers each year using a variety of traps.
He says: ‘This is a stealth speed trap – fooling drivers who are already fooled by the confusion of road signs and traffic lights at this junction.
“No one is against traffic calming measures helping to save lives, but this disgusting box is just a money-making machine.”
As organizer of the 2,000-member Griffins Head Classic Car Club, a local group of car lovers who want to share their motoring enthusiasm, he points out how this busy junction has been designed to ensnare motorists. It’s hard to disagree.
There are no less than 22 separate traffic lights placed around it. Driving down this highway toward the camera, there is a 70 mph speed limit that suddenly becomes 50 mph, all with an average speed camera overhead.
But then, about 100 meters from the junction, it inexplicably hits 30mph. Although it is signposted, it is one of half a dozen traffic signs in this jungle of traffic lights.
There are over 7,000 speed cameras on our road network, detecting millions of drivers each 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 photographs (a double flash) to capture speed and registration. There should also be white lines on the road to confirm the speed.
The Truvelo is another popular camera, but this one faces forward. It was introduced to capture an image of the motorist to stop drivers with the excuse of not being behind the wheel.
It doesn’t flash, but uses infrared technology to capture motorists. There are four sensors hidden within the road surface that calculate speed, with three white lines painted along the road. Mobile radars installed outside or in parked vans are another enemy and can catch you up to a mile away.
On the road: Journalist Toby Walne catches a lift with motoring activist Brian Staples in his 1961 Daimler Dart.
But as we get out of the car with Brian to study this particular camera, we discover that it’s a Vector SR, the ultimate high-tech speed trap weapon. It uses a “smart virtual grid” inside the yellow box that calculates speeds using a computer program.
With an infrared light as illumination, it can secretly capture you without flash, and works just as well at night and in bad weather.
The high-definition camera can also read your car’s license plate, and the Vector SR has the technology to check if you’re wearing a seat belt, using a phone behind the wheel, or making an illegal turn. Speed cameras nationwide are thought to generate £1bn a year.
Legal Expert, a solicitor specializing in personal injuries, compensation and accident claims, has compiled the most up-to-date map of the worst speed cameras in Britain, with this yellow box in Nottinghamshire at the top.
Legal Expert submitted a Freedom of Information request to all 43 police forces in England and Wales requesting the number of speeding fines issued. Only 23 responded.
But they revealed that during the 12 months ending April 5, more than 5.2 million speeding tickets were issued. Adding the authorities that did not respond, it is estimated that nine million were handed over.
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 can complete a road awareness course.
But for more 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 have your license withdrawn.
Retired electronics engineer Brian, 76, says: “I think if you get caught on camera you should get a warning in the mail first.” If you get caught one more time, you will be fined.
ATM: A38 radar has already caught 17,498 victims in just eight months, more than 70 drivers a day, and raising millions of pounds for the Government
And cameras should be more clearly marked to ensure the limit is enforced. Hiding them or providing confusing signals will only make you less safe as a motorist.”
Back inside Brian’s Daimler Dart, after passing this radar on our left, we navigated the traffic light junction and across it, heading towards Mansfield, four miles northeast.
This particular camera was installed after two fatal accidents near the intersection.
Brian believes that while this is a laudable reason for the chamber, he is concerned that it could also be treated as a source of income.
Money from speed camera fines goes into a Consolidated Fund, which is the Government’s bank account at the Bank of England. It is then used for expenses and the Department of Transportation distributes much of it through grants.
Since 2000, local authorities have also been able to set aside a portion of the money raised by radars to finance regional programs.
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) RoadSmart, said: “There is a misconception that these cameras are sources of income for the police, but the money usually goes to the government and councils.
“Getting caught speeding can be a costly inconvenience, but it can also be a matter of life and death. It’s important to strike a balance and always be aware of speed.’
Slam the Brake: Driving down the highway toward the camera, there’s a 70 mph speed limit that suddenly becomes 50 mph and then inexplicably hits just 30 mph.
Simon Williams, of motoring body RAC, says: ‘It is alarming that eight in ten admit to speeding. Most see the speed limit as a goal and not something that should not be exceeded.’
Ignorance is no excuse and the rules are in the Highway Code. Motorways and expressways have a speed limit of 112 km/h, single carriageway roads are set at 100 km/h and urban roads with street lighting at 50 km/h (or 32 km/h in Wales and in the centres). urban areas, such as Bristol and Manchester, and much of London).
A speed camera is typically set with a 10 percent plus 2 mph buffer, so you may be able to drive 35 mph in a 30 mph zone, but you can’t guarantee it.
Penalties for speeding are graded in severity from A to F. Band A is for speeding up to 10mph over the limit and will get you three points and a fine of up to 75 per cent of your weekly earnings.
Those caught speeding up to 10mph over the limit should be able to opt for a daytime speed awareness course instead of points and penalties, which at £100 is a better deal.
Band B is up to 20mph over the limit and a fine of up to 125 per cent of weekly wages and six points, while Band C is for speeds above this level and comes with fines of up to 175 per cent of the weekly wage. weekly income and six points. .
Penalty points remain on your license for four years. You may receive 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 see you fined up to 700 percent of weekly salary. income and see how they take away your license.
If you score 12 points over a three-year period, your driving license will be suspended for six months.
The RAC claims that last year’s 1,645 road deaths would have been much higher if it had not been for these cameras.
The Government believes that 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 percent of speeding tickets are contested and approximately half of these appeals are successful. You must have proof. The best challenges involve technicalities.
- If you receive a speeding ticket, a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) will be sent to you in the mail. If it contains incorrect information, such as time, date, location, or speed, you may be able to make a case.
- You can also object to a fine if you were not the driver. You must provide details of the person behind the wheel by filling out a “Section 172 notice.”
- If speed limit signs were incorrect, broken, hidden or missing, take photographs of them.
- If your speed measurement equipment was not calibrated correctly you may have a case. Unfortunately, the only way to prove this is to go to court. The police do not have to hand over this evidence beforehand.
- You must plead “not guilty” to the Notice of Expected 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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