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More than 400 drivers a month fined in 50mph motorway average speed trap

Cameras which monitor motorists' average speed as they pass roadworks on one of Britain's busiest motorways will have raised almost £1 million in fines by the time they are finally removed next month.

By David Barrett, Home Affairs Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:49AM GMT 02 Nov 2008

An average of 427 drivers a month have been caught exceeding the 50mph speed limit on a 10-mile stretch of the M1 in Hertfordshire.

Information obtained from police using freedom of information laws revealed that 12,797 £60 fixed penalty notices were issued, from the introduction of the reduced speed limit, in March 2006 to September this year.

If all the fines have been paid they will have already raised almost £770,000 for the Treasury, with the prospect of a further £65,000 before the roadworks are due to be completed in December.

The Government claims casualty numbers on the road have halved following the introduction of the average speed cameras.

However, the system has proved controversial, with campaigners from the Association of British Drivers claiming it encourages people to "put their cars in cruise control and their minds in neutral" and does not necessarily lead to more responsible driving. Critics have also questioned why the reduced speed limit remains in place at night, when the roads are clearer.

While the M1 cameras are expected to be removed when the roadworks are completed, average speed cameras are expected to be introduced on many more roads across the country next year, as speed camera partnerships adopt a new, more advanced version of the technology.

The M1 cameras monitor drivers' average speeds over 10 miles of both carriageways which are being widened from three lanes to four between the junction with the M25 and Luton.

Independent consultant and member of the Motorists Legal Challenge group Richard Bentley said: "The number of fines suggests that there is something wrong with the limit. We would need to know what time of day these alleged offences took place. It could be that many of them took place at night when there were no works taking place, and that signage was incomplete."

A Hertfordshire Police spokeswoman said providing a more detailed breakdown of the fines would "reveal operational information" about the cameras.

"This could enable the determination of patterns of enforcement which would undoubtedly jeopardise the overall effectiveness of these devices, lessening the deterrent effect in the enforcement of the restricted speed limit," she said.

"This may lead to the encouragement of drivers to breach the limit which poses a significant danger to road users and the safety of the workforce."

The multi-million pound road widening project has seen the normal 70mph speed limit reduced to 50mph.

Cameras are mounted on overhead gantries and record each number plate, day and night, using infra red cameras, imprinting each image with a date and time stamp.

A computer then calculates vehicles' average speeds between the cameras and automatically sends out a £60 fine when a driver breaks the limit.

The section of the M1 which has been widened is due to form part of a Highways Agency pilot scheme for "high occupancy vehicles", which will see one lane reserved for vehicles with two or more passengers.

In September, a senior police officer called for a review into the use of speed cameras.

Ian Johnston, president of the Police Superintendents' Association, said public confidence in the police had been damaged by the constant targeting of motorists with the traps, and said their use should be "reassessed".

Earlier this month Tory-run Swindon Borough Council became the first to get rid of speed cameras after councillor Peter Greenhalgh objected to central Government receiving all the cash from fines while the town hall pays £320,000 a year for the cameras' upkeep. Other councils are considering a similar move.

The speed limit was placed to stop workers being endangered.
Clearly the limit was widely ignored bya large number of drivers - none of whom were stopped, so likely sped past other road works too.