New Report Reveals The Cash Cows Known As Smart Motorway Cameras
Monday, 23. September 2019
As we see a mass push to turn motorways with hard shoulders into Smart Motorways, Highways England has revealed the costs to motorists.
Each camera on new “smart” sections of Britain’s motorways is expected to rack up £600,000 in fines every year.
Disobedient drivers will be slapped with £100 fines and three penalty points under the controversial new system being laid out by road chiefs.
So many motorists are expected to be pounded by the punishment that police are recruiting more staff to deal with the extra workload.
One of Britain’s biggest police forces, Thames Valley, is taking on an extra 15 civilians to process all the fines expected when Highways England switches on the smart sections of the M4 and M40 later this year.
The move has prompted complaints that drivers are being milked for cash under the new system.
Smart sections use variable speed limits and the hard shoulder as an extra lane during busy periods to control traffic and improve safety.
There have already been calls for smart motorways to be scrapped after four people were killed on one stretch of the M1 as there was no safe place to stop.
AA president Edmund King said: “If more resources were put into making the gantry signs accurate and the variable speeds right for the conditions, you might not need more resources for enforcement.
“Accurate technology and more consistent and appropriate speed limits would actually reduce the levels of fines.
“Any ‘income’ from fines should go into making these roads safer by sorting technology and doubling the number of lay-bys.”
The huge numbers expected to be caught by the automatic cameras – either for breaking the speed limit or straying into lanes that have been temporarily closed with a red ‘X’ gantry sign – are revealed in a report by Thames Valley police.
It said of the smart motorways which will be introduced later in the year: “It is anticipated that the M40 and M4 will each capture 30,000 infringements per year.”
A Highways England spokesman said: “There are around 150 speed camera sites on smart motorways; normally one between each junction.
“They are clearly signed and are bright yellow for visibility. The vast majority of drivers on smart motorways drive within the speed limit.”
There are already more than 200 miles of smart motorway in the UK, including London, Birmingham and the North.
Advice by Highways England reported in the Sun is as follows:
How to safely drive on a smart motorway
Highways England gives the following advice when driving on a smart motorway:
- Never drive under a red “X”
- Keep to the speed limit shown on the gantries
- A solid white line indicates the hard shoulder – don’t drive in it unless directed
- A broken white line indicates a normal running lane
- Use the refuge areas for emergencies if there’s no hard shoulder
- Put your hazard lights on if you break down
By Graham Hill and the help of The Sun.
