Hundreds, and potentially thousands, of motorists have been wrongly accused of speeding after a fault was discovered.

Variable-speed camera systems on some major A roads and motorways were activated out of sync with the speed limit.

The discovery has prompted enforcement suspensions and a nationwide review.

Speeding ahead

National Highways has confirmed that approximately 2,650 drivers may have been incorrectly fined after a technical issue was identified with variable speed limit cameras.

The fault, which dates back to 2021, involved a 10-second delay between changes to overhead variable speed signs and the enforcement cameras linked to them.

As a result, some drivers were detected as speeding even though they were complying with the newly displayed limit.

Following the discovery, police forces have stopped issuing fines from the affected variable-speed cameras until confidence in their accuracy is fully restored.

National Highways says it has now developed a fix and introduced additional data checks to ensure no further incorrect prosecutions take place.

 

Keep in lane

National Highways chief executive Nick Harris said safety and fairness were paramount.

“Safety is our number one priority, and we have developed a fix for this technical anomaly to maintain the highest levels of safety on these roads and make sure no one is wrongly prosecuted,” he said.

“All drivers should continue observing the posted speed limits as normal. Anyone who has been impacted will be contacted by the relevant police force.”

Those wrongly penalised will be reimbursed, and any penalty points removed from their driving licences where applicable.

National Highways has apologised to affected motorists and said it is taking steps to remedy all incorrect enforcement actions.

The organisation stressed that the number of drivers impacted was small compared with more than six million speed camera activations recorded on the affected roads during the same period.

However, motoring groups say the incident has raised concerns about trust in automated enforcement and the stress caused to drivers wrongly accused of offences.

Time delay

Legal experts note that even short delays between speed limit changes and enforcement can have significant consequences, particularly on smart motorways where limits change frequently in response to traffic conditions.

The issue comes at a time when data shows that fines and penalties are rising overall. Research from fleet management specialist Hudson Kapel indicates that penalties issued to company car and van drivers have increased, with speeding and toll-related offences contributing to the rise.

Separate figures from Ayvens, which processed 248,301 fines in 2024, the highest number on record, underline the scale of enforcement activity.

According to Hudson Kapel’s analysis, private parking fines remain the largest category, accounting for 35.5% of all penalties, although this is slightly down on the previous year.

Council-issued parking fines fell from 12% to 8.5%, while congestion charge penalties dipped from 5% to 4% as drivers adjusted to urban charging schemes.

In contrast, speeding offences rose from 13% to 14.5%, and fines for toll roads and the Dartford Crossing Charge now account for more than 20% of all penalties combined.

 

 

It’s the law

National Highways has emphasised that enforcement remains in place and warned that drivers who break the law will still face prosecution.

“This anomaly does not mean speed limits are optional,” a spokesperson said.

As authorities work with police forces to implement safeguards, the incident serves as a reminder that while speed enforcement is central to road safety, accuracy and transparency are essential to maintaining public confidence in the system.

Following on from issues around the safety of Smart motorways in general, this latest isuse piles yet more pressure on technical law enforcemtn and road safety measures, which is increasingly replacing traffic police officer patrols on the roads.