Thousands of motorists in England are set to have their speeding fines cancelled following the discovery of a significant technical fault with variable speed cameras.
Software Update Blamed for Faulty Fines
The error, which has been active since 2021, is believed to have been caused by a software update. This anomaly affected cameras on some motorways and A roads, incorrectly detecting drivers as speeding after the legal limit had already increased.
Nick Harris, the Chief Executive of National Highways, stated that safety remained the agency's top priority. "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.
Scale of the Error and Immediate Action
National Highways has identified approximately 2,650 incorrect camera activations since the issue began. While this represents less than 0.1% of the 6 million total activations in that period, it has impacted around 10% of England's strategic road network.
In response, police forces have temporarily stopped issuing fines from the affected variable speed cameras. This pause will remain until authorities are confident the system is error-free and no further wrongful prosecutions will occur.
Refunds and Licence Points to be Removed
Anyone who was incorrectly penalised will be contacted directly by the police. The process will involve reimbursing the £100 minimum fine and removing the three penalty points from the driver's licence.
A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs' Council confirmed that forces are working to identify and contact a "very limited number of motorists." They assured the public that details of a compensation scheme would be shared in due course.
The Department for Transport also issued an apology, emphasising that road safety was never compromised. "Enforcement is still in place, and the public can remain confident that only motorists who break the rules will be penalised," a spokesperson said.
