Thousands of motorists across England could see their speeding convictions overturned due to a significant technical glitch in variable speed camera systems that persisted for several years. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has this week ordered an independent review into the errors, which she confirmed have resulted in numerous individuals incorrectly facing enforcement action for alleged speeding offences.
Scope of the Problem and Government Response
The issue came to light last month when it was revealed that more than 36,000 speeding cases have already been axed following the discovery of the fault. The problematic cases date back to 2021 when the new camera technology was initially introduced on smart motorways and certain A-roads. However, the Department for Transport has now confirmed that National Highways, which manages England's strategic road network, will be investigating cases as far back as 2019 when the camera upgrade programme commenced.
This expanded timeframe means that many more drivers could potentially have their convictions quashed, with the review aiming to ensure that everyone impacted by the malfunction is properly identified. Some drivers are believed to have been banned from the roads after being wrongly prosecuted in what authorities describe as a small number of cases, though the exact figures remain under investigation.
Technical Details of the Malfunction
The core technical problem involved a timing discrepancy between gantry signs displaying variable speed limits and the cameras registering those changes. At times, there was a delay of several seconds between the signs showing a new speed limit and the cameras adjusting to that limit. This malfunction meant that some motorists were incorrectly recorded as speeding despite travelling at the speed displayed on the gantry signs above them.
The error only became apparent when drivers were able to produce dashcam footage in court demonstrating they were travelling at the correct speed. At one point, the technical issues became so problematic that police temporarily turned off affected cameras because they could not be relied upon for accurate enforcement.
Financial and Personal Consequences
Experts have warned that this scandal could cost taxpayers millions of pounds in compensation payments. Hugh Bladon, senior spokesman for the Association of British Drivers, expressed serious concerns about the implications for affected motorists. "When you consider somebody could lose their licence and maybe their job as a result of one of these faulty speed cameras, the implications are incredible," he stated.
Bladon further questioned how the government would manage compensation for those who had suffered significant personal and professional consequences. "If you are someone who has lost your job as a result of unfairly losing your driving licence, how do you recompense that? The cost to the Government is going to be substantial," he added.
Review Process and Current Status
The independent review will be led by DfT board member Tracey Westell, who has been tasked with investigating how the malfunction occurred and whether it should have been identified sooner. Philip Somarakis, a leading criminal and regulatory lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, welcomed the review while expressing concern about its scope. "I'm sure there will be many motorists left feeling extremely frustrated that the issues with variable speed limit enforcement potentially go back even longer than it originally appeared," he commented.
Somarakis also noted that the review would examine how technical and operational issues were identified and escalated within National Highways, suggesting this might not be an isolated incident. "This is not an isolated incident involving the enforcement of variable speed limits and it begs the question whether the review will identify other failings," he observed.
Current Impact and Safety Concerns
To date, approximately 2,650 innocent drivers have been identified as having been wrongly prosecuted, while police have informed 36,000 drivers that their speed awareness courses are being cancelled as a precautionary measure. The technical glitch is thought to have affected 154 speed cameras over a four-year period, leading to an estimated two mistakes per day, which represents roughly 0.1 per cent of all camera activations.
National Highways has previously apologised for the error and stated that new checks have been implemented to ensure nobody will be prosecuted incorrectly in future. A spokesman confirmed that the cameras remain capable of enforcing the 70mph national speed limit on affected motorways.
This scandal casts further doubt on the safety and reliability of smart motorways, which use variable speed camera technology to manage traffic flow and congestion on particularly busy road sections. The controversy adds to existing concerns about smart motorway safety, with studies showing that almost 400 miles of smart motorways in the UK without hard shoulders are three times more dangerous for breakdowns than those retaining safety lanes.
