20mph ‘ultra’ speed camera catches thousands of drivers in just one month

The number of fines issued for speeding on the country's new 20mph roads has increased sharply since enforcement was stepped up. The default limit was changed in September 2023, with a light touch initially employed on new 20mph routes.

However, this approach changed in the spring of this year as GoSafe shifted from education to enforcement regarding the new limit. While the 20mph limit has resulted in fewer collisions and injuries on 20mph and 30mph roads, more drivers are being hit with fines and accumulating points for breaking the limit.

Go Safe, in collaboration with the police, enforces the limit using fixed cameras and mobile vans. North Wales Live^[1] reports that in August, the monthly total for those caught speeding in 20mph zones in the region reached 7,958, up from 5,199 in July, while April saw just 251 Notice of Intended Prosecutions (NIPs).

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North Wales Live submitted a Freedom of Information request to determine where these offences were occurring. It discovered that it is the seven fixed site cameras that have really been racking up the fines. Of the NIPs issued in 20mph zones in August, just over 7,400 were from fixed cameras. Of those, almost a third came from one camera.

The A5104 at Pontybodkin in Flintshire^[4] has been fitted with a VECTOR-SR type ultra speed camera, which uses infra-red low-light technology and doesn't require painted lines on the road. It no longer 'flashes' at speeding drivers but it caught 2,371 of them - with the highest speed recorded being 50mph, more than double the limit.

Another hotspot was the A548 at Oakenholt, where the camera pinged 1,181 drivers who were speeding at 26mph or higher. The top speed detected here was 56mph. Other cameras that caught high numbers of speeders included one at Sychdyn (878), another on the A548 Maesglas (969) and one on Ffordd Gladstone, Hawarden (896).

When it came to mobile cameras, the most NIPs were given out by a GoSafe van on the A494 near Bala. However, at 143 this is well below those issued by the fixed cameras.

Next was Glan-y-Mor/Marine Drive in Penrhyn Bay at 113. The only other spot with over 100 fines was the Coast Road at Rhyl with 106.

But these figures are dwarfed by the fixed cameras which are the ones giving out most of the NIPs. A major review is currently underway of the new limit with it expected to result in more 20mph roads reverting to 30mph.

The Welsh Government^[5] has updated the guidelines for local councils, who have subsequently sought the views of local residents. Some local authorities have already released lists of roads that may be subject to changes. The A5104 at Pontybodkin is among those set to be evaluated.