The County Durham speed camera that caught 6000 drivers over the last year

The speed camera on junction 61 at Bowburn on the stretch of the A-road came 19th on the list, which was put together following an FOI from Legal Expert, a personal injury, compensation and accident solicitor. 

A1(M) junction 61 Bowburn speed camera catches 6000 drivers:

The figures, provided by the FOI, stated that 5906 drivers were caught at the County Durham A1(M) speed camera between April 5, 2023, and April 5, 2024, which equated to 16 speeding drivers per day. 

The speed camera on junction 61 at Bowburn on the stretch of the A-road came 19th on the list (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) Through the FOI, Legal Expert contacted 43 police forces across England and Wales, with only 23 of those responding. 

Elsewhere in the list, the A38 in Nottinghamshire came top with 17,490 drivers caught, while the M25 in Surrey ranked second, and the A217 in Reigate finished third. 

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The County Durham speed camera was the only one in the North East that was noted in the top 20 – with Legal Expert saying that 5.2 million speeding tickets were handed out over the last 12 months. 

What is the penalty for getting caught speeding?

The minimum fine is £100 plus three penalty points on your licence – unless you can take a road awareness course.

But for driving over 100mph on the road, you can be fined up to £1,000 – £2,500 on a motorway – and see your licence taken away.

It is true that the 10% rule exists?

Yes. You will not get a ticket provided your speed does not exceed the limit by more than 10%, Gareth says. So for example, travelling at 35mph or above in a 30mph zone will be recorded as a speeding offence (this will change from Sunday).

However, thresholds vary and can change without notice. Officially, any speeding offence occurs at 1mph above the limit, but most forces will allow a variance.

Is it illegal to flash your headlights to alert motorists of a speed camera/van?

If drivers choose to flash to warn others about a speeding van, they could be in breach of the law. Under section 89 of the Police Act 1997, it is an offence to “wilfully obstruct a constable in the execution of his/her duty.”

While it is an offence, it is very difficult to prove, according to motoring experts.