Fine after A1(M) ‘hotspot’ speed camera catches County Durham driver going over 70mph

Robert Pouton, 58, of Durham Road, Spennymoor, has been fined after being found guilty of speeding on the A1(M) motorway between Junctions 61 and 62 in County Durham earlier this year.

A1(M) speed camera catches Durham driver speeding over 70mph:

The incident on March 2, 2024, involved the driver’s Audi vehicle recording speeds over the 70 mph speed limit with manned equipment.

Pouton did not attend the hearing held on October 17 at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court.

The court proceeded in his absence, finding him guilty and fining him £100.

He was also ordered to pay a £40 victim surcharge.

His driving record will be endorsed with three penalty points, although no disqualification was imposed.

A collection order was issued, with the balance of £140 due by November 14.

This prosecution in court comes as it was announced that the speed camera that caught Pouton has caught nearly 6,000 drivers over the last year and is one of the UK’s top 20 ‘hotspots’ for catching motorists over the speed limit. 

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.

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. 

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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. 

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.