The exact locations of the top 10 speed cameras most likely to catch drivers out

Almost 10,000 drivers every day are caught by speed cameras. According to new figures, police speed cameras snared 3,419,000 drivers in 2023 - the last time whole year statistics are available for. This was a record high and a 14 per cent rise on the figure for 2022.

Statistics from the Home Office indicate that 883,000 accepted a GBP100 fixed penalty fine and three points on their licence. There were 1.5million drivers who chose to pay a fine of about GBP100 to avoid three points, as well as take a driver education course. These drivers alone would have clocked up GBP250million for their speeding errors.

READ MORE: Met Office issues new 24-hour weather warning as 70mph winds to batter 59 UK areas[1] Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here[2]. Another 286,000 offences were considered so bad that they ended up in court, Mirror reports.[3] This could have been because their speed was too high or they already had a number of speeding convictions.

The remaining offences were dealt with in another way or were cancelled because police could not track down the driver or the vehicle was on an emergency call. A separate survey revealed the places where drivers were caught the most over the last three years by police-controlled speed cameras. The worst one was a speed camera on the M6, in Birmingham[4], on the northbound section between junction 7 for Great Barr and junction 8 for the M5.

It managed to catch 36,438 drivers between 2021 and 2023 - almost 250 speeding motorists every week. A stretch of the M25 near Clacket Lane services, the northbound approach to the Dartford Tunnel and Garston Way, in Merseyside, was also one of the worst. Other sites that tripped up speeding drivers were the M4 eastbound, near Bristol, which caught 21,129.

The M1 northbound near Sheffield, caught 19,918 motorists, while the A1081 road heading away from Luton Airport snared 19,908 vehicles. A number of police forces refused to reveal details of specific cameras, claiming it could lead to vandal attacks at the sites. The Metropolitan Police force revealed it had one average camera on the A406 North Circular Road, in Neasden, which was responsible for catching 38,000 people who went to speed awareness courses over the three years.

Surrey police also only gave details relating to groups of speed cameras. It said a batch on the M25 between junction 7 and junction 16 caught 59,807 speeders, while a section of the M3 between J2 and J4a, near Camberley, caught 40,684 vehicles. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said: "Drivers accept the need for speed cameras, and acknowledge that they play an important role in policing our roads.

"However, the roads cannot be policed by cameras alone. After all, the reason someone could be speeding is because they are under the influence of drink or drugs, therefore needing someone to stop them in the act. "The AA has called for 1,000 more cops in cars to make potential speeders think again, whilst also stopping the most dangerous cases before something more tragic happens."

Top speed traps in three years to Dec 2023

1. West Midlands M6 between junction 7 and junction 8 northbound, Birmingham - 36,438
2. Merseyside GarstonWay/Dock Road, Liverpool - 34,585
3. Kent M25 Clockwise junction 5 Clacket Lane Services - 32,929
4. Leicestershire A5460 Narborough Rd/ Fullhurst Avenue, Leicester - 32,704
5. Warwickshire M6 junction 3a to Corley southbound - 31,407
6. Sussex A270 Lewes Rd, Brighton - 31,396
7. Kent A282 Dartford Tunnel Approach Road - 28,442
8. West Mercia A518 Trench Lock, Telford - 24,279
9. Lincolnshire A1434 Bunkers Hill, Lincoln - 21,819
10. Merseyside Leeds Street/Vauxhall Road, Liverpool - 21,660

References

1. ^ Met Office issues new 24-hour weather warning as 70mph winds to batter 59 UK areas (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
3. ^ Mirror reports. (www.mirror.co.uk)
4. ^ Birmingham (www.birminghammail.co.uk)