I drove through village with most prolific speed camera

The introduction of the 20mph limit on a vast majority of 30mph roads in Wales in the September of 2023 has seen a general increase in drivers caught breaking the speed limit in the country. But nowhere is this more stark than a corner of north east Wales where a village's camera has become the most prolific in the country - hitting the pockets of thousands of drivers. The numbers tell the story about this speed 'trap' in Pontybodkin in Flintshire.

In 2024 there were 13,442 offences at this spot - where drivers hit (and surpass) the 26mph threshold when enforcement kicks in. For context across the whole of Wales that year just over 85,000 motorists were caught breaking the 20mph speed limit, with 36,710 of these in North Wales. This means this single camera generated over a third all the fines dished out in the north, and around 16% of all fines in Wales.

Figures for the first five months of 2025 show more than 5,000 offences were detected at the same spot. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter[1] sent twice daily to your inbox An example of those caught out was a courier who was pinged 10 times on this stretch of the A5104 in a matter of a few weeks. The camera was only installed shortly before the new default limit came in so it's hard to measure how it compares with when this road was 30mph.

Interested in why so many drivers were being caught out on this section I took a drive to the area to see for myself. I came into the village from the Ruthin direction with Treuddyn the immediate village before you reach Pontybodkin.

I mention this as (in contrast) the A5104 section that passes Treuddyn (although doesn't go through the village centre) is a 40mph limit with an average speed camera for enforcement. You then enter a 30mph zone as you reach the edge of Pontybodkin before it drops to 20mph as you get nearer the village centre.

I will note that it is clearly marked as 20mph as you enter from this side so no real excuse for not knowing the limit. But a further sign with a speed camera warning and a 20mph reminder just ahead of the camera is hidden by bushes, it was only really when I took a walk past to get a picture that I saw this particular sign.

From the other direction there is also a sign and camera warning as you enter the village although I must admit I initially thought a little yellowish box shortly after this was the speed camera - I wonder if other drivers have made that mistake? So the signs are there but does this feel like a 20mph road?

It is a long straight stretch through the village and I can easily see how people's speeds can creep above 26mph. Unlike in very built up areas it instinctively felt too slow for this stretch. I'm here specifically to do this so I'm very much aware of staying at or below 20mph but if that wasn't on my mind then I can see how you could nudge over 25mph without really feeling you were going too fast for the road, particularly on a clear day with good visibility.

There is no school in the village centre itself but there is a playground, however that is protected from the road by a decent fence. In addition there is a zebra crossing. There were very few people walking around and no cyclists while I was there, this isn't a bustling village centre.

Coming in the other direction you feel you've passed the village centre before you get to the enforcement point so maybe the temptation then is to accelerate a little. The camera location itself is hard to spot and that is probably what catches so many out. It is one of these new style cameras with no line markings required on the road and the equipment itself is far smaller than an older traditional speed camera box.

Again if you're not there (like me) to solely look out for it then it could easily be missed.

Compare this with say the speed camera at Sychdyn near Mold and it's worlds apart. Frankly you would have to be an idiot to miss the warnings and camera at Sychdyn but that's absolutely not the case here.

So should it stay 20mph?

Now those who support the new 20mph default limit can point to the reduction in collisions, injuries and deaths on Welsh roads since the limit came in. But the figures around this particular stretch don't back up the safety argument in this location.

A Freedom of Information request found there were two slight injury collisions in this section in the 12 months prior to the limit change. The year after the introduction saw one serious injury crash on the same stretch. This location was on the long list of roads Flintshire council said it would look at in terms of changing back to 30mph after Welsh Government guidance changed.

I'm surprised that after that review they have decided to leave this one as it is. When you have an anomaly like this in terms of the number of penalties handed out then it tells you something is not quite right. Personally I think this should be a 30mph road and the figures show that this is instinctively what many others feel too.

I think they should look at this one again. Failing that then they should increase the warning signage in the vicinity of the camera, or at least keep the existing sign clear of greenery. When you consider that the accident stats don't back up the road safety argument then it's hard not to sympathise with those who view this as simply a cash cow for drivers.

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References

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2. ^ WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone (www.dailypost.co.uk)