A smart motorway in the north of England raked in £8,000 a day in fines for drivers breaking a 60mph trialled speed limit.
During the four-year trial, over 22,000 motorists were hit with speeding fines along the M1 between junction 33 and 34 near Sheffield and Rotherham.
According to the research, if all the tickets had been paid, the Government would have received over £2.25million during the period.
The cause of the fines was down to a speed camera that aggressively handed out tickets on the northbound stretch of the motorway after National Highways had trialled a reduced speed limit on the roads from 70mph to 60mph in 2020.
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During the four-year trial, over 22,000 motorists were hit with speeding fines
PA
The data showed a total of 119,204 fines were issued to motorists who broke all speed limits on the smart motorway as well as those who ignored lane closures between junction 30 and 35a, The Telegraph reported.
National Highways are responsible for operating, maintaining and upgrading the road network in England which includes all the major motorways going in and out of London.
Between 2022 and 2023, National Highways handed out 2,629 fines to motorists who ignored motorway lane closures marked with a red X. In 2022, 1,341 fines were issued, while 1,288 tickets were given last year.
The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points added to a driving licence. Motorists could be disqualified if they build up 12 or more penalty points within a period of three years.
National Highways operates roughly 4,000 traffic cameras which have been used to assist with the management of traffic on the trunk road and motorway network in England for nearly 30 years. Wales and Scotland have separate operations.
During the four-year trial period which covered junctions 30 and 35a, 41,224 drivers were slapped with fines for breaking the 60mph speed limit.
However, only 24,511 fines were issued for motorists exceeding the 70mph motorway limit across the same stretch and time period.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “With speeding at a record high, it is a timely reminder that the best regulator of speed is the driver’s right foot.”
There have been numerous reports of smart motorways causing havoc, so much so the Government cancelled plans for its further roll out across England.
In 2021, the Transport Select Committee undertook an inquiry into the safety of smart motorways.
In January 2022, the Department for Transport accepted the committee’s findings and paused all new running schemes.
The DfT added that the cancelation was in recognition of the current lack of public confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures due to inflation.
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All new smart motorways were scrapped in 2023
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A Government spokesperson told The Telegraph: “Speeding on any road is dangerous, which is why we have strict laws in place against it, and fines help to enforce them.
“Recognising public concerns, we’ve cancelled new smart motorways and we’re investing £900million for safety improvements, including progressing the construction of 150 extra emergency areas.”
