Are the posts on social media regarding M1 and M25 speed cameras true?

SPEEDING is an offence most road users commit at some point during their motoring career, regardless of how well you think you ride or drive.

The government’s answer to the question is to plaster the UK road network with speed cameras and not just the single flash, ‘you were over the limit right then’ kind – the much more high-tech and harder to evade type, that measure your speed over a long distance, working out your average speed.

As the cameras go up around the country it’s hard to know which ones are turned off and which are live, so the natural default is to progress with caution and assume the risk of a ticket is high.

The other thing we see as the cameras appear are posts on social media warning of automatic ticketing systems and driving bans if people are caught above 90mph. A bit like the post below.

But is there any truth to the post? Is Aly a road warrior with some mystic ability to smell when speed cameras are working? Or is she just fishing for ‘likes’?

The posts normally centre around the M1 and M25, two of the UK's busiest roads, with speed cameras of one type or another in use across the length and breadth of them. The posts serve as warnings to road users that the DfT and Highways England are on a push to catch out speeding motorists.

Like Aly’s post above, most claim that anyone who breaks the 70 or 72mph will be sent out an automated ticket and some claim that anyone exceeding 90mph will receive an automatic ban.

But Highways England has since revealed that a similar post on Twitter was inaccurate, via their own social media channels last month:

So, what are the facts?

Drivers caught speeding on UK roads can be fined a £100 fixed penalty notice that could go up to as much as £2,500 if your case is put before a court.

Speeding fines and bands explained.

If you get caught speeding, the fine you receive and the punishment you’re given depends on who fast you were going, where you were speeding and what vehicle you were driving. Once these factors are taken into account you will fall into one of the below bands.

Band A. Between 1 and 9mph over the speed limit.

• Penalty: fixed penalty notice
• Three points
• Fine of between 25 to 75% of your weekly income
• Other factors could increase this amount – ie location of offence and vehicle driven

Band B. Between 10 and 20 over the speed limit.

• Penalty: Possible 28-day ban
• Between four to six points
• Fine of between 75 to 125% of your weekly income
• You may need to appear in court

Band C. Between 21mph or more over the speed limit.

• Penalty: Possible 56-day ban or six points
• Fine of between 125 to 175% of your weekly income
• You may have to appear in court

There are some things that could push your speeding conviction up or down a band or two, no previous convictions could push it down a band. Having previous convictions, speeding in bad weather or while working could push the conviction up a band.

There are also three upper speeding bands that you could find yourself in if you were speeding in an HGV, while towing or on while driving on a congested road. These are outlined below:

• Band D – 200 – 300% of your weekly income
• Band E – 300 – 500% of your weekly income
• Band F – 500 – 700% of your weekly income

All speeding fines are capped at £1000, or £2500 if you were driving on a motorway at the time of the offence.

Speed camera locations on the M25

Thanks to a freedom of information request submitted in October last year, we can bring you the speed camera location of all the fixed speed cameras that Highways England has on the clockwise and anti-clockwise stretches of the M25. The letter also confirms that there are no average speed cameras on the M25.

Location               Junction               Direction              Authority

• M25       J17-16                   Anticlockwise     Hertfordshire
• M25       J19-18                   Anticlockwise     Hertfordshire
• M25       J23-22                   Anticlockwise     Hertfordshire
• M25       J24-23                   Anticlockwise     Hertfordshire
• M25       J25-24                   Anticlockwise     Hertfordshire
• M25       J26-25                   Anticlockwise     Essex
• M25       J27-26                   Anticlockwise     Essex
• M25       J27-26                   Anticlockwise     Essex
• M25       J29-28                   Anticlockwise     Essex
• M25       J3-2                       Anticlockwise     Kent

Location               Junction               Direction              Authority

• M25       J18-19                   Clockwise            Hertfordshire

• M25       J19-20                   Clockwise            Hertfordshire
• M25       J21a-22                 Clockwise            Hertfordshire
• M25       J23-24                   Clockwise            Hertfordshire
• M25       J24-25                   Clockwise            Hertfordshire
• M25       J25-26                   Clockwise            Essex
• M25       J26-27                   Clockwise            Essex
• M25       J26-27                   Clockwise            Essex
• M25       J28-29                   Clockwise            Essex
• M25       J2-3                        Clockwise            Kent

Please note, we have no average speed cameras on the M25

To read the full response to the freedom of information request – click here.