Motorway madness: Smart roads ‘are now more deadly’ as a third of speed cameras have not worked for almost a YEAR
More than 150 speed cameras on England’s motorways and major roads have remained out of action since December, including on smart motorways where variable limits are used to manage traffic and improve safety. The prolonged fault has prompted criticism from road safety groups and opposition politicians, while an independent review commissioned by the Government has yet to report.
Transport minister Justin Madders said 154 cameras are affected across 440 miles, about 10 per cent of the Strategic Road Network and more than a third of the 400 cameras across the motorway network. A technical fix is being tested, and police are using other enforcement methods; the article also says thousands of drivers received speeding tickets before the faults were publicly disclosed.
- 154 cameras remain out of action across 440 miles.
- The affected roads include smart motorways with variable speed limits.
- A technical fix is being tested, but the review is unpublished.
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Smart motorways use electronic signs to set changing speed limits and, on some stretches, open the hard shoulder to traffic. Cameras help enforce the limits, while the roads are managed by National Highways and speeding offences are dealt with by police.
The Strategic Road Network includes England’s motorways and major A-roads. Camera faults matter because enforcement can affect whether drivers follow speed limits, and because reliable limits are part of how traffic is managed on smart motorways. Road safety groups, politicians and the Government have differing roles in scrutinising the system and its safety.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Critics argue that speed cameras help enforce variable limits and deter dangerous driving, so leaving many broken for months may weaken compliance and increase risks on roads where conditions can change quickly. The long delay, alongside the fact that drivers were ticketed before the faults were disclosed, also raises concerns about transparency and public confidence; they say the Government should explain the scale of the problem and restore reliable enforcement promptly.
The case against
The camera faults do not by themselves show that smart motorways have become more deadly, and the reported figures cover part of the wider Strategic Road Network. Police are using other enforcement methods while a technical fix is tested, and the independent review has not yet reported; supporters of the current approach could argue that its safety should be judged on fuller evidence rather than camera failures alone.