Recently released statistics have revealed the location of the United Kingdom’s busiest Speed Camera.
A Speed Camera on the A3024 Maybray King Way in Bitterne, Southampton was triggered 51,049 times over the course of three years according to information released following a Freedom of
Information request.
The camera in question flashed tens of thousands of drivers travelling in excess of 30mph, issuing them with a fixed fine of £100, resulting in total fines in the region of £5,000,000. The Southampton speed camera took number one spot in the top ten busiest speed cameras in the UK in a three year period between 2015 and 2017.
The list in question reveals that the ten busiest speed cameras raked in around £35,000,000 in fines for the various local authorities.
Second place on the list is occupied by a Greater Manchester speed camera situated between Junctions 20 and 19 of the M62 (Westbound), which caught 38,386 speeding motorists in the same
three year period. Meanwhile, a speed camera on the A282 Dartford Crossing in Essex was the third-busiest, catching 38,729 drivers breaking the limit.
The full top ten list is as follows (Tickets Issued):
1. A3024 Maybray King Way, Southampton (51,049)
2. J20 to J19, M62 Westbound, Greater Manchester (38,836)
3. A282 Dartford Crossing, Essex (38,729)
4. A217 Southend Arterial Road, Essex (37,950)
5. A12 near Stratford St Mary, Suffolk (36,753)
6. North Road, Cardiff, South Wales (35,884)
7. A1 Barrowby Thorns, Lincolnshire (30,835)
8. A45 Ryton Bridge Flyover, near Coventry (27,942)
9. M11 near Luxborough Lane Road, Chigwell, Essex (26,810)
10. M4 Port Talbot, South Wales (25,548)
Unsurprisingly, these figures have been met with criticism from some quarters. Indeed, Hugh Bladon, one of the founders of the Alliance of British Drivers criticised the fact that the highest ranking speed camera was placed on a road that was a dual carriageway but only had a 30mph speed limit, and called for it to be altered.
He told the national press: “The speed limit needs to be reassessed to see what the normal speed of the road is. The limit should be set at the speed that 85% of drivers take the road at.” MP for the area Royston Smith disagreed with this analysis, though, saying: “I think if you put the speed limit up, people will drive up to and break that new limit.”
Further, Edmund King, president of the AA, remarked that the fact the UK’s busiest camera is in a 30mph speed limit was “astonishing”.
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However,” he added. “The Department for Transport acknowledges that speed limits should be evidence-led, and it may be that the dualling of the A3024 at that point means many think it has a higher limit. It would be interesting to see how many offenders are new visitors to Southampton.”
Although many drivers may be angered by the number of fines dished out to UK drivers, the staggering statistics do serve to indicate the prevalence of speeding on UK roads. Although hefty fines and penalty points no doubt go someway to deterring road users from speeding, the greatest tool for tackling dangerous driving is surely education.
This is where Driving Instructors come in. The role of a Driving Instructor is about more than simply getting a learner driver through their test; it is about educating new drivers on as many aspects of vehicle and road safety as practicable. Are you up for the challenge? If you are looking for job satisfaction, flexible working hours and the opportunity to be your own boss then a career as a Driving Instructor might just be for you. To find out more about how to make this career a change a reality, head over to
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