Common questions about speed cameras in the frame - and we put brakes on the myths
THE sinking feeling of receiving a letter to say you were caught speeding is one many motorists will be familiar with.
Most of us endeavour to stick to the legal speed limits but it can be easy slip up.
Those who have been caught driving above the legal speed limit will know that they can face penalty points on their licence, a fine or be offered a speed awareness course.
But it can all be a bit confusing for some.
That is why we put some commonly asked questions to Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership (LLRRSP).
Jonathon Clarkson, a spokesman for the partnership organisation, helped to dispel some of the myths around the speed camera vans.
Does the 10 per cent speeding rule really exist? What is the threshold for how far over the speed limit you can be?
“Every force in the country decides on the threshold for speeding in their respective policing region,” Jonathan said. That means they vary and can change without notice.
Jonathan said that “technically, no vehicle speedometer is 100 per cent accurate, which is why there is some tolerance”.
However, the cameras are regularly calibrated to ensure they are as accurate as possible. This is because they must be able to stand up in a court of law - in the instance that a speeding offence is escalated to court.
“The cameras are calibrated before they go out, when they go out and after,” he said.
Explaining how they are used, Jonathan said that they operate on lasers which are aimed at registration plates.
Can you get caught speeding by the same camera more than once a day?
It is a common misconception speed cameras cannot catch you more than once in the same day. Jonathon said they can and there is no time limit.
That means you could get caught speeding by one camera more than once within a period of several minutes. It has happened.
“There have been occasions when one driver has been caught up to three times by the same camera in one day,” he said. “They do count as separate offences.”
This rule is the same for fixed speed cameras, van speed cameras and average speed cameras. Average speed cameras are located across seven county areas.
Can officers in a speed van stop you for other things, besides
speeding?
“At the moment our vans in Leicester only detect speeding. But some areas of the country they cover more – like mobile phone use,” Jonathan said.
In Leicestershire, the police force carries out separate operations to tackle other driving offences.
Fatal Four Operations are carried out to monitor speeding, mobile phone use, seatbelt wearing and drink or drug-driving.
“Of those, it’s mobile phones and seatbelts that get picked up the most,” said Jonathan.
“More so than speeding or drinkdriving.”
It is legal for drivers to warn others about a speeding van by flashing headlights?
Warning fellow motorists of a speed camera on approach might be “human nature” but according to the Highway Code, drivers should use headlights “only to let other road users know that you are there,” and not to attempt “to convey any other message”.
Jonathan said: “According to the Department of Transport, flashing your headlights to warn of a speed camera or roadside police speed check would be in breach of Rule 110 and 111 of the code, which could stand up in a court of law as evidence.
“A conviction for such an act, however, comes from a breach of section 89 of the Police Act 1996, which dictates that it is an offence to “wilfully obstruct a constable in the execution of his/her duty”.
“Police are able to charge drivers with this criminal offence if they perceive the person has obstructed their ability to conduct speed checks on other motorists. Obstructing a police officer is an offence capped at level three on the fine scale, with a maximum penalty of £1,000.
“In the most extreme cases, obstructing a police officer can attract a maximum of one month’s imprisonment.
“However, it is highly unlikely a driver would ever be given a prison sentence for flashing their lights.”
When can you be offered a speed awareness course instead of a fine and penalty points?
“When you are caught speeding, you have to go through a whole process of confirming whether it was you driving the vehicle at the time and if it belongs to you,” Jonathan said.
“Then it’s decided whether you’re eligible for a course.”
The level of offence committed determines how harshly you will be penalised for speeding, Jonathan said. However, an exact threshold for being offered a speeding education course was not shared.
For example, a driver who commits what is considered a “low-level offence” could be offered a course.
But, Jonathan warned, you “will not be offered a course more than once within a three-year period”.
Motorists still have to pay for the courses and a proportion of that money goes to the Road Safety Partnership for things like the upkeep of cameras, awareness campaigns and new speed camera vans.
How are the locations of speeding vans decided?
The location of vans can be decided as a result of concerns raised by communities.
The Safety Camera Scheme receives regular complaints requesting speed enforcement on roads that do not have cameras.
Jonathan said: “We did get more complaints during the lockdown, particularly in more rural areas.”
When a complaint is made, data on the latest vehicle speeds for the location is looked into, as well as the history of injury collisions and evidence of speeding-related collision history.
These factors will determine whether a speed camera van will be deployed to the area, subject to suitable and safe parking locations.
You might notice police speed vans parked on double yellow lines.
Jonathan explained that camera vans are not subject to parking regulations, however, the safest spot will
FINES, FLASHING LIGHTS, COURSES AND COMPLAINTS ARE ALL DISCUSSED
be used. He added that it was not uncommon for disgruntled motorists to use the van’s registration details to check the MoT.
Camera vans are what Jonathan described as “Crown exempt” along with all other police vehicles, which means they are not required to have the same MoT certificate as other vehicles.
However, they are regularly checked and serviced.