Police disclose speeding leeway before the fine

POLICY BY FORCE AREA ACCORDING TO CONFUSED.COM SURVEY

RULES APPLIED DIFFERENTLY DEPENDING ON FORCE POLICY

That sinking feeling when convinced you have just been flashed by a speed camera is familiar to many drivers.

But whether you get the letter on the doormat with notification of a fine, points on the licence and details of the nearest speed awareness course may depend on where your offence was committed, according to an insurance comparison site.

Confused.com said the general belief is that drivers can get away with “10 per cent plus two” over the limit – and this is the case in Leicestershire and most neighbours which supplied information.

Tolerance is allowed so drivers are not staring down at their speedometers all the time but are keeping their eyes on the road ahead.

On a 30mph road that would mean a camera would not normally activate unless a car drove past at 35mph or faster and on a 70mph motorway it would be 79mph.

But the rule of thumb is not the rule everywhere, Confused.com said.

When 45 UK police forces were contacted, 33 responded and of those 25 shared information about when their speed cameras activate.

However, the allowances are all at the discretion of the police.

Some forces declined to say if there was a tolerance limit. They may also take other factors into account, so travelling at any speed above the limit could result in a fine.

In 2017, the rules on speeding fines changed.

They are now based on a percentage of weekly income, with the minimum fine £100. This is in addition to points on the licence.

Drivers also risk disqualification if they amass 12 or more penalty points within three years.

The average speeding fine in 2015 was £188, with 150,000 people caught.