Advertisement

Drivers who go over 70mph on the M1 to be fined for speeding on 'smart motorway'

Any drivers who break the 70mph speed limit on a new ‘smart motorway’ can expect to be fined, it has been reported.

New round-the-clock 24-hour speed cameras are in operation on the M1 in Derbyshire in an effort to reduce the number of car crashes.

The cameras on the section of smart motorway are switched on permanently even when there isn’t a variable speed limit in force, the Derby Telegraph reported.

The ‘smart motorway’ is on the M1 (Picture: PA)
The ‘smart motorway’ is on the M1 (Picture: PA)

The newspaper said the cameras caught thousands of motorists speeding last year, with the fastest clocked at 128mph.

MOST POPULAR ON YAHOO UK TODAY

Tsunami alerts for U.S. and Canada downgraded after Alaska earthquake
German killer nurse serving life sentence charged with 97 new counts of murder
Police searching for missing schoolgirl, 11, find a body in a river in West Yorkshire
The flu can be spread just by breathing, new study finds
Venice authorities step in after four tourists charged £1,000 for meal

Darren Roberts, manager of the Casualty Reduction Enforcement Support Team (CREST) for Derbyshire Police, said he was ‘shocked’ to learn the M1 cameras – between Tibshelf services and junction 29A at Duckmanton – were the most profitable in the area last year.

The four cameras caught 8,382 speeding drivers, it was reported.

‘The cameras are not there to generate money,’ Mr Roberts told the Derby Telegraph.

‘They are there to catch speeders, get reckless drivers off the roads and ultimately lead to a reduction in collisions.

‘To all the speeders out there: imagine if you had to knock on the door of a victim’s family to tell them their loved one had died because of your reckless driving.

A new generation of speed cameras is on Britain’s roads (Picture: PA)
A new generation of speed cameras is on Britain’s roads (Picture: PA)

‘It’s just not worth the risk. Speeding can never be justified. Why put lives on the line to arrive a few minutes early?

‘Some people will always drive over the speed limit, or use their mobile phone behind the wheel, but we’re trying to educate people – especially younger drivers – of the severe consequences of their actions.

‘If you are using your phone and are distracted for even a few seconds, you could cause a serious crash and take someone’s life. Slow down, concentrate on the road and don’t risk your life or the lives of others.’

The newspaper said the M1 was converted into a smart motorway between junctions 28 and 31 in June 2016.