Thousands of UK drivers are set to have their speeding fines cancelled and penalty points removed after a widespread technical glitch in speed cameras was discovered on England’s motorways and major A roads. National Highways, the government agency responsible for the country’s strategic road network, has publicly apologized for the error, which has wrongly penalized motorists since January 2021. The issue, which affects variable speed cameras on all smart motorways and some A roads, has led to at least 2,650 incorrect camera activations and, according to Daily Mail, the cancellation of more than 36,000 speeding cases so far.
The trouble began with a software update in early 2021. This update introduced a critical flaw: a 10-second time lag between when a new speed limit was displayed on electronic gantry signs and when the cameras themselves recognized and adjusted to the change. As a result, drivers who sped up after seeing the limit increase on the signs were still being clocked by cameras set to the previous, lower speed limit. According to BBC, this anomaly affected about 10% of the 4,500 miles of England’s motorways and major A roads—roughly 154 cameras, including all those on smart motorways and some on the A14 between Huntingdon and Cambridge.
National Highways Chief Executive Nick Harris said, “Safety is our number one priority and we have developed a fix for this technical anomaly to maintain the highest levels of safety on these roads and make sure no one is wrongly prosecuted.” He reassured motorists, “All drivers should continue observing the posted speed limits as normal. Anyone who has been impacted will be contacted by the relevant police force.”
For many, the first inkling that something was amiss came when motorists began successfully challenging their fines in court using dashcam footage. This evidence showed that their vehicles were traveling within the legal limit at the time of the alleged offense. As these cases mounted over the summer, both National Highways and the Department for Transport launched investigations, ultimately confirming the fault.
The scale of the error, while significant for those affected, is comparatively small in the context of overall enforcement. Officials report that the 2,650 wrongful activations represent less than 0.1% of the six million speed camera activations on the affected roads since 2021. According to The Independent, not every wrongful activation resulted in a fine or penalty points, as not all camera flashes are enforced. Nevertheless, the impact on those wrongly accused has been considerable, with some facing fines between £100 and £2,500, mandatory speed awareness courses, or even driving bans.
In response, police forces across the country have halted enforcement from the affected variable speed cameras until they can guarantee accuracy. A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs’ Council told The Independent, “Policing enforces a range of offences, including speeding, on the strategic road network through a number of tactics including mobile camera deployments, roads policing patrols and average speed sites. This remains unchanged.” In the meantime, police are working with National Highways to identify and contact every driver who may have been wrongly fined. Those affected will be reimbursed and have any penalty points removed from their licenses.
The Department for Transport has also issued a statement, saying, “We apologise to anyone who has been affected. Safety was never compromised, and we are working with policing to ensure nobody is incorrectly prosecuted in future. Enforcement is still in place, and the public can remain confident that only motorists who break the rules will be penalised.”
According to Daily Mail, the error was found to occur on smart motorway variable speed cameras known as HADECS 3, which monitor up to five lanes of traffic. These cameras are supposed to automatically synchronize with the speed limits displayed on overhead gantries, but the software glitch meant that for a crucial 10-second window, the cameras and the signs were out of sync. Under UK law, motorists are meant to have a 10-second grace period to adjust their speed when the limit changes, but the glitch meant drivers were being penalized without this allowance.
As the scandal unfolded, it was revealed that 22 police forces had already axed more than 36,000 speeding cases, including court proceedings and speed awareness courses. A compensation scheme is now being established for those wrongly fined, forced to attend courses, or even banned from driving. National Highways and police are implementing a new data check process to ensure that no further incorrect prosecutions occur when the cameras are switched back on.
The issue has reignited debate about the safety and reliability of smart motorways. These stretches of road, which use variable speed limits and often lack a hard shoulder, have been controversial for years. Studies cited by Daily Mail suggest that smart motorways without a hard shoulder are three times more dangerous for breakdowns than those with a traditional safety lane. The recent camera scandal has only added fuel to the fire, with critics calling for more robust oversight and transparency in the management of road safety technology.
Official figures show that the number of speeding convictions and speed awareness courses has risen sharply since 2021. In 2024, the number of drivers attending speed awareness courses jumped by a third, from 1.39 million to 1.84 million. Meanwhile, 96% of the 2.71 million drivers caught speeding in England and Wales in 2023 were detected by speed cameras, according to Home Office data. While the vast majority of these cases were legitimate, the revelation of even a small number of wrongful convictions has shaken public confidence in automated enforcement.
For now, National Highways and police forces are racing to contact every affected motorist. The message from authorities is clear: if you have been wrongly fined, you will be reimbursed, and any penalty points will be removed from your license. There is no need for drivers to take action themselves; police will reach out directly. As for the cameras, enforcement from the affected units will remain suspended until the technical fix and new safeguards are fully in place. In the meantime, other forms of speed enforcement—such as mobile cameras and police patrols—will continue to operate on the strategic road network.
While the error may have affected a small proportion of drivers, its consequences have been far-reaching, prompting a re-examination of the systems designed to keep Britain’s roads safe. With a solution now identified and compensation on the way, authorities hope to restore public trust and ensure that only those who truly break the rules are penalized moving forward.
