Stealth cameras are being installed all I’ve the country’s motorways. Do they violate your human rights as they’re invisible?
Critics say that the camouflage cameras enforcing a 70mph speed limit will catch drivers unawares on hitherto unpoliced stretches of motorways
Motoring organisations have reacted angrily to plans for a new generation of “stealth cameras” that are to be rolled out on Britain’s busiest motorways.
Pioneering digital technology will be used in an attempt to catch drivers breaking the 70mph speed limit,
which until recently had been ignored by speed cameras. The plan forms part of the Highway Agency’s expansion of “smart” motorways, which use a range of techniques to maximise ease the flow of traffic.
Motoring organisations say the plans will lead to thousands of drivers being handed fines and penalty points on their license for exceeding the 70mph limit. Critics have also claimed that the introduction of cameras aimed at enforcing the 70mph limit, is not about road safety but about generating income through fines.
The new devices are very small in size and painted grey, rather than the highly visible yellow cameras (a colour that has become synonymous with speed cameras since 2003). often used around roadworks, raising fears that motorists may be caught off guard. Studies have shown that as many as 95 per cent of drivers admit to breaking the limit on motorways.
The introduction of cameras on one stretch of the M25 in Kent (from 22nd October 2014) alone has led to almost 700 drivers receiving fines in little over two months.
Some cameras were installed on a northern section of London’s orbital motorway before Christmas, and more will be deployed on busy stretches of some of the most important motorways including M1, M3, M6 and M60 over the next few years.
In 2013, Patrick McLoughlin abandoned plans to introduce a new 80mph speed limit on Britain’s motorways amid fears the change would alienate women voters.
A Highways Agency spokesperson said: “Variable speed limits on smart motorways are primarily there to smooth traffic flow, reduce congestion and make journeys more reliable. “Hundreds of thousands of motorists use this stretch of the M25 every day. The vast majority are sticking to the speed limits and are experiencing better journeys as a result of smart motorways.
“There are clear signs where cameras are in place and the new cameras are more visible than the previous versions.”
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