Proposals have been introduced for more robust enforcing of the 70mph speed limit on Britain’s motorways.
The radical plans include switching on speed cameras permanently across stretches of the motorway network. Any driver caught exceeding 70mph, even just 1mph over, would be forced to pay a £100 fine and have points added to their licence, or choose instead to attend a speed awareness course which would cost £90.
This idea comes from Bedfordshire Police, which is currently headed up by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Olly Martins. The proposal could be rolled out by April next year across a busy stretch of the M1, which is used by tens of thousands of car every day.
The intention is that money made from this plan would be used to raise revenue for the police. The M1 passes through Bedfordshire between junctions 10 and 13, but here motorists are currently only fined for speeding through temporary, variable speed limits. It’s estimated that the new speed camera scheme could raise around a million pounds per year.
Mr Martins explains that his police force will be forced to lose 25 police officers unless it gets what he describes as ‘fair funding’ from the government.
However numerous motoring organisations have criticised the proposal, that it goes against a government pledge that speed cameras would be used for safety reasons alone and never be used to generate revenue.
