THOUSANDS of motorists across the capital are at risk of speeding fines this autumn, as the Metropolitan Police have adjusted the tolerance of its speed cameras by 1mph.
The change to the leeway that road users are given when passing a camera has been nicknamed a stealth change, as seemingly no official announcement was made to the public. Worse still, the change was reportedly implemented in 2019 and has only just come to light after a report in the Times newspaper.
The leeway drivers have when passing a speed camera varies from one police force to the next, but is often rounded up and simplified to 10 per cent of the speed limit plus 3mph. So, in a 40mph limit, you would theoretically be allowed to travel past a camera at 47mph without being issued a speeding fine or points. The report in the Times states that this limit for the Met police has been dropped to 10 per cent plus 2mph.
Changes to speed camera tolerances could spread nationwide
Commenting on the change after it was implemented, a Met spokesperson stated:
"Posted speed limits are the maximum speed that road users should travel at any time ... irrespective of the speed threshold that police commence enforcement action."
Furthermore, the Times reports that since the change was implemented, speeding offences in London and Greater London rose by a whopping 259 per cent. Given that local councils and police seem to lack imagination, and some would say only see speed cameras as a revenue-generating tool, it’s hard to imagine that other forces across the country could follow suit.
The news on the speed camera changes come at a time when London Mayor Sadiq Khan is fighting a loosing battle with the Ultra low Emissions Zone (ULEZ), with recent reports pointing to it being ineffective at reducing harmful emissions in the capital.
