AA boss claims 'cameras are replacing police' after 1 million drivers were caught speeding last year

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Tom Powell9 December 2016

The AA has called for an inquiry into “inconsistent” speed limits after almost one million people were caught speeding last year.

Speeding offences have risen by more than 16 per cent -130,000 - in the past two years, according to new figures from the Department for Transport (DfT).

The revelation sparked claims that an increase in digital cameras used to enforce variable speed limits on motorways could be to blame, The Times reported.

Almost 240 miles of motorways in England – including parts of the M25 and M4 – now have overhead cameras regulating changeable limits of below 70mph.

Edmund King, AA president, branded the limits “totally inconsistent” and said they “don’t always seem to reflect the reality of what’s happening on the road”.

He said: “The fact is that cameras are really being used to replace police. The problem is that cameras don’t catch drink drivers; they don’t catch the middle lane hoggers; they don’t catch the dangerous tailgaters."

DfT figures showed that speeding is the only motoring offence to have risen in the last few years.

The total number of motorist in England and Wales given fixed penalties, formal warnings or found guilty in court hit a five-year high in 2015.

A DfT spokesman said: “Speed cameras, when used properly, can help manage safety risks by encouraging drivers to observe the speed limit.

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