Driver doing 115mph through M6 speed cameras near Carlisle escapes fine
Last updated at 12:05, Thursday, 11 March 2010
Speeding drivers have been clocked going as fast as 115mph through a stretch of M6 roadworks that have caught out more than 5,500 motorists.
Related: Speed camera on M6 motorway near Carlisle will ‘rake in £3 million’
A temporary 50mph speed limit – enforced by the fixed cameras – came into force between junction 43 at Rosehill, Carlisle, and junction 44, at Kingstown, on January 29 – but drivers are continuing to “blatantly ignore” that restriction, with one driver fined for racing through at 90mph.
In the last six weeks, the cameras have flashed a staggering 5,569 times - a figure so high that it’s been “logistically” impossible to fine every driver.
Kevin Tea, of Cumbrian Road Safety Partnership, said: “In seven years of being with the safety cameras project I’ve never known a site where motorists have ignored the cameras so blatantly.
“We’ve got speeds of 90mph – that’s fast by normal motorway standards. I just don’t understand these people.”
Mr Tea said the cameras – which are signposted leading up to the roadworks - were regularly clocking motorists speeding at between 70 and 80mph.
The fastest speed recorded on the stretch was 115mph but the angle of the camera meant the number plate could not be read and the driver escaped a fine.
With each driver that’s caught breaking the limit facing a £60 fine, the cameras on the north and southbound carriageways stand to make up to £500,000 by the time the roadworks finish in three weeks time.
But there’s so many speeding motorists that not all the tickets are being processed.
“The cameras have been activated 5,569 times but we can’t logistically process every single speeding ticket,” Mr Tea said.
“It makes sense to concentrate on the people going through well in excess of the speed limit so the amount of tickets handed out, as of Tuesday, is 2,875.”
And Mr Tea stressed that the cameras aren’t being used as a “cash cow”, but are simply there to keep the workers safe.
“The money goes to the treasury, not the Highways Agency,” he said.
“We’re just trying to keep the workers safe, there’s no financial benefit for us whatsoever.
“If you’re working in that environment and there are people speeding there’s a potential risk to the roadworkers, which is what we’re trying to cut.”
First published at 11:26, Thursday, 11 March 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk
I work as an HGV driver and totally agree with speed limits for roadworks. What i would like to see is for all roadworks to have average speed cameras , with the first camera at the mile marker for the roadworks, so we might stop the idiots who speed up and race to get as far forward as they can before the cones taper in. They are the main danger to everyone.
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Anyone who speeds through roadworks nowadays is a fool. The easy way not to get a ticket is to abide by the rules. As long as there are fools on these roads the authorites will continue to rake in the money. If it was YOUR own road you'd do it, wouldn't you?
Posted by Gerry on 5 April 2010 at 10:59