New average speed cameras catch out thousands of unsuspecting drivers

04 January 2023 , 11:22

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Average speed cameras prevent drivers from braking sharply as they approach the camera before speeding up again (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

New average speed cameras have caught out thousands of drivers, it's been claimed, and the areas where drivers were most likely to be caught speeding have now been revealed.

Figures showed the hotspots where drivers were most likely to receive fines.

The cameras, which have been dubbed 'yellow vultures' were put up in the busiest roads in the West Midlands, in an attempt to curb speeding.

More than 20,000 motorists received tickets last year after going too fast.

Average speed cameras are different from fixed cameras, and measure motorists' speed over a longer distance.

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BirminghamLive reports they also prevent drivers from braking sharply as they approach a camera before speeding up again.

Figures have shown the hotspots where drivers are most likely to receive fines (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The cameras were introduced on major A-roads in 2020, following criticism that not enough was being done to tackle speeding in the Black Country.

But only a fraction of those caught speeding have so far paid fines or attended educational courses.

Fixed speed cameras have now been switched off for nearly a decade, though some of the yellow boxes remain at the side of roads to act as a deterrent.

There are average speed cameras in four Black Country areas: Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley, and Sandwell.

But more drivers are caught in some areas than others, according to data from West Midlands Police.

Signs for speed cameras warn motorists about their presence on busy roads (Getty Images)

The A4148 Broadway in Walsall, the A34 Birmingham Road between Walsall and Oldbury and the A444 Black Country New Road was where most people were caught speeding.

Numbers caught by average-speed cameras have been lower in Wolverhampton and Dudley.

• A4148 Broadway between Persehouse Street and Princess Avenue, Walsall - 2,415
• A34 Birmingham Road between Wilderness Lane and Lodge Road, near Walsall/Great Barr (northbound) - 2,367
• A4444 Black Country New Road between The Lunt Junction and Moxley Junction (southbound), between Bilston and Wednesbury - 2,325
• A41 Black Country New Road between Patent Shaft Roundabout and Moxley Junction, Wednesbury - 2,082
• A34 Birmingham Road between Beacon Road and Chapel Lane (southbound), near Walsall/Great Barr - 1,660

Average speed cameras are now commonly used throughout the UK (Getty Images)

• A4444 Black Country New Road between Moxley Junction and The Lunt (northbound), between Wednesbury and Bilston - 1,588
• A41 Black Country New Road between Moxley Junction and Patent Shaft Roundabout (southbound), Wednesbury - 1,178
• A449 Stafford Road, near Greenwood Road, Wolverhampton (heading away from city) - 1,095
• A4148 Broadway between Princess Avenue and Persehouse Street, Walsall - 698
• A4123 Birmingham New Road between Tipton Road and Burnt Tree Island (southbound), Dudley - 642

Fixed speed cameras have now been switched off for nearly a decade (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Despite thousands of speeding offences being recorded, only a small percentage have actually paid fines or attended educational courses so far.

For example, of the 2,367 motorists caught on the A34 Birmingham Road between Wilderness Lane and Lodge Road, only 298 have paid fines and another 505 attended courses.

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West Midlands Police put this partly down to some payments having not yet been completed or processed, though it is known that thousands of speeding fines end up being cancelled every year.

Richard Guttridge