Drivers who exceed the speed limit and are caught doing so by the police may be issued a fixed penalty ticket (speeding fine) or be summoned to attend court.

Evidence of speeding may be obtained in a number of ways:

• from observation of two policemen who observed the driver
• from observation of one policeman and other mechanical evidence from a speed gun
• from a speed camera of an approved type
• from expert evidence about skid marks
• from a time and distance device installed in the police vehicle

The speed limit varies according to the type of vehicle and the type of road. The following table is a summary of the UK speed limits.

Drivers should be aware that there is a risk of receiving an instant ban from excessive speeding.
When the speeding offence is in excess of 45% of the speed limit, there is a risk of an instant driving ban.
The following table identifies the speed limit and the associated speed which could result in an instant ban.

For speeds in excess of 100 mph (or more than 30 miles above the relevant limit) the punishment starts at disqualification as opposed to penalty points. However, the decision is at the discretion of the Court and in certain circumstances, a disqualification can be avoided.

Temporary speed limits

If you were caught speeding through a temporary speed limit you will receive penalty points for speeding on the basis that at the time you passed through that area there was an order in place for the revised speed limit.
The effects and implications are the same whether it is a temporary or permanent speed restriction.

Penalty Points

Points are valid for 3 years from the date of conviction but cannot be removed from your licence until their fourth anniversary. If you amass 12 points in any 3 year period, you face disqualification.

Speed Cameras

Gatso Camera

The most common speed camera on UK roads is the Gatso. At a pre-determined speed the camera is activated and flashes. The Gatso usually photographs the rear of the car but can occasionally be set to flash oncoming motorists. This is rare as the camera flash in the face of the motorist may be considered not safe. As it takes a picture of the rear of the car, the gatso can not normally be used to identify who the driver was.

The Truvelo Camera

The Truvelo Camera faces towards the oncoming traffic and can be used to identify the oncoming driver. They are becoming more commonplace. This speed camera does not produce a flash but uses an infra red flash triggered by sensors in the road.

SPECS Cameras

SPECS is a system of average speed enforcement. It has been in use since 1999 and uses cameras that are linked together to cover a length of road. It is mainly used at known accident locations and road works.
The cameras use automatic number plate recognition technology. The number plate of a vehicle is read as it passes a camera. It is then read again by a separate camera further along the road. If the average speed is over a certain level above that set by the local police authority, the number plate, speed, images are logged and a speeding ticket can be automatically issued

Hand held Cameras

The use of hand held radar guns is still widespread. Radar guns need to be strictly calibrated and the operator should not be "hiding"


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