As research confirms that speed cameras have a ‘buffer zone’, drivers are warned that taking advantage of this might land them with a fine.

Speed cameras in general cause no end of confusion for motorists.

How accurate is a speed camera? Is that camera actually turned on? Is it a speed camera or just a traffic cam?

And one of the more common questions is do speed cameras have a bit of leeway before they flash you?

According to research by Auto Express, the answer to this last question is ‘Yes – they do’.

By the way, the idea that all speed cameras flash is a myth – many of them catch you with infra-red instead. So no flash doesn’t automatically mean no speeding ticket!

 

Speed camera tolerances

So how many mph over the speed limit can you go?

Auto Express contacted 45 UK police forces. Of the 33 that responded, 25 shared information about when their speed cameras activate if a driver is going above the speed limit.

Most police forces have a tolerance of 10% plus 2 mph above the limit before a speed camera ‘flashes’. So on a 30 mph road, a camera wouldn’t normally activate unless a car drove past at 35 mph or faster.

On a 70 mph stretch of motorway, the threshold would go up to 79 mph.

Here are the replies of the 33 forces that responded:

 

 This ‘buffer zone’ exists in order to improve driver safety. It means that drivers don’t have their eyes fixed on their speedometer instead of the road.

 

What are the penalties for speeding?

If the offence is minor, you might be asked to go on a speed awareness course rather than take the fine and points.

For more serious offences, though, that option isn’t on the table and you face a fine, points on your licence and a possible ban.

In 2017, the rules on speeding fines changed, and they’re now based on a percentage of your weekly income, with the minimum fine being £100. The median weekly UK income last year was £586.

This is in addition to getting points on your licence. Our speeding fine calculator lets you work out any potential fine.

 

Can I be fined for going just over the speed limit?

Yes. The existence of buffer zones doesn’t mean you can ignore the speed limit.

Of the police forces that wouldn’t reveal their cameras’ buffer zones, two refused to acknowledge that such a buffer even exists.

So although it might be tempting to assume that similar thresholds are in place everywhere, you’d be taking a risk. You could be hit with a fine and penalty points on your licence.

It’s also dangerous – speed limits are there for a reason in the first place.

It’s also worth remembering that the buffer zones – where they exist – are used at the discretion of the police.

So they’re within their rights to punish drivers that flout the speed limit by even just a few miles per hour. You can’t rely on these discretionary thresholds as a defence if you’re flagged for speeding.

And mobile speed cameras might be calibrated differently, anyway. So you should never assume you can just sail through them marginally above the speed limit.

 

Do I need to tell my car insurance company about a speeding ticket?

Yes - you have to declare any speeding convictions or points on your driving licence to your car insurance company.

And although points remain on your licence for four years, insurers use them in their calculations for five.

As a result, you could see your carc premiums hiked because insurers might deem you to be a bigger risk.

According to research by Consumer Intelligence, a speeding conviction adds £50 to your annual car insurance premium, on average.

That’s an additional £250 to pay while that conviction remains on your record.

The research also found that motorway speeding offences increased premiums by more than £100 a year.