Ninety drivers a day speeding on M1 roadworks

More than £800,000 worth of fines have been handed out to motorists speeding through roadworks on the M1.

Statistics released through the Freedom of Information Act show that between April 2010 and September this year, 13,723 fixed penalty notices were handed out.

At £60 per penalty, that makes a total of £823,380.

In July, 2,784 people were caught speeding which works out, on average, at 90 people per day.

Through the summer months there were more drivers caught speeding with almost 2,000 in both August and July.

A speed restriction of 50mph is currently in place between Junctions 10 (south of Luton) and 13 (Bedford) while works are taking place to widen the road.

The Highways Agency is making improvements to the M1 between Junctions 10 and 13 ‘to cope with the high volume of traffic by relieving congestion and reducing delays, leading to more reliable journeys’.

Construction for the improvements to Junctions 11 and 12 began in February and the scheme will be completed in spring 2013.