An issue with National Highways' variable speed cameras has resulted in over 2,600 incorrect camera activations over the past four years, leading some road users to face enforcement action incorrectly.
The anomaly resulted in occasional delays between cameras and variable speed signs, causing some vehicles to be incorrectly identified as speeding after changes to speed limits were implemented on approximately 10% of the strategic road network.
Simon Lightwood, under-secretary of state for local transport, said that the Department for Transport (DfT) was first made aware of the error on 10 September 2025 when National Highways informed it of ‘an anomaly on the M5 following a challenge to a speeding offence'. Following this, ministers were reportedly told that it was a national issue on 13 October 2025.
According to National Highways, this has only resulted in a ‘very small number' of people incorrectly facing enforcement action for speeding, as not all of the 2,650 incorrect camera activations since 2021 led to enforcement action. It also stated that in this period, there were a total of 6 million camera activations, arguing that fewer than 0.1% of activations were impacted.
The DfT stated that anybody affected by this error will be contacted ‘by the relevant police force' and will have any fines refunded and points removed from their licenses.
National Highways has since developed a ‘data check' which it says will ensure that incorrect prosecutions will no longer take place, and it is liaising with the police on how this can be implemented.
National Highways chief executive, Nick Harris, said: ‘Safety is our number one priority and we have developed a fix for this technical anomaly to maintain the highest levels of safety on these roads and make sure no one is wrongly prosecuted.
‘All drivers should continue observing the posted speed limits as normal. Anyone who has been impacted will be contacted by the relevant police force.'
Investigations into camera activations will continue as far back as 2019 to try to identify further instances of erroneous enforcement action, with the DfT stating that there will be an independent investigation into how this ‘technical anomaly' came about.
