One in five speeding notices cancelled
One in five drivers given speeding notices in the West Midlands in the space of a year ended up having them cancelled.
Nearly 72,000 notices were issued to motorists caught by fixed or mobile speed cameras in the year to September 2020, but more than 14,500 were eventually scrapped, the Express & Star can reveal.
It meant around 20 per cent of drivers ended up facing no action as their tickets were ripped up.
Motorists were caught speeding on roads around the Black Country and Birmingham, including the M5, M6 and M6 Toll. Tickets can be cancelled for various reasons, including the Notice of Intended Prosecution containing the wrong details, the alleged speedster was not in fact driving or missing or incorrect speed signage.
The coronavirus pandemic may also have had an impact on resources. Of the 71,827 £100 fines issued over the 12-month period, only 15,819 were paid as thousands of drivers were offered education courses instead. Another 6,927 led to prosecution.
This could be because speeding offences were deemed to be so severe or fines were not paid. Some 6,229 cases are still ongoing, so could lead to fines or prosecution.
The figures were released by West Midlands Police following a Freedom of Information request.
New average speed cameras were switched on along key Black Country routes in November, including the A449 Stafford Road and A4444 Black Country New Road in Wolverhampton, A34 Birmingham Road in Walsall and A4123 Birmingham New Road in Dudley.
In 2019, it was revealed police forces were frequently ripping up speeding tickets issued to motorists after encountering problems.
Cambridgeshire Police cancelled 30 per cent that year and Greater Manchester Police 26 per cent.
