More than 1,000 motorists a week are being caught speeding on the UK's smart motorways, police figures suggest.
Last year, 52,516 fixed penalties were issued on 11 smart sections, including on stretches of the M1, M25 and M6.
This compared to 2,023 on the same stretches in 2010-11, before they were upgraded to smart motorways - which use the hard shoulder and variable speed limits to control traffic flow.
The government says they are used to improve capacity, not generate revenue.
Smart motorways are operated by Highways England, which uses overhead gantries - also containing speed cameras - to direct traffic into open lanes and change speed limits depending on the volume of traffic.
Ticket revenue has increased tenfold over 5 years. Have British drivers experienced the "improved capacity" that the government uses to justify the smart highways?
(Score: 2) by mendax on Tuesday November 08 2016, @12:16AM
Variable speed controls are a great idea. They are starting to appear in California, an excellent idea, especially during rush hour. But driving on the shoulder is NEVER a good idea, and using technology to make that possible is stupid. They're not called the "breakdown lane" in some places for nothing. All it takes is some idiot not watching what he's doing to run into someone changing a tire to create a bloody mess.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 3, Informative) by zocalo on Tuesday November 08 2016, @12:31AM
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 2) by mendax on Tuesday November 08 2016, @01:43AM
Are you sure they are that smart? After all, the Brits voted for Brexit, which will likely doom to the United part of the United Kingdom.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Arik on Tuesday November 08 2016, @01:49AM
More than 900 years after the Catholic invasion, and more than 800 years after Strongbow, some would view that as not a tragedy, but simply long overdue.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by mendax on Tuesday November 08 2016, @05:43AM
Sure about that? Turn a fairly significant unified country with wide diversity and an ancient history into an insignificant little European backwater? No, not European. The English don't want to be European.
It's really quite a simple choice: Life, Death, or Los Angeles.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 08 2016, @03:54PM
b/c a bunch of un-elected thieves in brussels were working in the best interests of the UK? you Stay idiots are ridiculous slaves.