Have you ever been driving around the speed limit or slightly above it, only to realize that you did not get fined for it? This is because speed cameras have a certain threshold for tolerance. You won’t actually get fined if you’re right on the speed limit or just above it. Here’s all you need to know:
Setting Speed Tolerance
There are around 43 individual police forces in England and Wales. They have permission to set a speed camera threshold for the speed limit. Essentially, even if the legal limit of a road is 35 miles per hour, you could be going slightly above that speed but you wouldn’t get fined for it.
If the legal authorities wish to, they can set fairly strict speed tolerances to prevent speeding in areas where it might be an issue. However, it has been observed that speed tolerances are fairly lenient.
The Numbers for UK Fixed and Mobile Speed Camera Tolerances
The important question is how many mph can you exactly go above the speed limit? UK police forces responded to Auto Express and reported that they do enforce a tolerance on the speed limit. Generally, it’s set at 10% plus 2 mph above the limit. If you’re driving on a road with a 30-mph limit, the camera won’t detect that you’re speeding if you’re going at 35 or beyond.
Keeping that equation in mind, roads with higher speed limits will have slightly higher thresholds.
| Police Force | Number Of Cameras | Camera Activation Threshold |
| Avon and Somerset | 41 | 10% + 2mph |
| Bedfordshire | 38 | Would not reveal a threshold |
| Cambridgeshire | 32 | Would not reveal threshold |
| Cheshire | 15 | 10% + 2mph |
| Cleveland | 4 | 10% + 2mph |
| Derbyshire | 18 | 10% + 2mph |
| Devon and Cornwall | 98 | 10% + 2mph |
| Durham | 0 fixed | 10% + 2mph |
| Essex | 63 | Don’t use a standard threshold |
| Greater Manchester | 235 | Would not reveal threshold |
| Gwent | 21 | 10% + 2mph |
| Hampshire | 36 | 10% + 2mph |
| Hertfordshire | 53 | Would not reveal threshold |
| Kent | 109 | 10% + 2mph |
| Lancashire | 34 | 10% + 3mph |
| Leicestershire | 30 | 10% + 2mph |
| Merseyside | 18 | 10% + 2mph |
| Metropolitan Police/TfL | 805 | 10% + 2mph |
| Norfolk | 26 | 10% + 2mph |
| North Wales | 28 | 10% + 2mph |
| Northumbria | 55 | 10% + 2mph |
| Nottinghamshire | 48 | Refused to confirm if a threshold exists |
| Police Service of Northern Ireland | 12 | 10% + 2mph |
| Scotland | 173 | Would not reveal a threshold |
| South Wales | 137 | 10% + 2mph |
| South Yorkshire | 25 | 10% + 2mph |
| Staffordshire | 286 | Would not reveal a threshold |
| Suffolk | 4 | 10% + 2mph |
| Thames Valley | 294 | 10% + 2mph |
| Warwickshire | 28 | 10% + 2mph |
| West Mercia | 23 | 10% + 2mph |
| West Midlands | 33 | Would not reveal threshold |
| West Yorkshire | 402 | 10% + 2mph |
According to the table given above, if a car is in an area with a speed limit of 20, it cannot go above the speed of 24 mph.
Important Things to Note
There have been reports that speed tolerances might be more lenient in some parts, going as high as 10% plus 3 mph. Regardless of the fact that speed offers some leeway, you shouldn’t be taking advantage of this and should stay well within the limits. Considering how rough UK traffic can get, it’s best to stay within the speed limits and drive safely.
Earn a decent living by working as a PCO driver, using PCO cars for rent to operate within a manageable budget. At G&M Direct Hire, we have licensed options for drivers. We’ve assembled our fleet of PCO cars to rent that will meet the needs of Bolt and Uber drivers in Canary Wharf. You can rent a PCO-licensed car hire in London in Tottenham, West Drayton, Chelsea, Hounslow, Slough, Edmonton, and Harrow, among many others with us.
Our services are focused on helping PCO drivers save money. Work with us today.