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Thousands motorist Drivers who have been wrongly caught speeding can claim compensation if they can prove financial losses caused by speeding. national highway mistake.
The agency has identified approximately 2,650 errors camera activation Since 2021, it has been attributed to a technical glitch.
Lord Hendy told peers the Department for Transport had launched an “independent review into how the anomaly occurred”.
Not all flashes will result in a fine, as camera activation is not always enforced.
press association It is understood the majority of affected motorists have attended speed awareness courses.
Lord Young, Cookham’s Conservative former minister, had earlier called for compensation for “those who have had to take time off work to attend speed awareness courses” or drivers who have lost their licenses and therefore their jobs.
Lord Hendy said: “The relevant police force will contact those affected directly and detail what action is being taken to provide redress.”
“Anyone notified by police will receive details of how to contact National Highways if they have evidence of costs associated with this incorrect enforcement, such as costs associated with a lost licence.”
However, for those caught by mistake, “points do not mean prizes”, noted Lord Burnett of Maldon.
The crossbencher and former chief justice said: “This means premiums are increasing and it is difficult for any of us to understand exactly why premiums are increasing year on year.”
“Will the government sympathize with people who can’t provide accurate numbers because their insurance companies won’t give them to them?”
Richmond Hill transport minister Lord Hendy said: “I think the government has to be a good custodian of public funds, so understand if there is a loss and what the loss is.
“But I am convinced that evidence of one year’s premium versus another year’s premium, if it relates solely to points and not to any other form of driving, must be at least – I think that would be acceptable if I were the claimant.”
The number of drivers wrongly prosecuted for speeding or failing to pay fines is thought to be in the double figures, with a tiny minority being wrongly disqualified.
Tory peer Lord Geddes said he was “done” for driving at 60mph on a motorway under a temporary 50mph speed limit “in broad daylight, clear weather, no roadworks, no obstructions, no accidents”.
Asked to tell the National Highways Agency not to “abuse these temporary restrictions”, Lord Hendy said variable speed limits were “especially used on busy urban roads to balance traffic flow”.
The minister added that stop-start conditions on routes such as the M25 “create some hazards in themselves and can also significantly reduce the capacity of the roads”.
“So, when the speed limit is reduced, my advice to people is to stick to the speed limit because that way you avoid getting into big jams,” he said.
Lord Hendy earlier raised questions about rail infrastructure in south-west England.
Earl Devon asked what plans the government had to reroute the railway at Dawlish, where trains run along the seawall.
A storm in 2014 washed away parts of the railway, cutting south Devon and Cornwall off from the rest of the UK rail network.
“Since Dawlish collapsed into the sea in 2014, we have spent around £140 million on restoration and reconstruction to keep the railway running,” the minister said.
“There is still much work to be done, particularly on the cliffs at Teignmouth, but there are no viable, affordable alternative routes in the short term.
“So realistically, rail colleagues have to continue to keep the lines open no matter what the weather is like.”