News

Speed limit and camera news for the West Midlands
Due to the ever increasing number of speed cameras and decreasing speed limits it has been necessary to split this page into several smaller ones Earlier news can be found here
26 July 2010
Speed cameras may be scrapped due to budget cuts
Government spending cuts may be having an adverse effect on the nation's vast army of speed cameras as funding is drying up for their use and maintenance. Three council's in the Black Country - Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton are considering switching them off due to a lack of funds. Talivans may also be withdrawn to further reduce running costs. This follows recent announcements by other councils around the country of the intention to switch off their Gatsos. Another reason for the cuts is the ageing wet film technology still used in the vast majority of Gatso type cameras. This is expensive to operate and also expensive to replace with more modern equipment.
1 July 2010
Gatso torched on Spine Road
A Gatso on the A41 Spine Road in West Bromwich has been reduced to a burnt out crisp after having being set alight by the usual method involving a tyre. The device near Swan Lane is now beyond repair.

28 May 2010
Gatso torched on A51
One of the Gatsos installed on the A51 in Staffordshire in 2001 was set alight yesterday morning. The camera approaching the A518 at Weston is currently in the lowered position following the attack. Other than fire damage to the post the camera housing itself appears to have had a lucky escape.
The Gatsos on this section of the A51 were installed at the same time as reducing the national speed limit to various lower limits. In particular, the stretch where this camera is located was reduced from 70mph to just 40mph. Attacks on cameras in other parts of the country have also been where the speed limit was reduced to a crawl.

21 April 2010
New speed limit and permanent SPECS for A38
Work will begin shortly on reducing the speed limit from 70mph to 60mph on the A38 between Bassetts Pole and Weeford. SPECS cameras will also be installed to enforce the new limit. This is a classic case of the dummy whammy of a lower speed limit and cameras. Why not keep the 70mph limit and see what happens in terms of accidents? Reducing the limit straight off is taking things too far. One can also think of a more sinister reason for the changes as this section runs parallel to the M6 Toll.
27 March 2010
New speed limit on A53
A section of urban 40mph limit on the A53 Leek New Road near Stoke on Trent has been reduced to 30mph. This is a typical example of the removal of a suburban 40mph limit which is happening up and down the country.
25 March 2010
New Solihull speed limits coming into effect
In May 2009 it was announced that speed limits on A and B roads in Solihull were under review. As expected the speed limits in question are being reduced and now most of them are in place along with red "New ..mph Speed Limit in Force" signs to make people aware of just how low the new limits are. In many cases the limit has been cut by 20mph and in one case the limit has been slashed in half.
A list of the proposed reductions from last year is below.
A3400 Stratford Road, Hockley Heath 50-40
A4141 Warwick Road, north of Chadwick End 60-50
A4141 Warwick Road, Chadwick End 40-30
A452 Kenilworth Road/Birmingham Road, Meer End 60-50
A452 Kenilworth Road, Balsall Common 40-30
A4177 Meer End 60-50
B4101 Grange Road, Dorridge 60-30
B4101 Kenilworth Road/Balsall Street, Temple Balsall 60-40
B4101 Balsall Street, Balsall Common 60-50
B4101 east of Balsall Common 60-40
B4102 Meriden Road, Hampton to Meriden 60-50
B4102 Fillongley Road, Meriden 60-50
B4104 Birmingham Road, Meriden 60-50
B4439 Old Warwick Road 60-40
A41 Solihull Bypass 70-50
B4102 Solihull Road, Hampton in Arden 60-50
B4438 Catherine de Barnes Lane 60-50
A452 Chester Road, Chelmsley Wood 60-50
A452 roundabout at Moorend Avenue 50-30
B4114 Birmingham Road 60-50
8 March 2010
New 40mph speed limits on A456
Two new 40mph limits have appeared on the A456 near Halesowen. The first is at the roundabout with the A459 and either side of it. The other is to the east of the Hayley Green roundabout where the existing 40mph limit has been extended. The 70mph limit in between these two locations is currently intact but there are plans to cut it to 50mph which will seem ridiculous as there are no right turns here. When the 40mph limit at Hayley Green was extended westwards by a few hundred yards several years ago there was heavy enforcement which penalised otherwise safe driving.
10 February 2010
New 30mph limit on Birmingham Queensway
All the 40mph signs on the Queensway Tunnels in the centre of Birmingham have mysteriously disappeared meaning the whole stretch is now 30mph. This seems to be a sneaky way of lowering the limit without people noticing. There was already a 30mph on one of the tight bends but to reduce the whole lot to 30mph is ridiculous.
3 October 2009
Speed limits and lane closures failing to stop accidents
A section of the A449 near Wombourne has had the 70mph speed limit reduced to 40, 50 and 60 and a section of dual carriageway narrowed to a single lane but within two weeks of this there have already been two crashes. Earlier in the year a Subaru Impreza crashed killing all four occupants but one wonders if the drivers of such vehicles were ignoring the 70mph limit that applied at the time?
New road layout - but does it make it safer?

20 August 2009
Specs cameras in place for roadworks
Specs cameras have been installed on the M6 between junctions 10 and 10a in preparation for roadworks starting in September. These will enforce a 50mph limit while work takes place on installing active traffic management where variable speed limits and hard shoulder running will operate during busy periods.
10 August 2009
Gatso burnt for the second time
A Gatso on Newton Road, Great Barr has been destroyed for the second time in five years. In 2004 it was damaged when a 16 year old crashed a BMW into it and then it was set alight shortly afterwards. This latest attack has also left the camera out of action.
14 May 2009
Solihull speed limit review
Now that Warwickshire is full of political speed limits it comes as no surprise that neighbouring Solihull is also having a review of speed limits. As always the new limits are lower than at present. A list of the proposals is here.
Update - this link appears to have been removed.
14 April 2009
Yet more Warwickshire speed limit cuts
Another road in Warwickshire has had its speed limits slashed. This time it's the A429 on the northern edge of Warwick. The suburban 40mph limit has been cut to 30mph while the 60mph rural section has been cut to a mixture of 40mph and 50mph. The picture below shows the new limits complete with red plates telling everyone about the new limit. This used to be 40mph in front of the signs with 60mph behind. No amount of red paint will encourage compliance if the limit is set way too low.

9 April 2009
Some more new speed limits in Warwickshire
A whole bunch of new speed limits have been spotted in Warwickshire.
The A4189 between Redditch and Warwick is one of the worst affected with all the NSL new reduced to 50mph and a section to the east of Henley has been cut by 20mph to just 40mph. The eastern end of the A4189 in the suburbs of Warwick has been cut from 40mph to 30mph despite the spacious feel of the road. Suburban 40mph limits also emphasise the difference in quality between these and narrower town centre roads but imposing blanket 30mph limits throughout compromises this.
The A425 between Leamington Spa and Southam has been equally affected with all the rural 60mph sections now cut to 50mph.
The A429 to the south of Warwick has been cut to 40mph despite this being rural.
All these limits are totally pointless and serve no purpose other than to devalue limits where they are justified. In these tough economic times the money spent on implementing these speed limits could have been spent on something useful.
7 April 2009
Another rural 60mph limit bites the dust in Warwickshire
Not a day seems to go by without seeing yet more 50mph signs appear on the roads of Warwickshire. This time it's the A425 Banbury Road to the south of Warwick. At least the existing 30mph limit in Warwick wasn't extended.
4 April 2009
Another Warwickshire speed limit reduced
Yet another NSL has disappeared from the roads of Warwickshire. This time it's the A4141 to the south of Chadwick End which is now 50mph. The village marks the boundary between Warwickshire and Solihull therefore the speed limit to the north remains NSL even though the road is twistier here. This is a classic example of why political speed limits are disasterous for road safety.
2 April 2009
Some more Warwickshire speed limit cuts
Some more rural 60mph limits have bitten the dust in Warwickshire. This time it's the A452 and B4100 near Leamington Spa. The A452 is a well aligned modern stretch of road which is well suited to a 60mph limit and even travelling behind a group of cars the speed was well in excess of the new 50mph limit which just shows how unreasonable these new political limits are. The B4100 is another fine road which used to be the A41 before the M40 replaced it. 50mph here is also a painful crawl.
11 March 2009
More political speed limit cuts in Warwickshire
Yet another reasonable suburban 40mph limit has been cut to 30mph in the latest assault on motorists in Warwickshire. The existing 40mph limit on the southern edge of Studley has been reduced to 30mph which includes a section where two cameras were recently installed. This latest reduction comes several years after huge sections of the A435 were slashed from 60mph to 50mph and 40mph. The whole section from Mappleborough Green to Alcester is now one painful crawl. This needn't have been the case if plans to dual this stretch and a bypass of Studley weren't scrapped.
Another busy road in Warwickshire is the A446 and a section between the M42 and A38 has been reduced from 60mph to 50mph. This is well used by traffic seeking to avoid paying to use the M6 Toll. The road here is completely suitable for a 60mph limit but yet again the council seems fit to annoy motorists by imposing artificially low speed limits.
8 March 2009
National speed limit to be reduced to 50, again
The government has announced plans to reduce the national speed limit on single carriageway roads from 60mph to 50mph, 10 years after previously trying a similar attempt to lower the speed limit. Once again the government is showing complete contempt for the millions of motorists who use this country's roads. This latest attempt to reduce speed limits by stealth is set to be enforced by Specs cameras which will be installed along much of the network. These Specs cameras will force drivers to constantly stare at their speedos, taking their attention off the road, causing them to drift into drowsiness by crawling along at pedestrian speeds along well aligned roads. Is this what we want?
Claims that it will save a certain number of lives are meaningless. Previous experience has shown that the downward trend of reduced casualties bottomed out when cameras and speed limit reductions started to become commonplace in the last decade.
28 February 2009
Gatso set alight on A34
A Gatso on the A34 just to the south of M6 J7 has been set alight using a tyre but the damage is minimal. The speed limit here was a decent 40mph until being cut to an unreasonable 30mph a year or two ago. Many attacks on cameras recently have been where new politically low speed limits have been imposed.
23 February 2009
More pointless speed limit cuts in Warwickshire
Yet more speed limits have been slashed to unreasonable levels as part of Warwickshire Council's speed limit review policy. The A51 between Tamworth and Kingsbury has been cut from 60mph to 50mph, the A4097 between the M42 and Kingsbury which is a well aligned section of modern road has also been slashed by 10mph to 50mph. The B4098 to the south of the A51 has been cut from 60mph to 40mph and 50mph and the worst section of all is the B4098 to the north of Fillongley which is now 40mph throughout but is perfectly safe for 60mph+. Compliance of these pathetic limits is low as even travelling behind a group of cars speeds were often in excess of the limit.
9 January 2009
Yellow vultures on M5
Specs cameras have been installed on the M5 between junctions 4 and 4a in preparation for roadworks which will start next week.
28 November 2008
Gatso set alight
A Gatso on the A461 near Great Bridge has been set alight during a night time attack but the damage was minimal. Firefighters arrived on the scene and quickly extinguished the flames.
22 May 2008
Specs cameras going up on M6
Specs cameras are currently being installed on the M6 between junctions 5 and 6 in preparation for roadworks which will commence shortly. These are mounted in the gantries and will enforce a 50mph limit.
5 May 2008
Derbyshire Talivan painted plain blue
A Talivan belonging to the Derbyshire Scamera Partnership has been repainted plain blue in an attempt to catch more speeders. The van used to be fully marked but has recently been painted a dull blue and all the police markings have been removed.
1 January 2008
Speed limit cuts on A534
Some speed limits have appeared on the A534 between Nantwich and Wrexham on stretches that were previously NSL. At Brindley a 40mph limit has been imposed for just under a mile. At Bulkeley a similar 40mph limit is in place which includes a stretch monitored by a Gatso. To the west of Bulkeley a long 50mph limit has been imposed which unfortunately is happening to many rural A roads.
15 November 2007
Twisted Gatsos on A34
Two Gatsos on the A34 in Shirley have been attacked by forcing the camera housing with a high sided vehicle so that it points upwards. Both Gatsos on the northbound carriageway near Monkspath have been affected. Below is how one of them currently looks. Only a few months ago another camera on the same stretch of road was destroyed by arson.

2 October 2007
Speed limit cuts in Shrewsbury
New lower speed limits have appeared on the B4380 which was the A5 until being replaced by the current bypass in 1992. The speed limits affected are the NSL sections which were 60mph and 70mph but have now been reduced to a mixture of 40mph and 50mph. A short dualled stretch with traffic lights has had one of the two lanes removed along with a whopping 30mph reduction in the speed limit.
29 August 2007
Cremated Gatso on A34
A Gatso on the A34 in Shirley has been totally destroyed by fire in the latest in a series of attacks which is seeing huge numbers of these machines put out of action. This latest attack comes within weeks of an similar attack on the nearby A45 which also saw a Gatso turned to charcoal.

6 August 2007
Another Gatso torched to death
A Gatso on the A45 outside Birmingham Airport has been completely destroyed in the latest arson attack which is seeing cameras up and down the country getting destroyed. This Gatso is just inside a 40mph speed limit which used to be 60mph until it was reduced a few years ago. Such speed limit reductions only serve to reduce compliance and encourage vandalism.

9 July 2007
New speed limit on A34
Yet another speed limit has been reduced on the A34 in Staffordshire. This time part of the 50mph limit through Stone has been reduced to 40mph. This is yet another example of how public money is being wasted on imposing unnecessary speed limits that only serve to reduce compliance and make money for the scamera partnerships.
3 June 2007
New speed limit in Coventry
A new 50mph limit has appeared on the A4114 Pickford Way in Coventry. This is currently NSL and the new signs are still bagged over but expect the new limit to come into force soon. This is part of a so called safety scheme but there are no side roads or houses fronting it.
23 May 2007
Speed limit reduction in Derby
A suburban 40mph limit on the A6 in Derby just to the south of the A38 has been cut to 30mph. This took place as part of a bus lane that was added to the inbound direction resulting in narrow lanes.
17 April 2007
Speed limit slashed in half on A527
A short section of 60mph limit on the A527 between Tunstall and Biddulph has been cut to just 30mph in yet another draconian speed limit reduction. To make matters worse a series of Gatsos have been installed to enforce the new limit. This current obsession with lowering speed limits has failed miserably to reduce the number of casualties and only serves to bring the whole system of traffic enforcement into disrepute.
24 February 2007
New speed limit on B4156
Another rural 60mph speed limit has bitten the dust in Staffordshire as 50mph limits are being imposed everywhere. This latest reduction is on Blackhalve Lane between Essington and Wolverhampton.
19 February 2007
A45 Truvelo is beheaded
A Truvelo on the A45 at Ryton has had its camera housing sawn off in the latest attack on cameras in the region. Despite the presence of warning stickers vandals are continuing to destroy these cameras in huge numbers. Halfway down on this page is a picture of the camera when installed in 2001 showing the deliberate placement behind a sign.

20 October 2006
Another Walsall Gatso is burnt
Walsall Council is paying the price for its ruthless policy on slashing speed limits to a crawl. A Gatso on the A34 between Great Barr and the town centre has been set alight. The speed limit on this dual carriageway within Walsall was cut from 40mph to 30mph last year and has proved unpopular with motorists. It was bound to happen that someone would start attacking cameras on roads where the speed limit is unreasonable.

29 September 2006
Gatso burns to death on the A452
A Gatso on Chester Road in Streetly has been completely destroyed in an arson attack which has left it beyond repair. The speed limit on this road was reduced from 40mph to 30mph in 2001 as a result of Walsall Council's policy of removing urban 40mph limits.

28 August 2006
Another Telford road sabotaged
Another dual carriageway in Telford has had a pathetic speed limit reduction. The A464 between the M54 and the A442 used to be 70mph but is now 50mph. At least there are still two lanes in each direction.
28 August 2006
New speed limit on A463
A new 40mph limit has appeared on the A463 between Gospel End and Wombourne. This is an entirely rural road which was 60mph and makes the new limit seem unnecessarily low.
Update - the 60mph limit has been reinstated for reasons unknown.
23 August 2006
Speed limit reduction on A534
The 50mph limit on the A534 at Clutton has been cut to 40mph. Most of the roads around here have escaped speed limit reductions but time will tell if this will be the first of many.
8 June 2006
A442 sabotaged in Telford
Over the last few years its been common for local councils to take a nice freeflowing road and start work on wrecking it. This is exactly what Wrekin Council has done to the A442 in Telford known as the Queensway. When the new town was built the Queensway was designed as a high quality dual carriageway which encircled the town. Only half of the circuit was built to dual carriageway standard and it has grade separated junctions and a 70mph speed limit. This lasted until a couple of weeks ago when the speed limit was cut to 60mph and the number of lanes in each direction through some of the junctions was cut to one. The entry slip roads have all been reduced to a single lane as well just to create further frustration. The result of this vandalism can be seen when someone is dawdling along the newly created single lane sections and faster traffic catches up. This is a recipe for disaster and I hope the accident rate goes through the roof and the road is restored to how it should be.
6 June 2006
New 40mph limit on A453
A speed limit reduction which was proposed two years ago has finally taken place. The 50mph limit on the A453 at Mile Oak near Tamworth is now 40mph and how long will it be before Talivans start setting up shop to rake in the cash.
28 April 2006
Rural 50mph limit plague spreads
50mph speed limits have appeared in huge numbers on rural roads recently as councils bow to political pressure rather than the needs of road safety. The latest stretch to receive a 50mph limit is the A460 between the M6 and Shareshill. The affected stretch is completely rural and such a limit is totally unjustified. To make matters worse the existing 40mph limit in the built up area has been extended into the former 60mph limit.
Before and after pictures can be found on the Speed Limit Reduction page.
18 December 2005
New 50mph limit on A41
A 50mph limit has appeared on the A41 at Prees Higher Heath in Shropshire. The limit was previously 60mph. There is some frontage development along this stretch so the speed limit reduction isn't too bad.
12 December 2005
Another political speed limit reduction
Yet another suburban 40mph limit in Sutton Coldfield has bitten the dust as speed limits are being slashed in a feeble attempt to make driving unattractive. This latest reduction is on the B4151 in Little Sutton when the limit has been cut to 30mph.
29 November 2005
M42 variable speed limit starts operating
Variable speed limits have begun operating on the M42 between the M40 and M6. Twelve of the gantries contain cameras with more just having fake road markings. They work in a similar way to those on the M25 with a camera above each lane. Below is a picture showing the reverse side of a camera fitted gantry.

25 November 2005
Gatso destroyed on A446
A Gatso on the A446 outside the Belfry has been destroyed following an arson attack. This comes just a month after another camera in the same area was also damaged beyond repair. At the time of writing both cameras are currently out of action.

28 October 2005
Truvelo down on A452
One of two Truvelos installed early last year on the A452 Collector Road has been knocked down amidst a growing number of attacks on cameras in the region. As the picture shows, the barrier is intact suggesting the damage is not caused by an out of control car striking it.

18 October 2005
Another Gatso torched to death
A Gatso on the A4091 near the Belfry was set alight last night in the latest attack on speed cameras in the area. The resulting damage was described as beyond repair.

24 September 2005
New speed limit on A452
A new 50mph limit has appeared on the A452 between Balsall Common and Stonebridge which used to be 70mph. This dual carriageway was littered with DS2 cameras a few years ago and reducing the speed limit is a sure way of maximising the income.
7 September 2005
Another political speed limit reduction in Walsall
More taxpayers money has wasted by Walsall Council on another pointless speed limit reduction which is designed to frustrate motorists. The A34 between Broadway and Great Barr used to be 40mph but has now been cut to 30mph as part of an improvement scheme. The scheme is designed to make the road as car unfriendly as possible and speed limit cuts are the obvious choice.
4 August 2005
Two cameras set alight in one night
Two Gatsos a short distance from each other were set alight last night. The cameras on the A462 near Essington and the A5 between the M6 and Cannock were damaged in the attacks which appear to have been carried out by the same person. Pictures of both cameras can be found on the Vandalised Gatsos page.
15 July 2005
No more cameras to be installed for several months
No new speed cameras will be installed in the UK for several months as the government awaits a report into their effectiveness. Despite an ever growing number of cameras, the accident rate has remained pretty much static and now the cameras are being brought into question.
13 June 2005
Truvelo attacked for the second time
A Truvelo in Telford which was sawn off two years has been set alight in an attempt to destroy it. The camera on Bennetts Bank contains smoke damage which suggests the fire failed to take hold.

18 May 2005
Police officer gets away with doing 159mph
Whilst ordinary drivers are being fleeced for straying just above the speed limit, a West Mercia Police officer, PC Mark Milton, has been cleared of speeding and dangerous driving whilst testing his new police car. This is the latest in a long line of police officers who abuse their position and flout the law with no comeback. Full story here
14 May 2005
New speed limit on A45
Yet another unnecessary speed limit reduction has taken place. This time its on the A45 westbound near Birmingham Airport where the 60mph limit has been cut to a ridiculous 40mph. To make matters worse the limit drops just before a Gatso.
11 May 2005
Gatso attacked for the second time
A Gatso has been burnt to death on the A5 to the north of Nuneaton. This camera was cut down a couple of years ago by someone who was caught by it.
17 April 2005
Another Derbyshire camera destroyed
A Truvelo has been set alight on the A6005 in Long Eaton. This is at least the second time a camera in the area has been attacked. This must come as an embarrassment to the scamera partnership who's website states that camera vandalism will not be tolerated.

11 April 2005
New speed limits on A610
New 40mph and 50mph limits have been imposed on the A610 between the M1 and Awsworth. The limit has been cut from 70mph presumably because of no central barrier on part of this high quality dual carriageway. The 40mph section in particular is completely ignored and shows just how out of touch highway planners are with reality. Anyone with half a brain would realise that installing a barrier is the answer instead of more speed limits.
10 April 2005
Gatso destroyed for the third time
A Gatso on Tansey Green Road in Dudley has been set alight for the third time in as many years. Not only that but the camera housing has been forced open as well.

23 March 2005
More political speed limits about to come into force in Walsall
A new 30mph limit is about to come into force along Aldridge Road and Erdington Road between Aldridge and Streetly. The current 40mph limit is appropriate for this straight road with houses along one side only, not to mention that houses along one stretch are set back on their own service road, yet the council seems intent on reducing all suburban limits to 30mph regardless of whether the new limit will be reasonable. As has been proven before, such new limits will only reduce respect for speed limits in general and bring the whole system into disrepute.
10 March 2005
New cameras installed as speed limit to be raised
Several new Gatsos have been installed on the A53 between Newcastle and Hanley. Etruria Road between the A500 and Hanley currently has a 30mph limit which is blatantly unreasonable for this dual carriageway and as a result it will be raised to 40mph once the cameras go live. A speed limit rise is most unusual but it is obvious the 30mph limit is doing nothing for road safety. However, the speed limit rise isn't exactly what it first seems because the speed limit was originally 70mph, then it was 50mph and then it was slashed to 30mph.
To make things worse one of the cameras is hidden behind a sign.
14 February 2005
Talivan driver caught speeding
A civilian camera operator working for West Mercia Police has been caught doing 65mph in a 40mph limit after his Talivan was followed by a police car near Oswestry. Because of the speed he may receive a higher penalty than the standard �60 and 3 points.
23 November 2004
Talivans now operating in the West Midlands
Talivans have started operating within the West Midlands. At the moment there is one van which is used on 14 stretches of road. The number of vans and locations will increase at a later date and we can expect the money to start rolling in from fines.
5 November 2004
Truvelo burnt in Derbyshire
One of three Truvelos, all within a few hundred yards of each other, near Long Eaton has been torched. This particluar one also happened to contain a working camera.

25 October 2004
Brand new Gatso is destroyed by fire
A Gatso on Camp Hill Road in Nuneaton which has just been installed is now a burnt out wreck following an arson attack started using a tyre. The camera which hasn't been switched on yet will now have to be replaced - it must be the shortest lived Gatso known.

16 October 2004
Gatso set alight near Dudley
A Gatso on Dudley Road in Rowley Regis was set alight in the early hours of yesterday morning. This bears all the hallmarks of similar attacks on Gatsos in Dudley which have been repeatedly set alight. This is the first time this camera has been attacked and shows the vandals are expanding the area in which they operate.

14 October 2004
Three Gatsos removed due to placement rules
Three Gatsos in the West Midlands have been taken down because they are no longer contributing to road safety. Two were on the Coventry Ring Road and the other was on the A45 at Stonebridge. They were all installed well before the rules on visibility and accident criteria came into effect.
The most controversial one was on the A45 at Stonebridge which is completely obscured by a sign. This picture shows the camera in question, only the lower half of the post is visible.

10 October 2004
M6 SPECS cameras removed
The roadworks on the M6 at junction 8 have finished and the SPECS cameras have been taken down.
26 August 2004
New Gatsos in Hagley
Two new Gatsos have been installed on the A456 in Hagley in the latest attack on motoring to hit the area.
Around ten years ago there were plans to build a bypass to relieve the congestion through the village but this was killed by local NIMBYism. Then a few years ago the speed limit was cut from 40mph to 30mph and the three lanes were reduced to two by means of hatching and cycle lanes which I have never seen anyone use.
Update December 2004 - the cameras have now been removed and the scamera partnership no longer shows them on their website.

30 July 2004
Another new speed limit on A458
A new 40mph limit has appeared on the A458 at Stewponey in Staffordshire. It starts from the A449 and heads west for about 1/2 mile. After that the 60mph limit still remains, but for how long?
Virtually all the main roads in this area have had their speed limits slashed in recent years.
29 July 2004
Gatso attacked in Birmingham
A Gatso on Lee Bank Middleway in Birmngham has been destroyed in an attack that was carried out by driving a tall vehicle into it.

17 July 2004
Radar and laser detection devices to be outlawed
Radar and laser detectors are to be banned under new plans outlined by the government. GPS detectors, however, are to remain legal as the government are powerless to prevent their use as these don't actually detect any signals coming from the cameras. The excuse the government is using for the ban is to bring the UK into line with most other EU countries where radar detectors are illegal. Most people believe the real reason is to extort yet more money from motorists by setting up covert speedtraps without motorists having any warning of their presence.
10 June 2004
SPECS cameras on M6
SPECS cameras have been installed on the gantries to enforce the 40mph limit through the roadworks on the M6 at junction 8. The cameras are painted bright yellow and speed camera signs have been placed to let motorists know they're operating.
24 May 2004
Damaged Gatso set alight
The Gatso which was damaged earlier this month when a 16 year old drove into it has been torched.
22 May 2004
Another Gatso burnt to death
A Gatso on the A523 between Leek and Ashbourne has been set alight. The camera housing has been covered up awaiting repair.
15 May 2004
Dudley camera is attacked for the fourth time
A Gatso on the A459 in Dudley has been vandalised for the fourth time. It was torched again in this latest attack which comes just two months since the last time is was burnt. It has now been set alight three times as well as spray painted.
11 May 2004
Speed limit cut for A453
A 40mph limit is to be imposed on the A453 at Mile Oak near Tamworth. This is a typical 10mph reduction which was brought about after local NIMBYs campaigned to have the current 50mph limit reduced despite the fact that there are houses on one side of the road only.
Update 8 October - the speed limit is still 50mph. Hopefully the proposed limit has now been abandoned.
Update 6 June 2006 - two years later the new speed limit is in place and so another sensible speed limit is now but a distant memory.
8 May 2004
16 year old drives BMW into a Gatso
A Gatso on the A4041 Newton Road in Great Barr was damaged today after being struck by a BMW which was being driven by a 16 year old. The youth died as a result of the collision.

30 April 2004
More cameras trashed in Telford
Two DS2 posts on the B5060 Castle Farm Way have been driven into resulting in both of them leaning at 45 degree angles. Tyre marks are clearly visible and the attackers clearly knew what they were targetting. Last winter a DS2 post in the town was forced open and the wiring cut, last May a Truvelo was cut down shortly after it was installed.
2 April 2004
New 20mph limit and humps for country lanes
Work is currently underway on making all the lanes between Walsall and Barr Beacon into a 20mph zone. Because of congestion on nearby A roads, these lanes have become very busy with people seeking a much quicker route from the M6 to Aldridge. Instead of improving the A roads the council has simply decided to deter through traffic by building a series of humps.
The major cause of the congestion is the A34/A4041 junction known as the Scott Arms. The traffic lights have 4 phases and a lengthy wait is required if you've just caught the red light. As a result a lot of traffic avoids this junction and uses nearby side roads. Over the years there have been several plans to improve this junction by means of various flyovers and underpasses, none of which have come to fruition. To exacerbate the problem the junction is in a neighbouring borough to the lanes so the councils have different solutions when it comes to congestion. The only 'improvements' to the junction that are likely are bus lanes and red routes, hardly likely to make a scrap of difference and the recent policy of removing bus stop laybys and making buses stop on the main carriageway simply causes traffic to bunch up behind a stationary bus.
25 March 2004
New speed limit on A452
A new 50mph limit has been imposed on the entire length of the A452 Collector Road which runs parallel to the M6 between junction 4 and 5. The reason seems to be because of accidents resulting from drivers who fail to judge the speed of approaching vehicles as they turn right through the central reservation gaps. Closing the gaps would solve this but would be out of keeping with current transport policy where reducing speed limits is considered to be the only thing that makes our roads safer.
Update - Two Truvelos have now gone up. They are situated on the approaches to the side roads.
Update Oct 2005 - One Truvelo has now come down after it was demolished by vandals.
13 March 2004
Another Dudley camera is torched
Another Gatso in Dudley has been set alight just days after a previous attack. The camera in Tansey Green Road was also set alight in 2002 although the damage isn't so severe this time.
The camera on the A459 which was attacked a few days earlier has been repaired.
11 March 2004
Dudley camera is torched again
A Gatso which was attacked twice in 2002 has been set alight again. The camera on the A459 once again has a charcoal appearance. The two previous attacks involved fire and spray paint.
9 March 2004
Truvelo burnt to death
One of the ten Truvelos installed in Derby late last year has been destroyed by fire. The camera on Nottingham Road was set alight only a few months after it was installed.
25 February 2004
Political speed limit on A3400
The 40mph limit on the A3400 at Wootton Wawen has been cut to 30mph as a result of Warwickshire Council policy to reduce all village speed limits to 30mph regardless of whether they are reasonable. Several other councils have also similarly reduced their speed limits in recent years with many showing an increase in accidents. Such political speed limits only serve to reduce the respect for genuine 30mph limits as well as increase the hatred towards speed cameras which are being increasingly used where the speed limit is artificially low and the police know they can catch huge numbers of motorists who exceed the limit in complete safety.
Work is currently progressing on reducing other villages to 30mph and this will mean the end of decent speed limits in Warwickshire.
1 February 2004
More vandalism on the A449
Yet another 'safety scheme' has been implemented on the A449 between Worcester and Kidderminster. This time its the stretch between Hartlebury and the A4025. As usual it involves reducing the dual carriageway to a single lane and reducing the speed limit to 50mph. A gap has also been partially closed which is the main cause of accidents.
Once again the authorities will claim these measures will have slashed the accident rate. In fact if only the gap was closed and nothing else was done then the number of accidents will still fall. As other similar schemes in Worcestershire have shown, reducing the speed limit and number of lanes simply increases frustration and forces everyone to travel behind the slowest tractor.
There is now only a half mile stretch of 70mph dual carriageway north of Ombersley.
24 January 2004
Staffordshire Gatsos are now yellow
Gatsos in Staffordshire are gradually having their temporary fluorescent strips replaced with full size reflective yellow material. The problem is the yellow material has been applied directly over the old strips which leaves an outline of the strips. Still, it makes them easier to spot so I'm not complaining.
1 December 2003
New Gatsos in roadworks
Several Gatsos have gone up on the M42 between junctions 3a and 6. This is to enforce the 50mph limit through the roadworks.
25 November 2003
New speed limit on A458
A new 50mph limit is about to come into force on part of the A458 between Stourbridge and Bridgnorth. One half of this road is a series of long straights and the other half consists of tight bends. The new limit is on the twisty section between Enville and the Shropshire boundary. Imposing a blanket limit may lure some drivers into a false sense of security in the hope that sticking to 50mph will mean they are perfectly safe. Some of the bends are so tight that to negotiate them at 50mph could result in loss of control. A more intelligent solution would have been to erect advisory speed signs on the approach to the sharpest bends informing drivers of the maximum safe speed it can be taken.
16 November 2003
New speed limit by stealth
It seems Staffordshire Council are trying to lower the speed limit without anyone noticing. The A461 south of Muckley Corner was 70mph before the M6 Toll works started then a temporary 40mph limit was imposed for the duration of the roadworks. Now that the construction work is complete the temporary speed limit has been lifted and the limit has been raised to 60mph and not to 70mph as it was previously.
25 October 2003
New speed limit on A520
A 50mph limit has been imposed on the A520 at Wetley Rocks in Staffordshire. The new limit is on both sides of the village with an existing 30mph limit through the village. For once this is a genuine accident blackspot but the usual attempt of lopping 10mph off the speed limit may not be the solution to the problem.
The latest accident involved a minibus which landed on its roof. For this to happen it must have been travelling well over the speed limit so lowering the limit won't make any difference.
9 June 2003
New speed limit on A449
A new 40mph limit has appeared on the A449 between Kidderminster and Hartlebury. This covers the only section of the Kidderminster to Worcester road that isn't dualled. This stretch is substandard for the current traffic levels and the blind bends make the situation worse. Traffic lights were recently installed at two key junctions and now the speed limit has been cut in the hope that the problems will miraculously disappear.
Forget about these penny pinching quick fix schemes, the only long term solution is to dual this last remaining stretch but in the current political climate this will never happen.
18 May 2003
Newly installed Truvelo is attacked
A Truvelo on Bennetts Bank in Telford has been attacked only a month after it was installed. The camera housing was sawn off using an angle grinder and all that remains is the post. Below is a picture of the damage. More pictures can be found on the Vandalised Gatsos page.

27 April 2003
Another pathetic speed limit cut in Dudley
The 50mph limit on the A4036 Pedmore Road which runs past the Merry Hill Centre has been reduced to 40mph in the latest attack on motoring to hit the area. This dual carriageway has no house frontages yet two Gatsos were recently installed and now the speed limit has been slashed. Makes you wonder whether the intention is to reduce the speed limit to such an extent that motorists will ignore it and get caught by the Gatsos. More likely however is that it will give saboteurs a valid excuse to torch the cameras.
7 April 2003
New speed limit on A491
A new 50mph limit is about to come into force along part of the A491 near Belbroughton. Two new DS2 strips have been installed to help enforce the new limit. If this wasn't bad enough they have also taken the worst possible action by reducing the dual carriageway to one lane in each direction. The result of all this will be increased frustration and anger when motorists are stuck behind slower vehicles and are unable to pass.
This isn't the first dual carriageway in Worcestershire to receive this treatment. The A449 near Ombersley suffered the same fate a few years ago.
11 March 2003
New speed limit on A34
The 40mph limit on the A34 to the north of Newcastle has been extended by about one mile. The 40mph limit now extends to the Parkhouse Road roundabout with the 70mph limit now reduced to a short stretch between here and the A500.
7 March 2003
New Gatsos on Spine Road
A total of ten Gatsos have been installed on the Black Country Spine Road between West Bromwich and Wednesbury. This is due to the number of accidents that have occurred because of penny pinching when the road was built. The junctions were originally going to have flyovers and underpasses which are safer and also improve the flow of traffic but they were built as plain roundabouts in order to save a bit of cash. Congestion is severe during the rush hour with much of the road at a standstill. The Gatsos therefore will only catch motorists when the traffic level is low and will do nothing to relieve the congestion.
A further two Gatsos have gone up on Holyhead Road to the east of the M5.
This picture shows one of the cameras during installation which can be seen above the cab. The remaining three await their turn.

22 February 2003
M6 SPECS cameras removed
The long term roadworks on the M6 at spaghetti are drawing to a close with the removal of the SPECS cameras and the contraflow. The 40mph limit still remains however.
Earlier news can be found here