Traffic cameras catch 4,000 drivers a day in London

Every day, almost 4,000 drivers in London are caught on camera breaking the law.

Figures obtained by private number plates company Click4reg.co.uk show that between April 2017 and March 2018 a total of 1,439,942 penalty charge notices (PCNs) — or 3,945 per day — were issued by 29 London councils for ‘moving traffic’ contraventions.

These offences include using a route restricted to certain types of vehicles (e.g. bus or cycle lanes), performing a prohibited left or right turn, failing to comply with a no entry sign, or stopping in a yellow box junction. If a driver commits any one of these violations and their registration number is captured by a CCTV camera or CCTV vehicle, they will likely be handed a fine.

The number of moving traffic PCNs in 2017-18 increased by 30% from 1,106,158 in the previous year.

City of London council issued the most PCNs last year, with 192,841 notices or the equivalent of 528 penalties per day, compared to 10,939 in 2016-17 — an astonishing year-on-year increase of 1663%.

Barnet and Islington were in second and third place, handing out at 88,578 and 78,743 PCNs respectively.

Of the 29 councils that provided figures, Bexley issued the fewest notices, at 11,365.

Estimates suggest that London’s local authorities collected between £93m and £187m from these PCNs, the Press Association reported.

It’s important that offenders face the appropriate consequences to deter them from performing risky manoeuvres which break the law, said Elie Fakhoury, managing director of Click4Reg.co.uk.

“By the sheer amount of penalty charge notices issued, this research shows that the prevalence of moving traffic infringements in London is certainly higher than anyone would expect,” Fakhoury added. “Given the capital’s busy roads, individuals should consistently seek to re-familiarise themselves with the rules, markings and signs in the highway code. In turn, this will not only minimise the number of moving traffic contraventions but more importantly, increase the level of awareness and care taken by drivers whilst on the road.”

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