A petition launched on the Government’s petition page is calling for the reduction to be implemented on single carriageway roads.

The petition calls for the Government to “reduce the national speed limit on single carriageways usually found in rural areas from 60mph to 30mph”.

More than 4,000 people have already backed the campaign, with more than two months still left to run.

If the petition hits 10,000 signatures by July 5, then it will receive an official response from the Government.

You can view or sign the petition here.

What speed actually triggers a speed camera?

Contrary to common belief, there’s no universal “10% + 2mph” rule baked into law.

Experts from BigWantsYourCar.com explained: ““The idea that you’re safe doing 35mph in a 30 zone is one of the biggest myths we hear.

“Technically, you’re liable for a fine the moment you go even 1mph over the limit.”

While the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) does recommend a “10% plus 2” margin to allow for officer discretion, this is not a legal threshold and can vary depending on the enforcement area or the officer reviewing the case.

RAC advice adds: “The law states that you are liable for a speeding fine as soon as you exceed the limit, so if you’re doing 31mph in a 30 limit or 71mph on a motorway, you’re breaking the law and could receive a fine.

“It is well worth remembering this is totally dependent on the officer who catches the speeder, and it is up to that officer whether to fine the offender or not.

“The best advice is to not speed full stop.”

How do speed cameras work?

Speed cameras work using radar or road markings to monitor a vehicle’s speed and capture evidence of any offence.

While older cameras used film, most modern devices are fully digital and can even track your average speed over many miles.

These digital systems record:

• Vehicle speed
• Time and location of the offence
• Vehicle registration
• Road speed limit

In some cases, they even capture a clear image of the driver and passenger.

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Common speed camera myths

Here are some other common speed camera myths :

Is it true that speed vans have to be visible at all times?

No. There are no laws about visibility, so nothing is stopping an officer from operating in the dark. But they don’t often choose to do this and maintain that being visible acts as a deterrent in its own right.

Go Safe Casualty Reduction Officer, Gareth Thomas said: “Legally, we don’t have to be visible. I could camouflage myself if I wanted to – but it’s all about being fair, education and preventing an accident. Even if I parked my van and went for a walk somewhere, it would deter people from speeding right away.”

Is it illegal to flash your headlights to alert motorists of a GoSafe speed van?

If drivers choose to flash to warn others about a speed van, they could be in breach of the law. Under section 89 of the Police Act 1997 it is an offence to “wilfully obstruct a constable in the execution of his/her duty”.

However, Gareth says while it is an offence, it is very difficult to prove. He said: “It doesn’t bother me that people flash to warn them of the speed van – I just want to educate people and the van to act as a speed deterrent.”

What happens if I am caught speeding?

It all comes down to the circumstances within which you were caught speeding, and how much you were more than the limit. The minimum penalty for being caught speeding on the UK’s roads is a £100 fine.

But Gareth explained in some circumstances, police can offer the option of attending a speed awareness course – an alternative to a fine and penalty points. Gareth, said: “An accredited course is far more likely to improve driver behaviour and consequently make our roads safer.

“Courses are available to drivers who respond quickly to the ‘notices’ and who were driving at no more than 10 per cent, plus 9 mph above the posted speed limit.”

So for example, anyone travelling over 86mph on a motorway would not be offered the awareness course. Those who don’t have a clean licence at the time of the office, or if you have been on the course in the last three years, it is unlikely you will be offered the awareness course as an option.

Officers claim a vehicle had failed to stop, until eventually the driver and passenger “attempted to escape on foot”.

The incident came to an end in Cowley Road at about 6.30pm on October 2 following a “brief chase”.

Two men were arrested at the time, including an 18-year-old and 26-year-old.

READ MORE: ‘I’m trapped in my own home and being harassed with fake pizza orders’

Providing an update on Monday morning, Thames Valley Police said the 26-year-old man has been charged.

A spokesman said: “This investigation is ongoing but Michael McDonagh, aged 26, of Appletons, Wantage, was charged by postal requisition on April 2 with one count each of assaulting a constable, failing to stop when directed, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

“He is due to appear at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on May 5.”

No injuries were reported at the time.

Interim chief executive Simon Crowther has corrected the record after wrong data around stillbirths experienced by mums in the trust’s care was presented to Oxfordshire County Council‘s health overview and scrutiny committee in January.

A stillbirth statistic from 2022 was “mistakenly” attributed to 2023 with an updated report sent to the committee the following month.

“All data have since been thoroughly checked,” Mr Crowther said in a letter to the county council’s committee.

John Radcliffe Hospital (Image: Ed Nix)

“The trust regrets the mistake and has strengthened internal sign off processes to prevent future errors.”

He added: “We recognise and are deeply sorry for the distress this error may have caused to families and the committee.

“We acknowledge that accurate reporting is essential, and the trust acted promptly to correct the record.

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“We remain committed to ensuring the accuracy and completeness of all data shared publicly and with families.”

Oxford University Hospitals Trust has been at the centre of a scandal involving its maternity services, primarily at the John Radcliffe.

Simon Crowther, acting CEO of the hospital trust (Image: OUH)

Along with other trusts in the UK, OUH is being looked at as part of an independent review of its maternity services led by Baroness Amos.

Campaigners say this inaccuracy by the trust “normalises” the deaths under its care.

Alice Topping, who lost her baby at the John Radcliffe during labour in 2023, told the BBC: “Each baby who died, each figure, each statistic, they represent entire lifetimes lost.

“Treating them just as a statistic, it erases the immense pain and suffering.

“It represents a pattern of a normalisation of preventable deaths and a dismissal – a lack of accountability and acknowledgement. If OUH have learnt from this? We will see in the future.”

In June last year the health secretary Wes Streeting announced an independent review of maternity care to understand why “so many women and babies are receiving unacceptable levels of care”.

Wes Streeting

In Oxford, we have heard from mothers who have lost their babies in shocking circumstances.

One includes John Radcliffe patient Emma Cox whose baby was declared dead by hospital staff but was rejected by the mortuary because she was in fact still alive.

Data shows Oxford was an outlier for stillbirths in 2023, with a stillbirth rate of 3.6 per 1000 (0.36 per cent), the trust said.

This compared to a group average of 3.42 per 1000 (0.342 per cent), an absolute difference of 0.18 per 1000, or 0.018 per cent.

OUH said the data on stillbirth and perinatal mortality trends “do not suggest that Oxford is a significant outlier” nationally, but it recognises “profound significance of every perinatal death and the lasting impact on families”.