Ipswich bridge speed cameras catch 8,500 offenders in first year

Almost 8,500 motorists have been caught speeding over Ipswich's Orwell Bridge within a year

A motorist has been caught driving too fast over a bridge every hour of every day, on average, since speed cameras were introduced, figures reveal.

Information obtained by the BBC reveals almost 8,500 offences were recorded on the Orwell Bridge in Ipswich within a year.

A 60mph speed limit was introduced on the stretch of the A14 in April 2016 and the cameras went live in July.

In August last year, one driver averaged 113mph across the bridge.

Suffolk Police's response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request said one vehicle was caught speeding 12 times.

Fines of £850,000

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine plus three points.

The average speed cameras on the Orwell Bridge have potentially generated fines of up to £850,000.

The cameras cover the A14 from Nacton to Wherstead.

A total of 8,498 vehicles were caught exceeding the speed limit, between 1 July 2016 and 1 July 2017.

About 80,000 vehicles cross the Orwell Bridge each day, according to Highways England data.

Suffolk Police said 513 vehicles have been caught exceeding the speed limit more than once

A Suffolk police spokeswoman said: "As the difference of a few miles per hour can mean the difference between life and death, we would urge all drivers to adhere to the limit on the road they are driving on."

Suffolk Police said 513 vehicles were caught exceeding the speed limit on the Orwell Bridge on more than one occasion.

In May, Vasile Cuica, 20, of Highfield Road, Felixstowe, was banned from driving for six months after it emerged he had exceeded the speed limit 11 times.

Average speed cameras on the M32 in Bristol caught 6,048 drivers in 15 days. Stretches of the M1, M25 and M6 catch more than 1,000 a week.