This claim about cameras and speed limits on the M60 and M62 isn’t quite true

A Facebook post from 8 January 2019, claiming that the speed cameras on the M60 and M62 would go “live” that night and flash drivers going over 72mph, has been shared over 15,000 times.

It’s correct that speed cameras on these roads have recently been turned on, although not on the exact date that this post was shared. Greater Manchester Police told us the cameras were on and working from 1 January 2019.

But the speed limit part of this claim is not quite correct. The national speed limit on motorways for most vehicles is 70mph, and Greater Manchester Police told us “the cameras are set to deal with offenders exceeding the 70 mile per hour speed limit”. Whether you get fined and how much by depends on the discretion of police or the decision of a court in some cases.

Confusion around 72mph may come from police guidance, not law, on when to give people fixed penalty notices. We’ve written more about that here.

These speed cameras were on before the Facebook post was shared

Greater Manchester Police told us that before the cameras started working on 1 January, “officers were patrolling the motorway network to deal with speeding motorists during the commissioning of the new cameras”.

There were also “average speed cameras set at 50 miles per hour at various locations across the motorway whilst the road workings and upgrade took place”.

Confusion may have arisen from the fact that parts of the M60 and M62 are smart motorways, where speed limits can be varied according to traffic flow.

Highways England (the government company which operates and maintains motorways) told us “the cameras are capable of enforcing the national speed limit when a variable limit is not displayed.”

We’ve factchecked a similar claim about changes to speed limits, fines and bans on the M25 and M1. You can read that here.