Drivers could face £1,000 fine for posting mobile speed camera locations on social media

Drivers have been warned about a commonly broken rule regarding speed cameras that could land them with a £1,000 fine or a month behind bars.

North Wales Police have issued a stark warning to those who alert other drivers of speed camera locations, whether it be with the flash of their lights or through posts on social media platforms and online community groups.

These alerts potentially breach section 89 of the Police Act 1997, a law designed to penalise people who ‘wilfully obstruct’ a constable in the execution of his or her duty.

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Part of the section reads: “Any person who resists or wilfully obstructs a constable in the execution of his duty, or a person assisting a constable in the execution of his duty, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month or to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, or to both.”

And according to rule 110 and 111 of the Highway Code, motorists can only flash their headlights to let other drivers know they are on the road too – drivers should never ‘assume’ that flashing headlights mean you can ‘proceed’.

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According to the police, those caught attempting to alert other drivers of upcoming speed cameras could be fined as much as £1,000 and even land themselves a one month prison sentence.

A spokesperson for the NWP road policing unit said: “Publicising the locations of speed traps hampers the good work that staff and officers do to reduce speeding motorists, which is one of the ‘Fatal Five’ offences.

“Motorists could be prosecuted if they are caught warning other drivers on the road for any speed trap.”