THE most prolific speeding camera in the UK is on the A40 at Greenford.

It has caught almost 50,000 drivers in the past 12 months.

In that time, 1.74 million speeding offences were captured by cameras across the UK, with drivers forking out £45.7m in fines, according to Freedom of Information data obtained by Confused.com

Of that number, only 457,232 drivers were forced to take a £100 fine and three penalty points on their licence. Instead, 698,115 drivers opted to take a speed awareness course.

It seems some areas are more prolific than others – none so more than the stgretch of the A40 between Long Drive and Wellands Gardens.

Speed cameras are prominent on UK roads, either in fixed sites or mobile vans, but the original camera has been around for 30 years.

It flashes twice, taking two photos that mark a speeding car against painted white lines on the road.

Most speed cameras have a tolerance of 10% plus two miles over the speed limit. This means the camera won’t snap the driver until they reach that speed.

For example, if the driver exceeds a 30mph speed limit, they won’t be fined for speeding unless they reach 35 mph.

Despite the risks, nearly half would risk speeding in the event of an emergency.

Furthermore, one in three believe speeding drivers should be given a warning first time, rather than a punishment.