Speed Cameras in Bristol

Speed cameras Bristol: what operates

Bristol is covered by Avon and Somerset Police speed and red light enforcement. The official Bristol list shows fixed speed camera sites, a much larger network of mobile speed camera sites, and red light camera sites. Fixed speed cameras are mainly on strategic corridors, while mobile enforcement can appear at approved sites across both main roads and 20 mph neighbourhood streets.

Red light cameras operate at signalised junctions, including several around Bond Street, Newfoundland Street, Temple Way, Easton Way, Wells Road and major A road junctions. Avon and Somerset also uses approved equipment for mobile enforcement, and its camera information includes average speed systems as a force-area technology. However, the current Bristol site list is organised as fixed, mobile and red light locations rather than a named permanent average speed corridor inside the city. Temporary average speed enforcement can appear at road works where signed.

• Fixed speed cameras
• Mobile speed camera vans
• Red light cameras
• Temporary road works enforcement where signed

Speed camera locations Bristol drivers should know

The fixed speed camera pattern is concentrated on Bristol's main routes. Official fixed sites include several on the A4 Bath Road in Brislington, the A4 Hotwells Road, the A4 Portway near Woodwell Road, the A4018 Westbury Road, B3122 St John's Lane, Filton Avenue and the M32 southbound approach near the end of the motorway.

Mobile speed cameras in Bristol cover many more places. The police list includes 20 mph streets such as Gloucester Road, Cheltenham Road, Whitehall Road, Fishponds Road, Redland Road, Lodge Causeway, Henbury Road and numerous school or residential roads. It also includes higher-speed approaches such as the A4 Portway, A4174 routes, A403 St Andrews Road and A3029 Winterstoke Road.

Mobile enforcement vehicles are not tied to one parking bay. Avon and Somerset Police says a mobile unit may park anywhere within a 2 km site, so the marked point on a map is only a guide.

• A4 Bath Road and A4 Portway
• A4018 and A38 approaches
• Easton Way, Bond Street and Temple Way signals
• 20 mph residential and school-area roads

Operating hours and enforcement priorities

Fixed and red light cameras are automated enforcement sites, but drivers should not assume a camera is inactive because the road is quiet, it is late, or the weather is poor. Mobile speed cameras are deployed according to risk rather than a published weekly timetable.

Avon and Somerset Police says mobile activity is prioritised using speed and collision data, plus intelligence from communities. The force also confirms that 20 mph limits and zones are enforced, especially where pedestrian risk is higher, including near schools and residential areas. Equipment can be used in darkness, so night-time driving is not an exemption.

Community Speed Watch also operates in the force area. It is not the same as a police camera ticket scheme: volunteers record speeds and warning letters can be sent, with repeat or serious problems passed to police for action.

Fines, points and how Bristol camera tickets arrive

For a speed camera offence, the registered keeper is normally sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution and a Section 172 requirement within 14 days of the vehicle being recorded. The keeper must identify the driver within 28 days. In Avon and Somerset, the police refer to the NIP and reply form together as a speeding ticket.

After the driver is identified, the outcome depends on the speed, circumstances and eligibility. It may be a speed awareness course, a Fixed Penalty Notice, a Single Justice Procedure Notice or a court summons. The usual minimum fixed penalty for speeding is £100 and 3 points. A course avoids points only if it is offered, accepted and completed properly.

If you dispute the allegation, the route is normally to request a court hearing rather than simply ignoring the notice. Ignoring a Section 172 request is a separate offence and can lead to more serious consequences. This is information only, not legal advice.

• NIP normally sent within 14 days
• Driver details due within 28 days
• £100 and 3 points for a usual fixed penalty
• Court can impose higher penalties

Local speed limits and safe planning

Bristol's everyday driving environment is dominated by 20 mph limits. Bristol City Council says 86% of the city's roads are already 20 mph, and further changes have been reviewed for roads where lower limits may improve safety. Some A roads, distributor roads, industrial routes and motorway approaches remain 30, 40, 50 or 70 mph where signed.

The practical rule is simple: follow the signs on the road you are using, not the limit you remember from a previous trip. Bristol has a mix of older main roads, liveable neighbourhoods, bus corridors and fast approaches, so limits can change over short distances. If you use the Speed Camera Radar Detector app, set alerts before driving, never while holding a phone at the wheel.