Motorists caught breaking the speed limit on a new stretch of smart motorway on the M1 in Derbyshire will face fines, roads safety chiefs have warned.
They have confirmed there will be 24-hour cameras in operation on the stretch of road and anyone caught breaking the 70mph limit will be fined.
And the cameras will operate 24-7 - meaning drivers will still be caught in the early hours of the morning when there is much less traffic on the route.
Major roadworks are currently under way to convert the stretch between junctions 23A, for East Midlands Airport, and Junction 25, for the A52 for Derby and Nottingham, into a smart motorway
There is another section of smart motorway on M1 near Alfreton at Junction 28 up to Sheffield at Junction 31, where there are also speed cameras in operation.
A smart motorway is where the hard shoulder is taken out and an extra lane is added. The lanes are then controlled by the use of overhead signs co-ordinated by highways staff in a control room.
Driving tips
Darren Roberts, manager of the Casualty Reduction Enforcement Support Team, or CREST for Derbyshire Police, issued a heartfelt plea to motorists to take their foot off the accelerator, saying: "To all the speeders out there: imagine if you had to knock on the door of a victim's family to tell them their loved one had died because of your reckless driving" he said.
"It's just not worth the risk. Speeding can never be justified. Why put lives on the line to arrive a few minutes early?"
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CREST is working with the Derbyshire roads policing unit to crack down on what it terms as the 'Fatal 4' offences – speeding, drink or drug driving, using mobile phones behind the wheel and not wearing a seatbelt.
"Some people will always drive over the speed limit, or use their mobile phone behind the wheel, but we're trying to educate people – especially younger drivers - of the severe consequences of their actions," Mr Roberts said.
"If you are using your phone and are distracted for even a few seconds, you could cause a serious crash and take someone's life.
"Slow down, concentrate on the road and don't risk your life or the lives of others."
Mr Roberts said he was "shocked" to discover new cameras between Tibshelf services and junction 29A at Duckmanton were the most profitable in the county in 2017.
The four cameras caught 8,382 drivers – with the fastest recorded at 128mph, the Burton Mail's sister title the Derby Telegraph reports.
Mr Roberts believes the 24-hour cameras should make the roads safer if more people are made aware that they will be prosecuted.
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He said: "The cameras are not there to generate money," he said. "They are there to catch speeders, get reckless drivers off the roads and ultimately lead to a reduction in collisions."
Cash raised from speeding fines goes directly to the Government.
The M1 was converted into a smart motorway between junctions 28, for Matlock and Mansfield, and 31, for Sheffield and Clowne, in June 2016.
The stretch currently has a mixture of average speed checks and normal cameras. The normal cameras police the reduced speed limits that apply in some conditions, as indicated by the overhead signs, but they also operate when there is no reduced limit.