The moment the flash of a speed camera goes off, most drivers feel a familiar knot in their stomach. The first thought that crosses their mind is, “Did I just go over the limit?” The feeling of suspense builds as they wait for the outcome. A week later, a brown envelope arrives in the mailbox, and with trepidation, the driver opens it. This time, however, there’s no fine. Instead, there’s a note: “Speed recorded, speed retained,” accompanied by a mention of a tolerance they had never fully understood. This is when the driver realizes that speed cameras don’t punish based solely on the number shown on the dashboard. There’s a hidden margin, and that margin is changing.
What “Tolerance” Means When Speed Cameras Flash
On the road, drivers generally fall into two categories: those who stick strictly to the speed limit and those who drive just a bit faster, relying on the assumption that there’s a safety margin. However, speed camera tolerances are not just office gossip. They are calculated, written down, and applied automatically in every radar reading. The figure on your ticket is never the exact speed recorded by the radar.
This margin of difference is what ultimately determines whether you’ll get a fine or not. Let’s say you’re driving on a road with a speed limit of 90 km/h. Your speedometer reads 98 km/h. The radar, which is more accurate than your dashboard, might record a speed of 95 km/h. From there, the official tolerance is applied.
For most fixed and mobile cameras on roads with limits under 100 km/h, authorities often subtract 5 km/h from the measured speed. So, from 95 km/h, the “retained” speed becomes 90 km/h. This means no fine, no points lost. On paper, you’re exactly at the limit. It’s a technical rule that many don’t fully grasp but can make the difference between a warning and a fine.
Why does this tolerance exist? Simply put, speedometers and measurement tools aren’t perfect. Factors like weather conditions, the radar’s angle, and how each car displays speed contribute to small measurement errors. Tolerances exist to account for these errors and ensure that only those who are clearly exceeding the speed limit are fined. The aim is to avoid punishing people for minor, unavoidable discrepancies.
New Tolerances: How They Impact Drivers
The key takeaway is simple: the speed recorded by the radar is not based solely on the number on your dashboard. Your car’s speedometer often shows a slightly higher speed than the actual one. This built-in margin is the first layer of safety. Then, official tolerances are applied on top of that. On roads with speed limits under 100 km/h, authorities apply a fixed reduction, while on faster roads, a percentage-based reduction is applied.
Recently, several countries have updated or clarified these margins. Some have even unified the tolerance rules, making them consistent across the board. What this means for drivers is that the old rule of “I can safely add 10 km/h” is becoming less reliable.
For example, consider driving on a motorway with a speed limit of 130 km/h. Previously, many drivers would push their speed to 138–140 km/h, believing that the radar would only count speeds above 137–138 km/h, thanks to a tolerance margin. Under a 5% tolerance, the radar would record 138 km/h but retain 131 km/h, which might place you just above the limit but often close enough to avoid a fine.
However, with the new unified tolerances, this margin has been tightened. The margin is still there, but it’s no longer as generous. This means that a comfortable 140 km/h could now be seen as a ticketable offense, and you might lose points for a speed you thought was acceptable.
How to Avoid Speeding Fines with New Tolerances
So, what’s the best way to drive with these new tolerances in mind? A simple approach is to set your own personal speed limit slightly below the legal one. For instance, on a 90 km/h road, many cautious drivers aim for 85–87 km/h on the dashboard. On a 130 km/h motorway, they stick to 120–125 km/h. This small cushion compensates for your speedometer’s optimism, the official tolerance, and the slight increase in speed that often happens when you’re cruising downhill or overtaking.
If your car has cruise control or a speed limiter, this process becomes even easier. Simply set a cruising speed a few kilometers below the limit, and let the car handle the rest. The idea is to stay comfortably within the legal limit while keeping things stress-free.
Where many drivers run into trouble is in transition zones, such as a section where the speed limit drops from 110 km/h to 90 km/h, or when entering a village and forgetting to slow down. These are the areas where drivers are most likely to get caught by a radar that flashes just as they’re speeding. In these situations, a small tolerance is not enough to cover for a lapse in attention.
Another common mistake is trusting your GPS app’s speed readings more than your car’s speedometer. GPS speeds can lag behind, especially on downhill sections, putting you over the limit right when the radar flashes.
Know the Rules and Stay Ahead
- On roads with limits under 100 km/h, a few kilometers per hour are usually deducted from the measured speed. For faster roads, a percentage-based reduction is common.
- Always use your car’s cruise control, speed limiter, or traffic sign recognition systems to stay within the speed limit.
- Forget the “+10” myth. The idea that you can go 10 km/h over the limit is a relic of old driving habits and has no official basis.
- Stay alert in mixed zones, such as around schools, villages, or construction sites, where speed limits can change rapidly and portable cameras may apply the same tolerances as fixed ones.
- If you receive a fine for speeding just a few kilometers over the limit, contesting it rarely leads to success unless there’s a clear issue with the measurement.
Living in a World of Speed Cameras
As more and more roads are equipped with fixed cameras, mobile units, unmarked cars, and average-speed systems, the new official tolerances draw a clearer line between responsible driving and violations. The goal isn’t to make drivers feel constantly watched, but to reduce the “grey areas” in speed regulation. For many, this shift could feel like a psychological change: instead of asking, “How fast can I go before I get caught?” the question becomes, “How do I drive responsibly without the need to constantly calculate my speed?”
The new tolerance system aims to help drivers make safer choices while keeping fines fair and consistent. But at the same time, it encourages drivers to respect the speed limits and avoid the temptation to push the boundaries too far. Ultimately, this shift will require some adaptation—but it will also make roads safer for everyone.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Official tolerance margin | Subtraction in km/h under 100 km/h, percentage over 100 km/h, applied to every radar reading | Understands why the “retained” speed on a ticket is lower than the measured speed |
| End of the “+10 km/h” myth | Unified, sometimes tighter tolerances reduce the gap between legal limit and sanction threshold | Avoids relying on false rules that quietly generate fines and lost points |
| Personal safety buffer | Driving a few km/h below the signposted limit instead of surfing on the tolerance | Reduces stress, flash risk, and the mental load of constantly checking the speedometer |
