I drove through village with 'most prolific speed camera' — something's not right

Since a vast majority of 30mph roads in Wales were changed to 20mph two years ago, there has been an increase in drivers caught exceeding the speed limit. But nowhere is this more evident than in a small and largely unknown village where a camera has become the country's most prolific, impacting the wallets of thousands of drivers.

The statistics paint a clear picture about this speed 'trap' in Pontybodkin, Flintshire in the north-east of Wales. In 2024, there were 13,442 offences at this spot in which drivers exceeded the 26mph threshold when enforcement begins.

To put it into perspective, just over 85,000 motorists were caught breaking the 20mph speed limit across the whole of Wales. This means this single camera accounted for around 16% of all fines in Wales. And in the first five months of 2025, more than 5,000 offences were detected at the same location, reports North Wales Live.

One example of those caught out was a courier who was pinged 10 times on this stretch of the A5104 within a few weeks. The camera was only installed shortly before the new default limit was introduced, making it difficult to compare with when this road had a 30mph limit.

Intrigued by the high number of drivers being caught out on this stretch, I decided to take a drive to the area myself. One thing I noticed on the approach is that the neighbouring village of Treuddyn has a 40mph limit, though the section of the A5104 road that goes Treuddyn does not run directly through the village centre.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Pontybodkin, you enter a 30mph zone which then drops to 20mph as you approach the village centre. It's clearly marked as a 20mph zone upon entry from this side, so there's little excuse for not knowing the limit.

However, a further sign featuring a speed camera warning and a 20mph reminder just ahead of the camera is obscured by bushes. It was only when I walked past to take a photo that I noticed this particular sign.

From the opposite direction, there's also a sign and camera warning as you enter the village. I must confess, I initially mistook a small yellowish box shortly after this for the speed camera — I wonder if other drivers have made the same error?

So, while the signs are present, does it feel like a 20mph road? The village features a long straight stretch, and I can easily see how speeds could creep above 26mph. Unlike in densely populated areas, this speed limit felt instinctively too slow for this stretch.

I'm here specifically for this purpose, so I'm very conscious of maintaining a speed at or below 20mph. However, if it wasn't my primary focus, I can see how one might inadvertently exceed 25mph without feeling like they're driving too fast, especially on a clear day with good visibility.

There's no school in the village centre but there is a playground, which is adequately shielded from the road by a sturdy fence. Additionally, there's a zebra crossing.

The area was relatively quiet during my visit, with few pedestrians and no cyclists; it's not a bustling village centre.

Approaching from the opposite direction, you feel as though you've passed the village centre before reaching the enforcement point, which may tempt some to speed up slightly.

The location of the camera itself is rather inconspicuous, likely contributing to the high number of drivers caught out. It's one of the new-style cameras that doesn't require road markings, and the equipment is much smaller than the traditional speed camera boxes. Unless you're specifically looking for it (like me), it could easily go unnoticed.

Contrast this with the speed camera in Sychdyn, near Mold, and the difference is stark. Frankly, you'd have to be on another planet to miss the warnings and camera there but that's certainly not the case here.

So, should the speed limit remain at 20mph?

Supporters of the new default 20mph limit can highlight the decrease in collisions, injuries and fatalities on Welsh roads since its implementation.

However, the statistics for this specific stretch do not support the safety argument. A Freedom of Information request revealed that there were two minor injury collisions in this section in the 12 months before the limit change.

The year following the introduction saw one serious injury crash on the same stretch.

This location was among the many roads Flintshire council said it would consider reverting back to a 30mph limit after Welsh Government guidance changed. I'm surprised that they have decided to keep this one as is, following their review.

When you see an anomaly like this in terms of the number of penalties issued, it suggests something isn't quite right.

Personally, I believe this should be a 30mph road and the figures indicate that many others instinctively feel the same.

I think they should reconsider this one.

If not, then they should enhance the warning signage near the camera, or at least ensure the existing sign is kept clear of foliage.

Considering the accident statistics don't support the road safety argument, it's difficult not to empathise with those who view this as merely a cash cow for drivers.