By anyone’s estimation, a potential haul of £2.3 million in fines from people caught speeding in the roadworks that seem to have become a permanent fixture of the M62 near Bradford is a lot of money.

And those motorists who have fallen foul of the 50mph speed limit that is in force along that stretch and been hit with a £60 fixed penalty notice may suspect that the cameras are nothing more than a cash cow for the police force.

That suspicion would only have been reinforced by the initial refusal of the police to release details of just how many speeding motorists have been hit by fines. Common sense has now prevailed, and it transpires that an incredible 40,000 motorists have been caught exceeding the 50mph limit in a year.

The fact is, though, that for all the frustration at the work and its delays, there is a simple way to avoid the fines. Don’t drive at over 50mph.

Whatever your views on the work that is being done, the simple fact of the matter is that while the work is going on, the speed limit needs to be reduced to protect not only those in vehicles, but also those whose workplace is surrounded by cars, vans and lorries zooming past at high speed.

With more than 130,000 vehicles passing through that section of the M62 on a daily basis, it is clear that the vast majority of drivers do adhere to the speed limit, no matter how frustrating they find it.

And the 40,000 caught speeding can ultimately have no one to blame but themselves.