Nearly 18,000 ‘Major’ Offences Committed On Motorways Since 2016
A new investigation, conducted by Auto Express, has discovered that there’s been some 18,000 major offences on motorways since 2016…
Major Motorway Offences
Auto Express has managed to uncover the extent of ‘major’ offences on the nation’s motorways. Nearly 18,000 cases have been recorded since 2016 alone. Surveys of 28 police forces uncovered that police officers had issued 17,775 tickets. These concerned things like driving in the wrong direction on slip roads, coming to a stop in live lanes and even driving on hard shoulders.
The automotive news website actually asked 43 police forces for data, but only 28 responded. In at least some cases, those that failed to respond either hadn’t been recording the data or didn’t cover areas that included stretches of motorway.
What Drivers Are Doing
The most common major offence was found to consist of stopping illegally on a hard shoulder or refuge area. Motorways are governed by specific traffic laws, and it’s stated that these areas are to be used solely for emergencies. Officers issued 6,821 tickets for this offence alone between 2016 and mid 2021.
A disturbing 165 people were caught driving the wrong way on motorways between 2016 and 2021; the potential consequences of which really don’t need to elaborated on. A further 204 drivers received tickets for driving the wrong way on slip roads. Some 84 drivers also received them for making U-turns on motorways. A number of learners also managed to run afoul of motorway law. Whilst they’ve been allowed to drive on the network with an instructor since 2018, 514 made the attempt before it was rendered legal; landing them with tickets.
Finally, 469 feckless pedestrians were fined for walking on motorways and one police force issued fines to three drivers for failing to properly control animals within their vehicles.
Needless to say, these figures are shocking. But the UK’s motorways remain, statistically, the safest roads in the country; and some of the safest in all of Europe. Nevertheless, they’re a reminder that drivers should always remain vigilant…And aware of the rules of the road.
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