Where Are You Most Likely To Be Caught Speeding In The UK?
At the Autoserve Club, we believe in the Highway Code and safe driving. But we’re all human and mistakes can be made. Here are the places you’re most likely to be caught speeding…
Caught Speeding
There’s an ancient and highly-prized art when it comes to avoiding being caught speeding. It guarantees that motorists are never caught out, slapped with eye-watering fines and frustrating penalty points. What is this mysterious strategy, you ask? It’s quite simple, really. Don’t speed. Honestly, in nearly all cases speed limits are necessarily in place to ensure the safety of road users and reflect well-researched traffic and driving conditions. If you need to get somewhere sooner, give yourself more time and plan your route more effectively. That said, even at the Autoserve Club, we accept that we’re all human and that mistakes are made. So it’s fortunate that a recent study has revealed the nation’s hotspots for getting caught going over the speed limit. Which means you can be even more vigilant than you usually are!
Freedom of information requests were submitted to the constabularies of the most populated towns and cities around the UK. The goal was to discover how many fixed penalty notices were issued for speeding last year. Whilst not every constabulary responded, many did. And it’s bad news if you’re often driving in areas administered by Avon and Somerset Police; they issued a whopping 165,000 speeding tickets; more than anywhere else in the country. In second and third place were West Mercia and Hampshire; with 90,203 and 73,220 tickets issued respectively. Conversely, Gwent, Bedfordshire and Wiltshire had the lowest fixed penalty notices; with just 135, 254 and 657 respectively.
Some perspective
It should be noted that drivers in Avon and Somerset aren’t necessarily terrible when it comes to speeding. Just as it isn’t self-evident that drivers in Gwent are saints. It’s more likely that it’s a result of funding for police, particular strategies and infrastructure like the presence of speed cameras. This stands up to scrutiny. Gwent, for instance, has a notable lack of speed cameras within its boundaries. Road types also play a role, too. Gwent doesn’t have a single motorway within its borders. So it’s no surprise that massive discrepancies exist throughout the country. Nevertheless, the data does have some utility.
Whilst you should always follow the Highway Code and obey speed limits, you can be even more cautious in areas that are highly monitored. Even the best drivers can become complacent or confused by areas they’re not familiar with, after all.
The Speeding Hotspots
| Constabulary | Speeding Tickets In 2018 |
| 1. Avon and Somerset | 163,784 |
| 2. West Mercia | 90,203 |
| 3. Hampshire | 73,220 |
| 4. Northumbria | 68,552 |
| 5. Kent | 64,179 |
| 6. West Yorkshire | 61,623 |
| 7. West Midlands | 57,394 |
| 8. Warwickshire | 53,894 |
| 9. Humberside | 53,628 |
| 10. Cheshire | 53,000 |
Speed Cameras; Separating the Facts From The Myths – https://autoserveclub.co.uk/blog/speed-cameras-separating-the-facts-from-the-myths/
Here’s When Brits Are Most Likely To Speed And Why – https://autoserve.co.uk/motoring-news/heres-when-brits-are-most-likely-to-speed-and-why/
