New figures reveal the stunning extent of extreme dashing on UK roads, with almost half of police forces recording motorists driving at greater than 90mph in 30mph zones.
Information obtained by the RAC by Freedom of Data requests to 45 police forces reveals that between January 2023 and August 2024, 48% of responding forces caught drivers travelling at over thrice the authorized restrict. In the meantime, 90% recorded speeds of 60mph or extra in 30mph zones.
The worst particular person case was recorded in South Yorkshire, the place a driver was caught dashing at 122mph in a 30mph space. In 20mph zones, the very best pace logged was 88mph, recorded by North Wales Police.
On the broader highway community, essentially the most excessive case of dashing was 167mph on a 70mph stretch of the M1 in Leicestershire. The largest margin over the authorized restrict was 161mph on a 50mph highway in Somerset.
Highest Speeds Recorded in 30mph Zones
The ten worst circumstances of dashing in 30mph areas have been:
- South Yorkshire Police – 122mph
- Sussex Police – 113mph
- Larger Manchester Police – 112mph
- West Yorkshire Police – 112mph
- West Mercia Police – 106mph
- Lancashire Constabulary – 104mph
- Nottinghamshire Police – 103mph
- Bedfordshire Police – 103mph
- West Midlands Police – 100mph
- Police Service of Northern Eire – 100mph
RAC highway security spokesperson Rod Dennis condemned the figures, stating: “Though this information is a snapshot, it shines a light-weight on the extremely harmful actions of some, which might be placing law-abiding highway customers at severe threat. Fortunately, the police have been available to catch these drivers.”
Chief Constable Jo Shiner, Nationwide Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing, additionally criticised these accountable, saying such speeds amounted to “reckless, egocentric and fully unacceptable” behaviour.
She added: “We all know that some incidents of going over the pace restrict will be real errors or errors, however the speeds cited listed here are clearly drivers taking deliberate selections to journey at extreme speeds, placing everybody in danger.”
A Division for Transport spokesperson highlighted the federal government’s dedication to tackling dashing: “Whereas our roads are among the many most secure on the planet, we’re dedicated to enhancing highway security, and not too long ago relaunched our Assume! marketing campaign with a concentrate on dashing, notably on rural roads.”
Velocity stays one of many greatest contributing components in deadly highway collisions. Authorities information from 2023 reveals that extreme pace contributed to 888 deaths and over 39,000 crashes of all severities.
Moreover, between 2019 and 2023, police recorded over 24,000 situations of automobiles being caught on digital camera travelling at greater than 100mph.
Implications for Driving Instructors
With such excessive examples of dashing, it’s extra necessary than ever for driving instructors to strengthen the risks of extreme pace. CPD programs on highway security, hazard notion, and defensive driving can assist ADIs and PDIs educate learners on the real-world dangers of irresponsible driving behaviour.
These findings underline the necessity for steady skilled improvement within the driver coaching sector, making certain instructors are outfitted with the most recent data and strategies to advertise safer driving habits.
Sustain with all the most recent DIA information right here
