New figures reveal the stunning extent of extreme rushing on UK roads, with almost half of police forces recording motorists driving at greater than 90mph in 30mph zones.
Knowledge obtained by the RAC by Freedom of Data requests to 45 police forces exhibits 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 rushing 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 rushing 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 rushing in 30mph areas had 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 knowledge is a snapshot, it shines a light-weight on the extremely harmful actions of some, which can be placing law-abiding highway customers at critical threat. Fortunately, the police had 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 may be real errors or errors, however the speeds cited listed below 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 rushing: “Whereas our roads are among the many most secure on the earth, we’re dedicated to enhancing highway security, and lately relaunched our Assume! marketing campaign with a concentrate on rushing, significantly on rural roads.”
Velocity stays one of many largest contributing elements in deadly highway collisions. Authorities knowledge from 2023 exhibits 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 cases of autos being caught on digicam travelling at greater than 100mph.
Implications for Driving Instructors
With such excessive examples of rushing, it’s extra necessary than ever for driving instructors to strengthen the hazards of extreme pace. CPD programs on highway security, hazard notion, and defensive driving will help ADIs and PDIs educate learners on the real-world dangers of irresponsible driving behaviour.
These findings underline the necessity for steady skilled growth within the driver coaching sector, guaranteeing instructors are outfitted with the newest information and strategies to advertise safer driving habits.
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