Nearly 2.4 million speeding offences detected in 2018-19 in England and Wales
Some 2,386,780 speeding offences were detected in England and Wales in 2018-19.
This was a rise of 4% on 2017-18 when the number stood at 2,292,534.
It is a 37% rise on the 1,740,217 speeding offences detected in 2011-12.
The total number of all motoring offences detected across the two countries in 2018-19 was 2,837,661, meaning speeding accounted for 84% of them.
Of the 2,386,780 speeding offences detected in 2018-19:
44% resulted in the offender being sent on a speed awareness course
34% attracted fixed penalty notices (FPNs)
12% were later cancelled
10% resulted in court action
In 2018, “exceeding the speed limit” was recorded as a contributory factor in 13% of fatal crashes in Great Britain where at least one factor was identified. “Travelling too fast for the conditions” was a contributory factor in 9% of fatal crashes. More than one contributory factor might be recorded per incident.
Source: RAC Foundation viewed 16.1.20
What do I think?
Speeding increases your stopping distance.
The faster you are driving the less time you have for your brain to process what you are seeing and to identify and react to potential risk.
Speeding is not an acceptable driving behaviour. It increases not only the driver’s risk of being involved in an incident but also increases the risk to other road users.
Inappropriate speed kills.
Speeding is a symptom of a driver’s attitude towards risk taking. “Why should I obey the speed limit?” “The speed limit applies to other drivers and not me.” “I am a good driver and I am capable of deciding what speed to drive at.”
Speeding can be a symptom of driver aggression. For example, tailgating other drivers who are driving within the speed limit. Reacting to other road users who are driving at below the speed limit because it is appropriate to do so because of the risk. For example, school turning out time, weather and road conditions.
If you are a road user who continually speeds, contrary to your self belief about your driving ability and level of skill, you are not a good driver/rider because you lack the most basic self discipline to stay within the speed limit.
How can you be a good driver/rider if you can not even stay within a speed limit?
How much time does speeding actually save drivers during a journey? Think about the last time you were driving on the motorway and a vehicle in lane 3 shoots past you only for the driver to hit the brakes hard to avoid running into the vehicles in front. Or the speeding driver on a 40 mph dual carriageway going well over the speed limit who you meet again at the next roundabout or set of traffic lights.
If we are honest with ourselves, most of us will speed at some point. Perhaps our mind wanders or we listen to an upbeat song on the radio and speed up. We recognise we are slightly over the limit and slow down. I am not saying it is right. However, it is part of being human that we all make mistakes.
Now contrast with the driver who always speeds, who always looks out for the speed cameras rather than watching ‘the road’, is constantly on and off the brakes, who tailgates drivers in front, who abuses others for driving within the speed limit and so on.
Which driver are you?
Imagine being involved in an road traffic collision when you were driving over the speed limit and as a result another road user has been killed? How would it feel in that moment of realisation?
If you think you are stressed now when driving to appointments and justify speeding because you have to get to your meeting, think how stressed you will be when you get caught. The fixed penalty notice or summons waiting for you when you get home. The disqualification or penalty points which means your employer has to let you go. Now you really are going to be stressed when you cannot pay your mortgage or your bills because you have lost your driving licence and job? How would it feel to know you can longer pay your bills and you realise you are going to loose your family home?
Now think…..why are you speeding?
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