Warwickshire Police has revealed that a total of 4,680 drivers were caught speeding in the county during an anti speeding campaign that took place in October 2022.
In just a two week period, starting on 17 October 2022, on average 334 drivers were caught speeding every single day. This equates to 14 drivers caught speeding every hour, every day of the 14 day operation.
This was achieved not only from the static speed cameras on Warwickshire’s roads and motorways but also through our camera enforcement vans and speed gun devices, with officers being deployed across our road network.
So far 3,897 drivers who were eligible, have been offered a driver educational course.
To date 74 drivers are facing prosecution, this will be by means of a fine and points or the driver placed before the Magistrates to be dealt with. This may be because their speed was excessive or they are repeat offenders or they have more than 12 points on their licence.
The remainder of the speeding offences are still being processed.
Some examples of extreme excessive speeding offences recorded during the campaign are as follows:
- 30 drivers were caught doing 100+mph on the M6 in Warwickshire, with the highest speed being 133mph.
- 3 drivers were caught doing 100+ mph on the M42, with the highest speed being 116mph.
- 9 drivers were caught doing 100+mph on the M40, with the highest speed being 118mph
- 54 drivers were caught exceeding the 30mph limits in residential zones where there are more pedestrians including children, with speeds recorded of 58 and 51mph.
- A massive 2,928 drivers were caught exceeding the temporary 50mph speed restrictions put in place in roadworks for the safety of workers on the roads. It is not acceptable to put workers lives at risk like this.
Operations to catch speeding drivers took place across the county, from residential areas including Stratford town, Rugby including Lower Hillmorton Road, Ansley Common Bedworth, Church Road Shustoke, Kenilworth and Lillington Road to major routes such as the A444 Nuneaton, A46 Snitterfield, A46 Leamington Spa, North Warwickshire and M6, M42 and M40.
In addition, the county’s Community Speed Watch (CSW) volunteers were also out in force during the operation across the county. Seventeen CSW Groups were involved and during the two week operation the speed of 4,316 drivers was checked as they went through CSW check sites during the monitoring sessions. Of these 272 drivers were speeding at over 35+mph in a 30mph zone or 46+mph in a 40mph limit. All 272 drivers will receive Warning letters from Warwickshire Police to help educate drivers to reduce their speeds. However, in cases where education is ignored and there is evidence of repeat or excessive offences, even across county borders, enforcement and prosecution will follow.
Chief Inspector Faz Chishty said: “Whilst the majority of drivers drive safely within the speed limit, there continue to be a few drivers who chose to risk their safety and that of other road users including cyclists, pedestrians and children by speeding. Some risk the lives of their passengers who may be children, loved ones or friends.
“In some cases, drivers received words of advice from our officers about their decision to speed.
“Those that were eligible were offered a speed awareness course giving them an opportunity to change their behaviour. This has a direct effect on road safety because we know that those who go on a training course are less likely to reoffend in the next 6 months after the course.
“We are determined to reduce collisions, deaths and injuries on our roads and enforcing speed limits has been proven to do just this. Our officers will therefore continue to proactively target those irresponsible and dangerous drivers who choose to drive above the speed limit.”
WRSP Chair and Police and Crime Commissioner for Warwickshire Philip Seccombe said: “Whilst education and enforcement play an important part in changing the behaviours of speeding drivers, we will only be able to reduce death and injury on our roads significantly if drivers take responsibility for road safety too by driving safely within the speed limit at an appropriate speed for the conditions.
“People need not die on our roads and only by working together in this way can we achieve the ambitious target of a 50% reduction in road deaths and serious injuries in Warwickshire by 2030 and make our roads safer for everyone.”