Top UK areas for speeding offences

The number of speeding drivers on roads in England and Wales surpassed the two million mark for the very first time in 2017.
 
According to data obtained by the Home Office and shared by the Telegraph, a whopping 2.02 million drivers were landed with a speeding ticket in 2017.

To compare, 1.5 million motorists were caught going over the speed limit in 2011 – which is considerably less.
 
So, it’s fair to say, if you’ve recently been caught speeding, you’re certainly not alone. Where the Insurance Factory can help is by securing you convicted driver insurance from our panel of specialist providers, for a competitive price.
 
We know that it can be hard to find competitive cover when you’ve been caught for a speeding offence, or any other driving offence for that matter. But we’ll do our best to get you back behind the wheel with the minimum of fuss.
 

Cities with the highest number of speeders

 
Do you live or drive in a speeding hotspot? Car service provider Fixter sought to uncover the UK cities with the highest number of speeders.
 
As the Bristol Post reports, Fixter asked drivers in different regions whether they have knowingly speeded in the past.

From the results, it found that Edinburgh was the worst UK city for speeding, followed by London, Glasgow and Bristol. Here are the results in full:
 
  1. Edinburgh (81%)
  2. London (76%)
  3. Glasgow (75%)
  4. Bristol (73%)
       4. Leeds (73%)
       5. Liverpool (69%)
       5. Manchester (69%)
       5. Newcastle (69%)
       6. Sheffield (66%)
       7. Norwich (65%)
 
When Bristol drivers in particular were asked why they would knowingly break the law, around 28% said they drove over the limit because they believed it was safe to do so.

Another 15% said they exceeded the limit because they needed to shorten their journey, 12% put it down to running late, and 9% admitted to driving over the limit because of an emergency.
 
Also, 6% of drivers said they broke the speed limit because they knew that there weren’t any speed cameras, while quite shockingly, 3% said they did it because they enjoy driving fast.
 

From cities to streets...

Speed-Camera.jpg
 
Now we know the worst cities for speeding offences, what about individual roads in the UK? Other research, this time shared by the Express, honed-in on the streets where speed cameras have caught the most speeding drivers.
 
Top of the list of most prolific roads was Maybray King Way, Bitterne, which caught a staggering 327 motorists every single week. The camera was triggered just over 51,000 times over 2015, 2016 and 2017.

When considering the minimum fine is £100 for speeding, that amounts to approximately £5 million in fines. Here’s a table of the top ten list in full:
 
Position Road No. of drivers caught (2015-2017)
1 Maybray King Way, Southampton (A3024) 51,049
2 M62 westbound J20 & J19, Greater Manchester 38,836
3 Dartford-Thurrock crossing, Essex (A282) 38,729
4 Southend arterial road, Essex (A217) 37, 950
5 A12 nr Stratford St Mary, Suffolk 36, 753
6 North Road, Cardiff 35,884
7 A1 Barrowby Thorns, Lincolnshire 30,835
8 Ryton Bridge flyover, nr Coventry (A45) 27,942
9 M11 nr Luxborough Lane Road, Essex 26,810
10 M4 Port Talbot, South Wales 25,584
 
 
One of the founders of the Alliance of British Drivers, Hugh Blagdon, commented on the findings:
 
“If a lot of people are being caught it may be that the speed limit on that road is ridiculously low. The speed limit needs to be reassessed to see what the normal speed of the road is. The limit should be set at the speed that 85% of drivers take that road at.”
 

So, what about other offences?

 
Speeding is, of course, just one in a whole heap of offences drivers can be caught committing. Last year, number plate specialist Regtransfers analysed official data from government sources from the previous financial year to find out which areas in the UK commit the most driving offences.

Focusing on the number of Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) dished out to drivers, here’s another list cited by This is Money with the results...
 
 
 
 
Position Area No. of driving offences per 10,000 drivers (during the 2017-18 financial year)
1 Avon and Somerset 1,785
2 Cumbria 1,455
3 Warwickshire 1,410
4 Norfolk 1,388
5 Bedfordshire 1,385
6 Northamptonshire 1,231
7 Humberside 1,148
8 Lincolnshire 1,124
9 West Yorkshire 1,120
10 Merseyside 1,107
 

Speeding penalties recap

 
As the Gov.UK website explains, speeding carries a minimum penalty of a £100 fine plus three penalty points on your driving licence.

If you’re still within two years of passing your driving test, six or more penalty points will lead to your licence being taken away. You’ll have to resit (and pay for) both your theory and practical test all over again.
 
For severe speeding cases, you could end up paying a fine of between 500 and 700% of your weekly income, and be disqualified from driving.
 
A driving ban could last anywhere from six months up to two years. As Gov.UK notes, you’ll need to apply for a new driving licence if you’re disqualified for 56 days or more. You may have to retake your driving test again, too, or take an extended test before getting your full licence back.
 

Find convicted driver insurance with the Insurance Factory

 
If you’ve been caught speeding or are looking to get back on the road after being disqualified, the Insurance Factory can help you to find convicted driver insurance.
 
We understand that the past is the past and we look at each case individually. Some insurers will charge higher premiums to cover convicted drivers, while others will decline to offer cover altogether.

With our access to specialist convicted driver insurance providers, we’ll strive to find you competitive cover that contains the right benefits, at a favourable price.
 
So, what are you waiting for? Get a free, no obligation quote today!