Driver clocked doing 122mph in 30mph zone as figures reveal 'dangerous' speeding
New speeding data has painted an alarming picture of UK road safety with some motorists prepared to drive at well over 100mph in built-up urban areas.
A motorist has been caught driving 122mph in a restricted speed zone as new figures show road users across the country are prepared to break the rules.
Analysis of police data from motoring experts at the RAC has looked into motorists' speeding habits, with experts uncovering alarming results.
Data from the group found some individuals were more than prepared to travel up to four times the legal limit.
More worrying, the figures reveal some had travelled at breakneck speeds in 20mph or 30mph zones which are often reserved for built-up areas near housing.
One of the most dramatic cases was caught by South Yorkshire Police, with a motorist found to be travelling at an eye-watering 122mph on a 30mph road.
Information provided by North Wales Police revealed one motorist had travelled 88mph inside a 20mph zone.
Six-in-10 police forces (24) have caught motorists driving over twice the speed limit on 20mph roads.
Meanwhile, seven forces found that motorists were travelling higher than 50mph in these built-up areas with top restrictions.
The highest speeds recorded anywhere in the UK were uncovered by officers at Leicestershire Police.
The force stopped a motorist travelling at a whopping 167mph in a 70mph stretch of the M1 motorway.
RAC data found that 48% of police forces have caught motorists driving over 90mph on 30mph routes.
Of the 40 police forces with data, a whopping 90% had identified people driving at 60mph in built-up 30mph areas.
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RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis explained: "Although this data is a snapshot, it shines a light on the incredibly dangerous actions of a few, that are putting law-abiding road users at serious risk. Thankfully, the police were on hand to catch these drivers.
"There is no place for the vastly excessive speeds that some people are prepared to drive.
"While some speeds were recorded in the middle of the night when traffic will have been lighter, this isn’t always the case – some of the fastest drivers were clocked at other times of day when they’d have been sharing the roads with many others.
"Speed is the leading cause of deaths on UK roads. We look forward to the Government’s forthcoming road safety strategy understanding what can be done to reduce such avoidable casualties on the UK’s roads."
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for roads policing Chief Constable Jo Shiner said: "We know that some incidents of going over the speed limit can be genuine mistakes or errors but the speeds cited here are clearly drivers taking deliberate decisions to travel at excessive speeds, putting everyone at risk.
"Speed limits are set based on many factors including the road layout, what’s in the surrounding area and taking into account where there might be more vulnerable road users. Choosing to drive above those limits is reckless, selfish and completely unacceptable.
"We all have a responsibility to keep each other safe and do whatever we can to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads each day."
