Skip to main content

More than 2,000 UK drivers caught speeding at 100mph in the last year

According to data received by BBC Radio 5 Live in response to a Freedom of Information request, more than 2,000 motorists in the UK were caught by police speeding at more than 100mph in the last year. The figures come from 42 of the UK's 45 police forces which were asked to supply details for the 2014-15 financial year on the number of offences they recorded where a motorist was found to be travelling at 100mph, either by a speed camera or from an officer's speed radar. Forces were also asked to supply t
February 26, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
According to data received by BBC Radio 5 Live in response to a Freedom of Information request, more than 2,000 motorists in the UK were caught by police speeding at more than 100mph in the last year.

The figures come from 42 of the UK's 45 police forces which were asked to supply details for the 2014-15 financial year on the number of offences they recorded where a motorist was found to be travelling at 100mph, either by a speed camera or from an officer's speed radar. Forces were also asked to supply the maximum speed, location and make and model of vehicle involved.

Three forces - Greater Manchester, Kent and Thames Valley - did not supply any information while others only provided some of the requested details.

The responses showed at least 2,169 traffic reports were filed by UK police forces against motorists, most in cars but some on motorcycles, travelling at more than 100mph.

The highest speed recorded was a 1731 BMW M4 coupe travelling at 156mph on the A1(M) in Cambridgeshire in March, more than twice the national limit. A 1685 Mercedes C200 was recorded at155mph on the M1 in Hertfordshire, and a 3883 Jaguar at 144mph on the M4 in Gloucestershire.

The figures supplied by those forces specifying an exact speed showed 152 out of the 2,169 motorists were clocked going at 120mph or faster, with 43 stopped driving at speeds of at least 130mph.

The National Police Chiefs Council lead for Roads Policing, Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, told the BBC: "Speed is a significant factor in fatal road accidents and extreme speed causes an even greater risk to road users."

Related Content

  • January 30, 2015
    Singapore installs more speed cameras
    A total of 20 new digital speed enforcement cameras are to be installed at 11 locations in Singapore from March until the end of 2015. Making the announcement at a news conference to announce annual road traffic statistics for last year, Deputy Superintendent and Head of Research, Planning and Organisational Development Weng Wanyi said: “Traffic Police hope that with the cameras and sustained engagement efforts, motorists will understand the importance of keeping to the speed limits, will enhance their o
  • May 30, 2014
    Texas moves to prevent wrong-way drivers
    A study has shown the extent and ramifications of wrong way driving and proposed cost-effective countermeasures. Wrong way driving collisions occur relatively infrequently but the results can be devastating. Statistics from the US National Transportation Safety Board, an independent, federal all-modes agency, reveal that wrong way (WW) driving, account for only about 3% of accidents on high-speed divided highways but are much more likely to result in fatal and serious injuries.
  • July 5, 2017
    Progress on speeding ‘may be hampered by confusion on 20mph limits’
    The percentages of vehicles exceeding the speed limit in free flow conditions on UK roads have declined slightly for most vehicle and road types between 2011 and 2016, according to statistics published by the Department for Transport.
  • July 23, 2012
    Is road user charging the first stop for congestion management?
    David Hytch, Information Systems Director at the Greater Manchester Public Transport Executive, considers just where congestion pricing schemes should sit in transport planners' hierarchy of options for managing demand. On the face of it, Greater Manchester in England's proposed congestion charging scheme hit just about every sweet spot possible when it came to convincing the general public of the need for and benefits of such a venture. There was the promise from national government of almost £3bn-worth of