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

  • November 5, 2012
    St Louis red light cameras changing driver behaviour
    According to a new analysis of the City of St. Louis' violator-funded red-light safety camera program carried out by safety camera supplier American Traffic Systems (ATS), drivers are adopting safer driving habits by stopping at red lights. As drivers comply with the law, the risk of dangerous red-light running collisions is reduced, and streets become safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. The study reviewed nearly 350,000 red-light running violations issued in the city from the time the program bega
  • June 10, 2014
    Independent analysis finds speed cameras do not reduce accidents
    An independent analysis carried out by engineer Dave Finney of Thames Valley, UK speed camera data has found an increase in injuries after the devices were installed. The analysis, to evaluate the effect of fixed speed cameras on the number and severity of collisions at the sites where they are installed, was carried out on two groups of sites. One group includes all fixed speed camera sites in the Thames Valley area (covering Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire) that were active at the start of 2
  • December 21, 2015
    Measuring alertness to avert drowsy driver incidents
    Falling asleep at the wheel is the primary cause in thousands of deaths on American and other roads, with truck drivers the most at-risk group. David Crawford investigates measures to counter drowsy driving.
  • March 29, 2017
    When speed compliance becomes a safety issue
    David Crawford finds that softly, softly can be safely, safely when it comes to speed enforcement. Comedians and controversial TV presenters have long made jokes about having to watch the speedometer so closely as they pass speed camera after speed camera that they mow down bus queues. But the joke may have some factual basis according to a study by researchers from the University of Western Australia.