Drivers Caught at More Than Three Times the Speed Limit as RAC Warns of Britain's ‘Culture of Speeding’

FOI data reveals motorists travelling at up to 114mph in 30mph zones, with campaigners calling for tougher action on the country's most dangerous speed offenders.

Thousands of motorists were caught driving at dangerously excessive speeds on Britain's roads last year, including one motorist recorded travelling at 114mph in a 30mph zone, according to new analysis by the RAC.

The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests to police forces across the UK, reveal the extent of extreme speeding offences and have renewed calls for stronger enforcement and the introduction of technology designed to prevent drivers from significantly exceeding speed limits.

Across the country, 70% of police forces responding to the RAC's request reported catching motorists travelling at double the speed limit or more on roads restricted to 30mph.

Among the most alarming cases was a driver clocked at 114mph on a residential road in Aylestone, Leicestershire, close to a primary school. Although the offence occurred during the early hours of the morning, it remains one of the highest speeds ever recorded on a road with such a low speed limit.

Elsewhere, police recorded a vehicle travelling at 89mph in a 20mph zone on the B5129 in Deeside, North Wales.

Residential Roads See Extreme Offences

The data paints a concerning picture of drivers prepared to travel at speeds that leave little margin for error in areas frequently shared with pedestrians and cyclists.

Among the most serious daytime offences were:

• A driver travelling at 64mph in a 20mph limit in Halifax.

• 60mph recorded on a 20mph road in Southport.

• 48mph through a 20mph restriction in Alderley Edge during the afternoon.

• 95mph in a 30mph zone in Burnham-on-Sea.

• Another 95mph on the A5 near Leighton Buzzard.

• 80mph close to schools in Culcheth, Cheshire.

• 79mph through a 30mph limit in Barrow-in-Furness.

Police also recorded even higher speeds overnight, including 111mph on a 30mph road in Hockley Heath, West Midlands, and 109mph on the B6145 in Bradford.

Hundreds of Thousands Caught Speeding

The scale of speeding offences extends far beyond these extreme examples.

Across 33 police force areas, officers detected more than 271,000 motorists travelling at 40mph or above in 30mph limits, while 28 forces recorded over 32,500 drivers exceeding 30mph in areas restricted to 20mph.

The highest speeds recorded anywhere in Britain were even more extraordinary.

Police detected vehicles travelling at 161mph on both the A5 in Shropshire and the M6 between Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. Other motorists were caught driving at 160mph on the M6 in Cheshire, 158mph on the A14 in Suffolk and 155mph on the A38 Sutton Coldfield bypass.

Speed Remains a Leading Cause of Fatal Collisions

The findings come against a backdrop of continued concern over the role excessive speed plays in serious road traffic collisions.

Government data for 2024 shows speed was identified as a contributory factor in 58% of all fatal collisions, with motorists exceeding the speed limit involved in one in five fatal crashes.

In total, 185 people lost their lives in collisions where breaking the speed limit was identified as a factor.

Fatal collisions linked to speeding are most common during the summer months and at weekends.

Public Support Growing for Tougher Action

The RAC believes the latest figures demonstrate that speeding remains deeply embedded in driver behaviour.

Previous research commissioned by the organisation found that four out of five motorists regularly witness excessive speeding on urban roads, while more than half believe the UK has developed a culture where speeding has become normalised.

Separate polling also found that 86% of drivers support stronger measures to tackle dangerous speeding.

The organisation has welcomed the Government's renewed Road Safety Strategy and its commitment to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035, but argues that greater emphasis should now be placed on targeting the relatively small number of drivers responsible for the most dangerous offences.

Technology Could Prevent Extreme Speeding

Among the measures being promoted is Intervening Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology, which can automatically prevent vehicles from exceeding the posted speed limit.

The RAC, alongside the Stop Excessive Speeders campaign, believes wider adoption of the technology could significantly reduce the number of high-risk speeding offences.

RAC Senior Policy Officer Rod Dennis said the latest figures highlight behaviour that should concern every road user.

"Our analysis reveals some truly shocking speeds that drivers are prepared to reach, and these are only the incidents detected by police. The fact that some occurred in residential areas and close to schools during the day underlines the enormous risks being taken."

He added that while the Government's renewed focus on road safety is welcome, further measures are needed to address both excessive speeding and repeat offenders.

"Every fatal collision linked to speeding represents a tragedy that is largely preventable because speeding is ultimately a choice. We now need stronger action to target those drivers who repeatedly put others at risk."

Changing Driver Behaviour

National Police Chiefs' Council lead for roads policing, Chief Constable Jo Shiner, said changing attitudes towards speeding must remain a priority.

"The fact that so many motorists now believe there is a culture where speeding is considered acceptable reflects a deeply rooted problem in driver behaviour. We need to reset expectations and reinforce that driving safely and within the law is everyone's responsibility."

With hundreds of thousands of speeding offences recorded each year and growing support for tougher enforcement, the latest findings are likely to add further momentum to calls for stronger intervention to curb dangerous driving before it leads to more preventable deaths on Britain's roads.