Drivers caught speeding tens of thousands of times on region's roads

West Midlands Police recorded 66,353 offences in 2019 to 2020, according to analysis of Home Office figures by the RAC Foundation.

This was 16 per cent more than the 57,154 logged during the previous year – and double the eight per cent increase across the 43 police forces in England and Wales.

Staffordshire Police recorded 58,708 offences in 2019 to 2020 – 21 per cent more than the 48,584 logged during the previous year.

The number of people caught breaking the speed limit across the two nations hit 2.6 million in 2019 to 2020.

There was wide variation between areas – North Yorkshire saw the largest spike with the figure more than doubling, while Avon and Somerset Constabulary recorded a 32 per cent drop.

The RAC Foundation said this could be down to a variety of factors, including differences in road networks, traffic volumes, policing priorities and resources, and the availability of detection technology.

The group's director Steve Gooding said: “Not for the first time there seems to be a patchwork approach to speed enforcement across England and Wales, with different constabularies dedicating varying levels of resource into catching those who break the limit."

Mr Gooding said it is unclear whether reduced traffic levels during lockdown will lead to fewer speeding offences being committed compared with previous years, or if open roads will tempt some drivers to go even faster.

Figures obtained earlier this year by the PA news agency showed West Midlands Police recorded a dramatic drop in the number of drivers caught speeding at the start of lockdown in April, compared to a year earlier.

Attention

In West Midlands, cameras caught nearly all – 97 per cent – recorded speeding offences last year, which accounted for 83 per cent of all motoring offences over the period.

Speeding drivers in the area were sent on a speed awareness course on around 28,200 occasions, while around 16,000 offences resulted in a fine.

In Staffordshire, cameras caught nearly all – 98 per cent – recorded speeding offences last year, which accounted for 90 per cent of all motoring offences over the period. Speeding drivers in the area were sent on a speed awareness course on around 27,600 occasions, while around 18,300 offences resulted in a fine.

The RAC’s analysis shows the number of detected speeding offences across England and Wales has risen by 49 per cent since 2011 to 2012.

Mr Gooding added: “As always we need to have regard to the bigger picture.

"All motoring laws are there to make our roads safer, hence tackling speeding is important, but it is only one aspect of driver behaviour that warrants attention if we are to break out of the plateauing of road fatalities in recent years.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “How the police deal with speeding offences is an operational matter and will be enforced at the discretion of the individual police force.

“How forces approach speed enforcement may be governed by their own assessment of local issues, which could include targeting dangerous roads to reduce harm or cracking down on high-risk offenders.”