Fixed penalties for speeding soared to more than 2.5 million during 2022, new figures show.
Data released by the Home Office shows that just over 2.5 million people were issued with either a penalty or a driver awareness course or were sent to court – a considerable increase on the 2.3 million people who were handed the same penalties in 2021.
Tougher laws introduced in 2022 to crack down on the use of mobile phones at the wheel have seen a significant uptick in drivers penalised for this offence, with the number of drivers caught rising by 93 per cent between 2021 and 2022. Drivers can be hit with six penalty points and a £200 fine if they’re caught using a phone, sat-nav, tablet or any device that can send and receive data.
While the majority of those issued with a fine were caught in the act by police officers and official enforcement cameras, a growing number of in-car dashcams has helped to capture bad driving through Operation Snap. This online portal allows motorists to submit their own footage of bad driving to the local authorities. This could include examples of dangerous driving, not wearing a seatbelt or failing to stop at a red light.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, which analysed the Home Office’s results, said; “Almost 3 million drivers were caught and prosecuted for how they acted on the roads. With speeding at a record high, it is a timely reminder that the best regulator of speed is the driver’s right foot.
“The tightening of the law for using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel saw a significant increase in drivers being issued fines and points. The AA led the campaign to highlight the dangers of picking up the phone while driving, now we need drivers to hang up their handset rather than fiddle with the phone.
“With the rise of dashcams and riders wearing cameras, drivers behaving badly should beware that someone is always watching. Police forces are utilising the footage to hold drivers to account and using the film as evidence to prosecute offenders.”