Where in the UK dishes out the most speeding fines? Hotspots revealed
Avon & Somerset Police issued almost double the amount of speeding tickets of other forces in England and Wales in 2018.
Some 163,784 tickets were issued by the constabulary in 2018, while second-placed West Mercia Police issued 90,203.
The highest speed recorded by responding forces was a staggering 162mph, clocked in both West Yorkshire and Avon & Somerset.
A Freedom of Information request by car dealer Dick Lovett1 saw 33 forces out of the total 43, respond with their statistics.
Forces from City of London, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Greater Manchester, Metropolitan Police Service, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, North Yorkshire, Suffolk and Thames Valley all failed to provide information.
1. Avon and Somerset Constabulary: 163,784
2. West Mercia Police: 90,203
3. Hampshire Constabulary: 73,220
4. Northumbria Police: 68,552
5. Kent Police: 64,179
6. West Yorkshire Police: 61,623
7. West Midlands Police: 57,394
8. Warwickshire Police: 53,894
9. Humberside Police: 53,628
10. Cheshire Constabulary: 53,000
11. Staffordshire Police: 48,634
12. Sussex Police: 48,335
13. Police Scotland: 47,948
14. Leicestershire Constabulary: 41,898
15. Cumbria Constabulary: 39,760
16. Essex Police: 32,706
17. Surrey Police: 30,161
18. Nottinghamshire Police: 23,797
19. Lancashire Constabulary: 21,190
20. North Wales Police: 20,404
21. Durham Constabulary: 19,838
22. Devon and Cornwall Police: 17,535
23. South Wales Police: 15,443
24. South Yorkshire Police: 15,134
25. Derbyshire Constabulary: 12,302
26. Cleveland Police: 11,924
27. Merseyside Police: 10,529
28. Dyfed-Powys Police: 1,677
29. Hertfordshire Constabulary: 992
30. Cambridgeshire Constabulary: 687
31. Wiltshire Police: 657
32. Bedfordshire Police: 254
33. Gwent Police: 135
Gwent Police issued the fewest tickets (158), almost 1,200 times less than Avon & Somerset.
Whilst the statistics do show us which regions have the most drivers and the busiest roads, the sheer number of tickets being dished out in Avon & Somerset should come as an unwelcome surprise.
The Freedom of Information request also asked how many fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for mobile phone-related offences were issued during 2018.
West Yorkshire Police issued the most, with 3,184 FPNs, while South Wales Police handed out 58 tickets over the course of the year.
- Fixed Penalty Notices: all you need to know
- Speeding fines – how much you now have to pay
- Mobile phone driving laws – what is and isn’t illegal?
Highest number of mobile phone offences:
- West Yorkshire Police: 3,184
- Essex Police: 1,692
- Hampshire Constabulary: 1,401
- Kent Police: 1,388
- West Midlands Police: 1,236
- West Mercia Police: 1,118
- Cheshire Constabulary: 961
- Cambridgeshire Constabulary: 813
- Staffordshire Police: 809
- Humberside Police: 807
Dick Lovett also revealed statistics for driving without car insurance, for which Kent Police topped the list of recorded incidents.
The southern constabulary issued 2,479 FPNs for the offence, while police in Durham caught the fewest uninsured drivers, a total of 393.
Highest number of uninsured drivers:
- Kent Police: 2,479
- Staffordshire Police: 2,055
- Hertfordshire Constabulary: 2,012
- Merseyside Police: 2,000
- Nottinghamshire Police: 1,986
- Cheshire Constabulary: 1,978
- West Midlands Police: 1,978
- Humberside Police: 1,934
- Leicestershire Constabulary: 1,876
- Cambridgeshire Constabulary: 1,729
Find out the consequences for driving without insurance.
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Fixed Penalty Notices: all you need to know
Fixed penalty notices could be issued for a wide range of traffic and motoring offences, including speeding or failing to wear a seatbelt.
Speeding fines: how much you have to pay?
Find out how much your speeding fines will cost, how many penalty points you might get, and whether or not you'll get a driving ban, using our helpful guide.
Speed cameras – how they work
Speed cameras are used to record a vehicles speed to help enforce speed limits. Learn more about the different types, how they operate here!
Speed limits in the UK: know the laws
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