The number of drivers caught speeding reached record highs in 2022, while fixed penalties for mobile phone use also soared.
Figures released today by the Home Office show that more than 2.5 million drivers were issued either a penalty, a driver awareness course or sent to court for being over the speed limit, according to analysis by the AA.
Meanwhile, the March 2022 arrival of tougher laws on using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel meant that the number of drivers caught doing so rose by 93% between 2021 and 2022.
At the same time, offences for neglecting pedestrian rights and traffic signs increased by a third compared to 2021. This follows changes in the Highway Code in January 2022, which introduced a hierarchy of road users and better protections for pedestrians.
On the plus side, fines for not wearing a seatbelt fell by 4%. This follows reports in annual road casualty statistics that vehicle occupants were not wearing seatbelts.
Drivers are also warned that police forces across the UK are now receiving more video footage and evidence of dangerous and poor road behaviours, meaning that the chances of being caught has grown significantly through cameras owned by the general population.
While the vast majority of fines are issued by police officers catching people in the act and official enforcement cameras, the rise of dashcams in cars as well as cameras used by cyclists and horse riders are helping capture bad driving through Operation Snap.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA – which has signed up as an event partner for this year’s Great British Fleet Event, said: “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.
“Police-owned and private cameras are a useful tool in catching bad driving in the act, but we do not want to see an overreliance on technology. The best way to deter illegal driving behaviours is to increase the number of traffic officers and visible presence on our roads.”
AA Analysis of Home Office Motoring Fixed Penalty Notices – combined tables:
