Devon and Cornwall among the country’s biggest speeding hotspots

A new study has uncovered that Devon and Cornwall is among the biggest speeding hotspots in England and Wales. 131,460speeding offences are issued across the area over a year, equivalent to one for every 4.64vehicles. This is one of the highest ratios in the country, suggesting it’s one of the most dangerous places to drive.

The research combined regional figures from the Home Office and the DVLA to discover which area has the highest ratio of registered vehicles per speeding violation. Overall, Warwickshire was found to be the biggest hotspot. Warwickshire Police saw 91,325 speeding violations in 2022, equivalent to one for every 4.58 vehicles in the area.

According to the findings, produced by Go.Compare Car Insurance, other speeding hotspots include Greater London and Yorkshire. The Metropolitan Police reported one penalty for every 4.82 vehicles, putting the capital in the worst three places for speeding. Both North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire placed within the top 10, where there’s a penalty for every 6.26 and 6.49 vehicles respectively, signifying that the county has some of the nation’s more ill-disciplined drivers.

The full top 10 speeding hotspots, along with the number of vehicles per speeding offence in the area, can be found below:

1. Warwickshire – 4.58

2. Devon and Cornwall – 4.64

3. Greater London – 4.82

4. Avon and Somerset – 5.51

5. North Yorkshire – 6.26

6. West Yorkshire – 6.49

7. West Mercia 8.16

8. Bedfordshire – 8.18

9. Surrey – 9.14

10. Lincolnshire – 9.28

The police force areas with the lowest ratios of speeding offences were found to be in Wales and North East England. South Wales sees just one offence for every 43 vehicles, while North Wales reports just one offence for every 21 vehicles, showing that Welsh drivers are among the best at sticking to the limit. Northumbria Police (covering Northumberland, and Tyne and Wear) reported one offence for every 21.87 vehicles. Cleveland Police (which covers Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Stockton) had an even lower ratio of just 1:30, placing it among the five lowest ratios in England and Wales.

The 10 lowest speeding hotspots, along with the number of vehicles per speeding offence in the area, can be found below:

1. South Wales (inc. Gwent and Dyfed-Powys) – 43.4

2. Kent – 34.02

3. Derbyshire – 33.32

4. Cleveland- 30.3

5. Nottinghamshire – 22.62

6. North Wales – 21.89

7. Northumbria – 21.87

8. Hampshire – 18.86

9. Cheshire – 18.78

10. West Midlands – 16.7

Tom Banks, a car insurance expert at Go.Compare, said: “Speeding is perhaps one of the most common safety risks associated with using our roads, so identifying the country’s hotspots is a key indicator of where the most dangerous places to drive are. It seems that the South is home to some of the nation’s worst areas, although the figures for Yorkshire are also particularly concerning.”

“If you ever see other motorists driving dangerously, you should report them to the police as soon as it’s safe to do so by pulling over and dialling 999. It’s also important to avoid straying over the limit yourself so that you don’t put the safety of yourself and others at risk.

“If you do exceed the limit and get caught by the police, you’ll likely receive a £100 fine and three penalty points. This will also have an impact on the price you pay for your insurance, so putting your foot down is both a pricey and dangerous risk to take.”

More figures on the UK’s speeding hotspots can be found on Go.Compare’s website.

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