Speeding convictions hit eight-year high – Churchill Motor Insurance 

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  • Number of drivers convicted of speeding offences increased 16 per cent in 2022
  • Over 300,000 drivers were charged with speeding offences last year, with 74 per cent convicted
  • Majority of drivers convicted are male (76 per cent) and half are aged between 30-50
  • Nottinghamshire, Gloucestershire, and Leicestershire see the biggest increases in drivers convicted

30 May 2023 – The number of drivers charged with speeding offences has reached an eight-year high, reveals new analysis1 from Churchill Motor Insurance. In 2022, 236,480 motorists were convicted in court for speeding offences in England and Wales, a 16 per cent increase from the total in 2021 (203,545). Last year’s figure represents the most drivers convicted since at least 20142.

In 2022, 319,025 motorists appeared in court for speeding offences, with 236,480 (74 per cent) convicted. For motoring offences, 95 per cent of drivers receiving a fine in 2022. The amount someone is fined depends on the speed limit where the offence took place and how much the driver exceeded this threshold. It is usually based on a percentage of the driver’s weekly income, up to a maximum of £1,000 (£2,500 if they were driving on a motorway). The average fine for motoring offences decreased from £341 in 2021 to £326 in 2022.

The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and 3 penalty points added to your licence.  If drivers plead not guilty, having received a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for speeding they must attend court. The overall custody rate for motoring offences was just one per cent, with an average sentence length of 8.3 months.

The research reveals that three in four drivers (74 per cent) convicted for speeding offences were men. Just over half (51 per cent) of drivers convicted were aged between 30 and 50 years old. One in five (20 per cent) drivers convicted were aged between 18 and 29.

Nicholas Mantel, Head of Churchill motor insurance, said: “Speeding is one of the main causes of road accidents and our research suggests that the problem is getting worse. Many drivers accidentally creep above the limit rather than speeding deliberately. While most people receive a fixed penalty notice for speeding, more serious or contested cases end up in court. This data shows that drivers who appear in court for speeding are usually convicted, and the fines are deservedly steep.”

The regions that have seen the biggest year-on-year increases in speeding convictions are Nottinghamshire (131 per cent), Gloucestershire (100 per cent), and Leicestershire (92 per cent). Northumbria has seen the biggest decrease in convictions (-22 per cent). London had the most speeding convictions, with 39,107 in 2022.

Table One: Driving convictions for speeding offences3

Police Force Area20212022Change (per cent)
Nottinghamshire4,0899,444131 per cent
Gloucestershire1,4712,941100 per cent
Leicestershire2,5244,85592 per cent
Derbyshire2,0233,75486 per cent
Avon and Somerset6,57810,56661 per cent
Cleveland59489050 per cent
Sussex4,9037,32749 per cent
Dorset1,2411,84949 per cent
Essex4,6046,24136 per cent
Durham1,7822,35432 per cent
Devon and Cornwall5,0776,68432 per cent
West Yorkshire12,48015,84927 per cent
North Wales3,9064,93426 per cent
Humberside3,7464,58422 per cent
North Yorkshire5,9377,21822 per cent
Gwent2,2502,69520 per cent
Northamptonshire2,1342,54419 per cent
Thames Valley5,8956,94218 per cent
London (Metropolitan Police)33,74039,10716 per cent
South Yorkshire2,0722,39916 per cent
Warwickshire68378114 per cent
Bedfordshire4,4165,03314 per cent
Wiltshire9631,06410 per cent
Lancashire7,8058,4809 per cent
South Wales8,4629,0727 per cent
Staffordshire4,5944,9137 per cent
Surrey1,6841,7695 per cent
Lincolnshire8,3498,4071 per cent
Cumbria1,7471,7400 per cent
Norfolk5,6055,564-1 per cent
Kent6,6466,497-2 per cent
Hertfordshire3,8113,635-5 per cent
Cheshire4,0533,810-6 per cent
Cambridgeshire3,5853,261-9 per cent
Hampshire3,2442,930-10 per cent
Suffolk4,9294,430-10 per cent
Merseyside7,3336,541-11 per cent
West Midlands3,5652,966-17 per cent
Dyfed-Powys2,8622,342-18 per cent
West Mercia3,1502,576-18 per cent
Greater Manchester5,5724,391-21 per cent
Northumbria3,4412,690-22 per cent
Unknown region 411 
TOTAL203,545236,48016 per cent

Source: Churchill Motor insurance


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