Number of drivers charged with speeding reaches eight-year high

The number of drivers charged with speeding offences has reached an eight-year high, according to new analysis 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 2014.

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 tjree 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.

Driving convictions for speeding offences

Police Force Area	2021	2022	Change (per cent)
Nottinghamshire	4,089	9,444	131 per cent
Gloucestershire	1,471	2,941	100 per cent
Leicestershire	2,524	4,855	92 per cent
Derbyshire	2,023	3,754	86 per cent
Avon and Somerset	6,578	10,566	61 per cent
Cleveland	594	890	50 per cent
Sussex	4,903	7,327	49 per cent
Dorset	1,241	1,849	49 per cent
Essex	4,604	6,241	36 per cent
Durham	1,782	2,354	32 per cent
Devon and Cornwall	5,077	6,684	32 per cent
West Yorkshire	12,480	15,849	27 per cent
North Wales	3,906	4,934	26 per cent
Humberside	3,746	4,584	22 per cent
North Yorkshire	5,937	7,218	22 per cent
Gwent	2,250	2,695	20 per cent
Northamptonshire	2,134	2,544	19 per cent
Thames Valley	5,895	6,942	18 per cent
London (Metropolitan Police)	33,740	39,107	16 per cent
South Yorkshire	2,072	2,399	16 per cent
Warwickshire	683	781	14 per cent
Bedfordshire	4,416	5,033	14 per cent
Wiltshire	963	1,064	10 per cent
Lancashire	7,805	8,480	9 per cent
South Wales	8,462	9,072	7 per cent
Staffordshire	4,594	4,913	7 per cent
Surrey	1,684	1,769	5 per cent
Lincolnshire	8,349	8,407	1 per cent
Cumbria	1,747	1,740	0 per cent
Norfolk	5,605	5,564	-1 per cent
Kent	6,646	6,497	-2 per cent
Hertfordshire	3,811	3,635	-5 per cent
Cheshire	4,053	3,810	-6 per cent
Cambridgeshire	3,585	3,261	-9 per cent
Hampshire	3,244	2,930	-10 per cent
Suffolk	4,929	4,430	-10 per cent
Merseyside	7,333	6,541	-11 per cent
West Midlands	3,565	2,966	-17 per cent
Dyfed-Powys	2,862	2,342	-18 per cent
West Mercia	3,150	2,576	-18 per cent
Greater Manchester	5,572	4,391	-21 per cent
Northumbria	3,441	2,690	-22 per cent
Unknown region		411
TOTAL	203,545	236,480	16 per cent

Source: Churchill Motor insurance