Motorist clocked at 60mph in a 20mph zone in Cornwall prompts calls for tougher speeding laws
Over 30,000 UK drivers caught exceeding 20mph limits last year
An investigation by the RAC has revealed shocking statistics about road safety with more than 30,000 motorists in the UK caught driving at speeds of 30mph or faster on roads with a 20mph limit last year.
Among these incidents was an alarming case in Falmouth, Cornwall, where a driver was recorded traveling at 60mph on a 20mph road.
Cornwall and Devon police also said a driver in Plymouth was found driving at 87mph in a 30 zone.
The figures were gathered through Freedom of Information requests sent to police forces across the UK, with data being collected from 28 responding forces.
In total, 32,548 drivers were caught exceeding 20mph speed limits, highlighting a prevalent issue with speeding.
Additionally, 271,341 motorists were identified driving at 40mph or above on 30mph roads across 33 forces.
Rising Concerns and Legislative Responses
The RAC highlighted the severity of these figures, noting that speeding poses an incredibly severe risk to public safety.
Rod Dennis, RAC senior policy officer, expressed concern over these "chilling speeds" and the dangers they present, particularly in residential areas and near schools.
Dennis suggested that the government should consider empowering courts to require the installation of intelligent speed assistance devices in vehicles of repeat offenders.
These devices would prevent vehicles from exceeding set speed limits.
Speed Limit Policies Across the UK
Efforts to reduce speed limits to 20mph are growing across the UK and Europe.
Wales has adopted a 20mph default limit for built-up areas, and Scotland plans to follow suit where appropriate.
In England, 62 out of 153 local authorities have enacted similar policies, while London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has focused on reducing speed limits with over half the capital’s roads now at 20mph.
The widespread implementation of lower speed limits has met some criticism, with London recently labelled as the "slowest capital city to drive in" by TomTom, a location technology company.
Despite these concerns, the move towards lower speed limits is supported by figures showing speed contributed to 58% of fatal crashes on Britain’s roads in 2024.
The Government's latest road safety strategy aims to reduce casualties by 65% by 2035, outlining new guidance for councils on speed-setting.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said there are no plans to mandate speed control technology but emphasised the importance of road safety and existing strategies to address such concerns.