Thousands of motorists have been caught breaking unpopular speeding laws across Wales, with deterrents found to be insufficient to keep drivers in line.
It follows research that revealed a shocking 112,699 offences were committed by drivers who broke the 20mph default speed limit across Wales.
According to GoSafe, the Wales Road Casualty Reduction group, the highest speed recorded breaking the 20mph limit was 89mph in January this year, with the average speeding at 28mph.
The report also found that speeding cases peaked last summer with 7,958 offences recorded in North Wales and 7,326 in Mid and South Wales in August.
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Wales saw a reduction in road fatalities due to the lower 20mph speed limits
GETTY/GOV.WALESThe most recent figures showed the number was lower in March 2025, with 4,950 offences recorded in North Wales and 4,128 in Mid and South Wales.
Under UK law, drivers caught breaking the speed limit can be fined £100 and given three penalty points, although this could go up to as much as £2,500 if caught breaking the limit on motorways.
Rod King, founder of the campaign group 20's Plenty for Us, told the BBC: "What we know is the level of enforcement is similar to what it was with 30mph, but we know the casualties are reduced and speed is reduced.
"The fact is people in Wales are supporting this by lifting their right foot. They're actually driving slower, communities are more peaceful, communities are easier to get around walking and cycling."
The default 20mph limit was introduced across Wales in September 2023, with restrictions in place along residential and built-up areas.
The impacted restricted roads are found with street lights, placed no more than 200 yards apart and historically had a 30mph speed limit.
A driving instructor from Wrexham warned that the speed limits were "a national disaster for Wales". He added: "If you're going to introduce a new road safety initiative, you will need public support, and this hasn't got it.
"You would actually think that the 20mph speed limit does not exist because no one is doing it. So it's no surprise that thousands of drivers are being caught and are being prosecuted for speeding."
Enforcement of the 20mph limit began in January 2024, with roadside teams using speed monitoring equipment to catch offending motorists.
However, the road changes were met with heavy criticism from drivers who launched the largest ever Senedd petition, calling for the immediate removal of the limits.
The petition received 469,571 signatures and detailed: "The Welsh Government has failed to produce any convincing evidence to support these claims of safety. You have not listened to us. We demand that this foolish idea be stopped."
But Luca Straker, campaigns manager for road safety charity Brake, explained that deaths and serious injuries decreased due to the 20mph limits, adding that "the evidence is clear".
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20mph became the default limit on the majority of Welsh roads in September 2023GETTY
"In places where speed limits have been lowered, we see fewer collisions, and fewer deaths and serious injuries - and Wales has proven this again when collisions reduced by 26 per cent after the implementation of 20mph as a default speed limit," Straker shared.
