Thousands of motorists caught breaking major driving law to face 'almost inevitable' ban from roads
WATCH: National Highways warns drivers to follow the road rules
NATIONAL HIGHWAYS
Thousands of drivers have been caught breaking the national speed limit on major UK roads with calls for more deterrents to be put in place.
It comes after reports revealed that more than 24,000 vehicles were captured travelling more than 100mph in the past five years.
According to a Freedom of Information request, one shocking case saw a driver recorded hitting 164mph on the M25.
Despite drivers facing penalties, police have warned the impact of high-speed crashes can be "devastating for families and friends".
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Over the last five years, more than 24,000 drivers were caught going over 100mph
PAGreater Manchester Police noted how one driver in 2023 who was speeding at 164mph on the M62 was found to be using a cloned number plate.
Under UK law, drivers can be fined £100 and receive up to three penalty points on their licence, although this can increase drastically depending on the severity of the case.
Another driver travelling in a Porsche was slapped with a six-month ban from driving after being caught going 163mph on the M1. Another driver was fined £950 and given a four-month ban for hitting similar speeds in Humberside.
Chief Inspector Craig West from Kent Police told the BBC: "Speed does kill. People need to reduce their speed and not drive to the full speed limit. Drive to the appropriate conditions and make their journeys safer for them and for other people.
"It's devastating for the families and friends of the victims and for the officers.It really has a lasting impact on a lot of people, which is why it's important to get that message across to the small minority of selfish drivers that continue to speed."
In 2023, the Department for Transport found that 314 people died on UK roads with speeding seen as a "contributory factor".
Sussex Police Chief Constable Jo Shiner warned that every casualty which could have been prevented through following the law is "one too many".
She added: "Nearly 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured on our roads each year as a result of excessive speed. For each one of those people, there will be multiple friends, families and communities affected so the true impact is almost impossible to quantify."
If a driver is caught going more than 100mph, which is 42 per cent higher than the national speed limit, they could face disqualification.
David Sonn, a road traffic lawyer, stated: "If there are no other aggravating features and a relatively clean driving licence and you are doing just over 100[mph], in my experience you may very well avoid disqualification."
He warned that a driving ban would be "almost inevitable" for motorists caught speeding at more than 110mph though it does "depend on the circumstances".
He added: "If you're exceeding 110mph on a motorway, or you're driving at massively over the speed limit on any other type of road, the police might prosecute you for dangerous driving. That can attract up to two years in prison and will attract a minimum mandatory ban of one year and you cannot resume driving until you've passed an extended driving test."
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Drivers can be fined £100 for speeding in the UK
PAMeanwhile, RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said it was "concerning" that excessive speeding has become "so commonplace" despite the consequences being "very severe". The expert warned that such actions need to "end" and called on the Government to tackle the issue.
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