Driver who hit 152mph in a 30 among Britain’s worst speeding offenders

One in five British drivers admits to speeding at more than 100mph on the public road, with some travelling at up to five times the speed limit.

Men are three times more likely to have reached triple figures than women, according to new data which shows that twenty-eight per cent of men and nine per cent of women said they had driven at more than 100mph. It also showed that those aged 23-24 were most likely to have exceeded 100mph (33 per cent).

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The figures were included in a study by road safety charity Brake which reveals that among the worst speeding offenders last year was one driver caught travelling at 153mph in a 30mph zone.

The offence was recorded by the Metropolitan Police, which also caught another driver doing 100mph in a 20mph zone - five times the legal limit.

The highest overall speed recorded last year was 180mph on a stretch of 70mph motorway, reported by Nottinghamshire Police.

Highest speeds recorded by police 2019

Speed limit20mph30mph40mph50mph60mph70mphTop speed

Force area

100mph

Met Police

152mph

Met Police

134mph

Met Police

133mph

Humberside

158mph

West Mercia

180mph

Nottinghamshire

Brake, which released the data as part of Road Safety Week, said it supported harsh penalties for drivers breaking the speed limit. Currently, drivers caught exceeding 100mph on public roads face a driving ban of up to eight weeks, and a fine of up to £2,500.

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Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, said: “There is no excuse for breaking the speed limit and these figures highlight the grossly excessive speeds of some drivers who show complete disregard for the law and people’s safety. None of us should be put in danger by the high-risk behaviour of others.

“Many drivers drift over limits by mistake but our research shows that a shockingly large number of drivers, particularly men, break speed limits excessively. We want all drivers to remember the daily disasters that are due to speed, think about the victims, slow down, and reduce road danger.”

The latest Department for Transport data shows that exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions was a contributing factor in 25 per cent of all fatal crashes in 2019.

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Commenting on the Brake findings, Roads Minister Baroness Vere said: “Speeding is illegal, reckless and puts people’s lives at unnecessary risk. For this reason, there are tough penalties and strict enforcement measures in place for those who disobey the law.

“We’re working hard to change attitudes that lead to speeding, including through our THINK! campaign which targets young men.”

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