Hampshire police catch 101mph speeding driver in lockdown

One motorist in the north of the county was caught travelling at 101mph on the A331 – 31mph above the speed limit.

Hampshire also recorded 36 offences of drivers exploiting the quiet roads speeding in 30mph zones during lockdown, RAC data has shown.

The findings come following a freedom of information request from RAC to police forces across the country for the period between March 23 and April 13.

West Yorkshire saw the highest speed over the limit, with a driver clocked going 151mph on a 70mph road.

In total, six forces - the Met, Northamptonshire, Gwent, Staffordshire, Kent and Humberside - caught drivers travelling in excess of 130mph and two others, Police Scotland and Lancashire, recorded drivers at speeds over 120mph.

RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: ‘Some of the speeds police forces have caught drivers doing are truly shocking.

‘At such high speeds there is virtually no time to react should anything unexpected happen in front such as a car changing lanes at the last second or a vehicle having to brake suddenly.

‘Clearly, some drivers have taken advantage of quieter roads to speed excessively putting the lives of others at risk at the worst possible time.

‘But at the same time it’s encouraging that so many police forces have taken firm action even during the lockdown, which sends a strong message to other would-be offenders.’

Most of the highest speeds were recorded on motorways but some occurred on roads with much lower speed limits, which the RAC said was an ‘even greater concern’ with more people walking and cycling due to the lockdown.

Mr Williams added: ‘As some schools and nurseries in England begin to open their doors from this week there will be even more pedestrians on the roads so we urge every driver to obey the speed limit and keep all road users safe.’

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for road charity Brake, said: ‘The shocking speeds in these figures show arrogance, stupidity and a frankly disgusting lack of regard for the safety of others.

‘We hope these individuals are punished to the fullest extent of the law, they are simply not fit to ever drive again.

‘We urgently need a complete rehaul of our road culture, with speeding no longer tolerated and cycling and walking given priority investment.

‘Lockdown has shown the value people place in quieter, safer streets and we must do all we can to maintain this momentum, starting with setting an example to those who brazenly flout the law and endanger lives.’

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