‘Fatal Five’ crackdown catches 1,100 drivers a week speeding on Northamptonshire roads

More than 1,100 drivers A WEEK were caught speeding on Northamptonshire roads during a crackdown in October.

Over half of the speeding offences detected on roads were on 30mph zones — including one travelling at 64mph. Another 340 drivers were caught speeding in 60mph zones and 258 drivers flouting 70mph limits, with one caught at an eye-popping 104mph.

Police say the the results are “extremely disappointing”. Speeding is one of the so-called ‘Fatal Five’ driving offences — alongside not wearing a seat belt, distractions such as using mobiles and sat navs, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and careless or inconsiderate driving — which are most commonly linked to deaths and serious injuries on roads. Already this year, 37 people have been killed in road traffic incidents in Northamptonshire, more than the 29 in 2021.

Northamptonshire Police safer roads team manager, Matthew O’Connell, revealed speeding was one of the top four main contributory factors in crashes in the county last year.

He said: “Reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads is a priority for the force and our partners.

“Speeding kills, it is as simple as that. So, despite all the campaigns and warnings about speeding, it’s disheartening to see that so many road users still choose to drive at excess or inappropriate speeds.

“One death or serious injury on our roads is one too many so it’s extremely disappointing to still find people choosing to needlessly put both themselves and other innocent road users’ lives’ at risk just to save a few minutes on a journey.

“This campaign may have finished however we will continue to proactively police our roads to educate those who need reminding on how to use our roads both legally and responsibly — but we are not going to apologise for enforcing the law.”

Last month’s crackdown was part of a National Police Chiefs’ Council’s operation comprising one week of offering education and advice to drivers on the consequences of driving over the speed limit followed by two weeks of enforcement.

Figures showed 2,223 speeding offences were detected by the force’s mobile enforcement cameras in Northamptonshire between October 17 and 30 involving a total of 2,208 drivers — suggesting 15 drivers were caught TWICE. Of the total, 39 were so serious they were sent straight to court rather than being given the option of a fixed penalty.

Most of the speeding offences – a total of 1,245 - were detected on roads with 30mph speed zones, with 64mph the highest excessive speed recorded. This was followed by 340 drivers who were caught exceeding the 60mph speed limit with one motorist recording 99mph.

In 40mph speed zones there were 327 offences with the highest excessive speed recorded at 82mph, while 38 offences were detected in 50mph zones.

Anyone who has concerns about road safety in their community is asked to contact their local neighbourhood policing team online at northants.police.uk or email the Safer Roads Team on [email protected].