78 motorists a day caught speeding – and that’s in a year with lockdowns
ALMOST £3M IMPOSED IN FINES DURING THE COURSE OF 2020
AN average of 78 drivers a day were caught speeding in Leicestershire – and fined a total of nearly £3 million – in 2020, despite the coronavirus restrictions.
Road safety officials said they are disappointed that despite a drop in traffic by up to 90 per cent at times, 28,871 drivers were caught speeding on roads in the city and county.
Fines totalling £2,878,100 were handed out to drivers caught by speed cameras.
Last year, 48,819 drivers were caught speeding – an average of 133 a day. This resulted in fines totalling £4.8 million.
The standard speeding fine is £100 as well as three points on the driver’s licence.
Speed cameras are run by Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership, which is made up of police and councils.
Jonathan Clarkson, partnership spokesman, said: “From late March our traffic volumes had dropped by about 90 per cent.
“By late May they had risen to about half of the usual levels, rising gradually to over 90 per cent by November.
“This has no doubt had an effect on our speed and red light enforcement totals this year.
“However, it is disappointing to note we still recorded so many offences despite extended periods of the Covid-19 lockdown and government advice to only travel for essential reasons.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to remind drivers that excessive or inappropriate speed has a devastating impact on the safety of road users, increasing both the risk of a crash and the severity of the consequences.
“The risk of death is approximately four times higher when a pedestrian is hit at 40mph compared with 30mph and it is estimated speeding contributes to as many as a third of all fatal collisions. “Almost daily police are attending incidents where someone is killed or seriously injured. Speed is a major factor in most of these collisions.” Mr Clarkson said speeding fines are paid directly to central government via the courts and not to police.
It is disappointing to note we still recorded so many offences
Jonathan Clarkson
prolific of five around the city that were originally solely to enforce against motorists running red lights.
They still record red light breaches, but can now also record the speeds people pass through while on green.
The Narborough Road camera caught more than 10 times as many drivers as the next most prolific – at a pelican crossing on the A563 Redhill Way. There are three more speed on green sites in the city: A563 Glenhills Way; A6 St Margaret’s Way/Ravensbridge Drive; and A47 Hinckley Road/ Wyngate Drive.
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Road Safety Partnership, which manages the cameras, said the number of fines the cameras issued would likely have been far higher but for the various coronavirus lockdowns which greatly reduced traffic volumes.
Partnership spokesman Jonathan Clarkson said: “I would like to take this opportunity to remind drivers that police patrols maintain a visible and proactive presence and our speed camera network is operational in order to keep everyone safe.”
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