Five drivers were caught speeding on Britain’s roads at over 140mph last year, BBC News has reported. The two fastest drivers were both filmed doing 146mph on the M25 in Kent, one in Swanley and the other near Westerham.
According to the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), three other drivers were all caught speeding at 140mph and above. One driver was filmed going 140mph on the A5 near Crick in Northamptonshire, another reached 141mph on the A1 in the Lincolnshire village of Great Ponton, and the third was caught hitting speeds of 145mph on the M6 Toll road.
Paul Witters, from the AA, commented that it is important to find out what happened to the drivers, and to let that be a message to others. “The big question is ‘what happened to the offenders?’ We would like to know if they were caught and prosecuted,” he said.
Witters said that the high speeds recorded confirmed the need for the installation of ‘stealth’ cameras along the smart motorway section of the M25. “The research is good in pointing out these people do exist,” Witters said, “so you need to be aware of your own safety.”
The IAM made a Freedom of Information request to forces across England and Wales. Of the 36 that replied, 30 reported that they had caught drivers speeding at over 110mph last year. In London, for instance, one driver was caught by the Metropolitan Police speeding at 123mph in a 30mph zone.
IAM chief executive Sarah Sillars said that by driving at 140mph, people are “travelling at nearly two-and-a-half miles a minute,” which makes it “simply impossible to react to anything that might happen in front of you.”
A spokesperson for Kent Police said that driver education is key in his force’s efforts to limit the number of injuries and deaths on the roads. “Driving at an inappropriate speed can sometimes be the difference between getting home and ending up in a hospital, prison cell or even worse,” he concluded.
