31 January 2024
Figures released today by the Home Office1 show that the number of drivers caught speeding reached record highs in 2022 with more than 2.5 million drivers issued either a penalty, a driver awareness course or sent to court, according to analysis by The AA.
Meanwhile, tougher laws on using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel adopted in March 20222 meant that drivers caught doing so rose by 93% between 2021 and 2022.
Changes in the Highway Code in January 20223 which introduced a hierarchy of road users and better protections for pedestrians, saw offences for neglecting pedestrian rights and traffic signs increase by a third compared to 2021.
“With the rise of dashcams and riders wearing cameras, drivers behaving badly should beware that someone is always watching.”
AA Analysis of Home Office Motoring Fixed Penalty Notices
Operation Snap helping forces
While the vast majority of fines are issued by police officers catching people in the act and official enforcement cameras, the rise of dashcams in cars as well as cameras used by cyclists and horse riders are helping capture bad driving through Operation Snap4.
Police forces across the UK are now receiving more video footage and evidence of dangerous and poor road behaviours, meaning that the chances of being caught has grown significantly through citizen owned cameras.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said; “Almost 3 million drivers were caught and prosecuted for how they acted on the roads. With speeding at a record high, it is a timely reminder that the best regulator of speed is the driver’s right foot.
“The tightening of the law for using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel saw a significant increase in drivers being issued fines and points. The AA led the campaign to highlight the dangers of picking up the phone while driving5, now we need drivers to hang up their handset rather than fiddle with the phone.
“With the rise of dashcams and riders wearing cameras, drivers behaving badly should beware that someone is always watching. Police forces are utilising the footage to hold drivers to account and using the film as evidence to prosecute offenders.
“Police owned and private cameras are a useful tool in catching bad driving in the act, but we do not want to see an overreliance on technology. The best way to deter illegal driving behaviours is to increase the number of traffic officers and visible presence on our roads.”
1Other PACE powers, year ending March 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
3The Highway Code: 8 changes you need to know from 29 January 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
4Op Snap | Lincolnshire Police (lincs.police.uk)
5Twice As Likely To Crash Text Driving As Drink Driving | AA (theaa.com)