Blow to safety hopes as speeding and phone offences rise

Worrying new figures from the Home Office show that a record-breaking number of speeding fines have been issued, while drivers caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel have also increased significantly. More than 2.5 million drivers faced a fixed penalty, a driver awareness course or sent to court in 2022.

Meanwhile, with tougher laws on mobile phone use while driving introduced in March 2022, drivers falling foul of the legislation rose by 93% year-on-year. Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said:

Almost three 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 driving, now we need drivers to hang up their handset rather than fiddle with the phone.

The data also highlights how the changes in the Highway Code in January 2022, which introduced a hierarchy of road users and better protection for pedestrians, saw offences for neglecting pedestrian rights and traffic signs increase by a third compared to 2021. That comes after recent research from the RAC showed that a third (31%) of drivers think pedestrians face even greater danger at junctions after the changes to the Highway Code that were meant to improve safety.

Advertisement