Derbyshire’s worst speeder of 2014 is revealed

A motorist caught driving at 110mph in Derbyshire is among the worst speeders in the UK.
Police on the lookout for speeding drivers.Police on the lookout for speeding drivers.
Police on the lookout for speeding drivers.

The unidentified driver was snared travelling at the shocking speed in the temporary 50mph limit on the M1 northbound at Tibshelf.

The statistic comes after a Freedom of Information request by road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), which asked police forces in England and Wales for the highest recorded incidences of speed caught on cameras in 2014.

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According to the IAM’s figures, the worst case of speeding in 2014 happened in London Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, when a motorist was caught driving at a staggering 128mph in a 30mph zone.

Sarah Sillars, IAM chief executive officer, said: “It is disheartening to say the least that some road users are showing such disregard for the safety of all other road users – pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and other drivers.

“At speeds like this it is simply impossible to react to anything that might happen in front of you.

“It is also impossible to handle corners, gradients, street furniture and junctions with any effectiveness.

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“In short, all these individuals are playing with their own lives and others – they are all accidents waiting to happen and it requires a major shift in the attitudes of these people to think about safety,” she added.

Motorists are more likely to speed on motorways than on any other roads. Sixty-seven per cent of drivers admitted they sped on the motorway last year, according the RAC’s report on motoring for 2014.

Meanwhile, the proportion of motorists admitting to speeding on 30mph urban roads has been declining for the past few years. Forty-two per cent of drivers admit speeding in 30mph limits, down 15 per cent since 2010.

Latest figures show the number of people killed on Derbyshire’s roads rose by just over 20 per cent in the space of a year. In the 12 months to October 2014, 34 people lost their lives in collisions on the county’s highways – compared with 28 the previous year.

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A spokesman for Derby and Derbyshire Road Safety Partnership – which is made up of organisations including local councils and the police – said: “We work hard to cut the number of deaths and injuries but we know we’ve still got work to do. As always we’re encouraging motorists to help us by driving according to the conditions and at a sensible speed.”