Tens of thousands of speeding fines handed out to motorists on the M1 near Sheffield

Figures gained through Freedom of Information requests by vehicle finance firm Moneybarn show the top five areas in the county where the most speeding fines were handed out – and all of them were on the M1 near Sheffield.

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The place where most drivers were caught speeding was on the M1 northbound between J30 at Sheffield and J31 at Aston.

Between 2019 and 2020, a total of 12,291 speeding fines were handed out to motorists caught out on this stretch.

Another 9,929 fines were handed out for speeding on the southbound M1 between junction 35 at Sheffield and 34 at Rotherham.

Also on the southbound side, 8,861 fines were given for speeding between J33 and J32, and 6,159 were handed to drivers caught speeding between J32 and J31.

And fifth in the list was the M1 northbound at Rotherham, between J33 and J34, with 6,111 fines handed out.

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In summer, South Yorkshire Police launched a campaign to reduce speed on the roads in the county.

Launching that campaign, Joanne Wehrle, manager for South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership, said: “Speed does kill. It sounds shocking but it is true, and this campaign is all about reminding people that if you do the right thing – you will save lives.

“Ultimately, drivers and riders who are travelling at inappropriate speeds are more likely to crash and their higher speed means the crash will cause more severe injuries, to themselves and/or to other road users.

“With most restrictions lifted, we want people to be able to enjoy their new-found freedom and make the last year count, don’t let speeding cost you your licence, your job or even worse.”

If you are caught speeding on a motorway by a camera, within two weeks you’ll be sent a Notice of Intended Prosecution, and a Section 172 notice, which you must return within 28 days to tell police who was driving the car.

The maximum fine for speeding on a motorway is £2,500, and if you’re travelling at more than 100mph, you could face being banned for life, unless you can prove there were mitigating circumstances, such as an emergency.