Nearly 200,000 drivers were caught speeding in Suffolk, Essex and Norfolk in 2018-19, a study has revealed.

East Anglian Daily Times: An average speed camera Picture: ARCHANTAn average speed camera Picture: ARCHANT

A combined total of 98,729 motorists were caught speeding across Suffolk and Norfolk, while 91,849 drivers got tickets in Essex in the 12 months up to April 2019, the study commissioned by the RAC Foundation found.

The figures showed the number of drivers caught speeding was 225 times higher in some parts of England and Wales than others.

From the 39 police forces across the UK that responded to the study, Suffolk and Norfolk combined were sixth on the list, with Essex sitting in eighth place.

The police force that detected the most speeding offences in 2018/19 was West Yorkshire with 182,000.

This was followed by Avon and Somerset (159,000) and Metropolitan Police and City of London combined (157,000).

Nationally, 2.39 million drivers were caught speeding in England and Wales in 2018/19, which was a 4% increase on the previous 12 months and a 37% rise compared with 2011/12.

A total of 2.84 million motoring offences were recorded in 2018/19, meaning speeding accounted for 84%.

The vast majority (97%) of speeding incidents involved drivers being caught by camera.

Inspector Gary Miller, of the joint roads and armed policing team, said: "Officers work to identify speeding offences and look to educate or prosecute motoring offences where appropriate.

"Speeding accounts for one of the 'Fatal Four' offences and therefore it is important we utilise any opportunities to reduce the number of people that are killed and seriously injured on our roads.

"Speed limits are well posted and indeed generally well known by the motoring public and so the onus really is on the motorist to ensure they comply with the law."

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "We take the safety of all road users extremely seriously and take a tough stance of those acting dangerously, carelessly or irresponsibly.

"We undertake a range of operations to tackle a wide range of offences on our roads including speeding, drink or drug driving, close passing, and the use of mobile phones.

"In the case of speeding, speed is a major factor involved in road deaths and serious injury collisions and speed limits are put in place for a number of reasons, but ultimately to keep people safe.

"We will continue to work with partners to improve safety on the roads in Essex and take action against road users who break the law."

Researchers suggested variations across forces are partly due to geographical area, road type, traffic volume and local policing priorities.

All speed cameras were turned off in 2010 in Wiltshire, which was bottom of the list with 807 people caught.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: "The simple rule for drivers who don't want to risk ending up with a speeding ticket is not to break the limit in the first place.

"Where limits are properly signposted and clearly feel right for the road in question, motorists have no excuse for going faster.

"But that means highway authorities also have a responsibility to make sure the limits they set are appropriate and to avoid instances where the limit repeatedly bounces up and down along a single stretch."

Speeding offences were dealt with in the following ways in 2018/19:

- 44% resulted in the offender being sent on a speed awareness course

- 34% attracted fixed penalty notices

- 12% were later cancelled

- 10% resulted in court action

The number of speeding offences detected by police forces in England and Wales in 2018/19:

1. West Yorkshire 181,867

2. Avon and Somerset 159,210

3. Metropolitan Police (including City of London) 157,494

4. Thames Valley 145,447

5. Greater Manchester 106,839

6. Norfolk and Suffolk 98,729

7. West Mercia 92,335

8. Essex 91,849

9. Surrey 89,079

10. Bedfordshire 76,573

11. Lancashire 74,286

12. Hampshire 73,036

13. Northumbria 67,857

14. West Midlands 57,154

15. South Yorkshire 55,461

16. Sussex 54,139

17. Humberside 53,679

18. Merseyside 53,112

19. Hertfordshire 52,794

20. Warwickshire 52,774

21. Cheshire 52,770

22. Northamptonshire 49,448

23. Staffordshire 48,583

24. Devon and Cornwall 47,272

25. Lincolnshire 45,712

26. North Yorkshire 41,934

27. Leicestershire 41,909

28. Cumbria 40,104

29. Wales outside North Wales 35,005

30. Cambridgeshire 34,672

31. Nottinghamshire 24,566

32. Gloucestershire 24,121

33. Dorset 22,716

34. Kent 20,366

35. North Wales 19,493

36. Durham 19,395

37. Derbyshire 12,256

38. Cleveland 11,937

39. Wiltshire 807