One in six speeding offences ‘cancelled’

12.38 | 21 February 2022 | |

More than one in six speeding offences detected by police forces in England and Wales ends up being cancelled, RAC Foundation analysis of the latest Government data suggests.

During 2020-21, a total of 2,426,950 cases of speeding were recorded by constabularies in the two countries and later reported to the Home Office. 

However, 404,335 (17%) of these were later cancelled.

In 2019-20, there were 330,623 cancellations, 13% of the 2,584,571 speeding offences detected in that year.

The reasons why offences go on to be cancelled is not recorded but could include:

  • Faulty or incorrectly calibrated speed cameras
  • Cloned vehicles carrying a false number plate
  • Emergency vehicles lawfully breaking the speed limit whilst driving with blue lights
  • A delay in issuing notices of intended prosecution
  • A lack of resources to bring cases to court

The RAC Foundation says these problems could have been exacerbated by the Covid pandemic.

The highest proportions of speeding cases that ended up being cancelled were seen in Greater Manchester and Warwickshire, both at 39%.

Wiltshire had the lowest proportion of speeding offences cancelled at just 2%. 

The RAC Foundation adds Wiltshire also detected the lowest number of speeding drivers (912) – probably because it has no fixed speed cameras.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “It is correct that drivers caught speeding should face the consequences but it is also important that the systems of detection and prosecution are robust.

“The hundreds of thousands of ‘cancelled’ offences each year indicate they are not. At the very least it is an administrative burden the police could do without.

“We urge the Home Office to start collecting data from police forces about these cancelled offences so we can understand where the problem lies.”

Dr Adam Snow, a lecturer at the Law School of Liverpool John Moores University, who worked on the analysis, said: “Police forces and local authorities are seeing number plate cloning as a growing problem. 

“With the increasing reliance on camera enforcement for clean air zones and moving traffic violations there is some evidence to suggest more motorists are seeing this as an acceptable response even though it is fraud.”

Of the instances of speeding that didn’t get cancelled:

  • 977,587 (40% of the 2,426,950 total) were disposed of with a speed awareness course
  • 762,336 (31%) ended in a fixed penalty notice
  • 233,080 (10%) ended in court action

 

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