Manchester is the UK’s second speeding hotspot
08/10/2018
Figures compiled by comparison website GoCompare have revealed that Manchester holds the number two spot for speeding in the UK.
Of the 10 worst areas across the city, Manchester’s most law-breaking road is the A580 East Lancashire Road with 12,614 speeding incidents between January and May this year.
Second is the A5103 Princess Road, with one stretch detecting more than 6,500 offences, while junction 25 on the M60 clockwise has racked up a whopping 16,768 offences since January 2016.
Overall, Manchester comes second only to Avon and Somerset, but it has held the runner up ‘accolade’ for the last three years. And, while 2017 saw a 16% decrease in the number of offences committed in comparison to 2016, with 50,000 cases reported by the end of May, this year’s figures are anticipated to rise again.
If speeding offences continue at their current rate, Greater Manchester Police is expected to rake in almost £3 million in fines this year, totaling just under £8 million over the last three years.
The report also revealed some shocking cases of law breaking. Last year, one driver in the city was recorded travelling at 121mph on the A6 Broad Street – more than twice the speed limit. An incident in Liverpool, however, trumped all to be crowned the worst speeding offence in the UK after a driver was clocked at an eye watering 148mph in a 50mph zone.
Bearing in mind that the figures come less than a year after the Manchester Evening News reported that less than a quarter of the area’s cameras are actually switched on, it demonstrates the scale of people flouting the law.
Defence lawyer, Nick Ross, a partner at Russell & Russell Solicitors, said: “We all know speeding is dangerous, but some of the examples highlighted in this report are ludicrous and should rightly be prosecuted. The roads are getting busier and busier and, love them or hate them, speed cameras are a mechanism to prevent accidents and are here to stay.
“If you’ve a clean licence and are caught driving at what is deemed a moderate speed, there’s a good chance you’ll be offered a speed awareness course. But, each motoring offence is judged on its individual circumstances and if you are prosecuted, you could find yourself with a fixed penalty and anything between three and six points.
“If you’ve already had points put on your licence in the last three years, then you’re at risk of ‘totting-up’ which means that 12 or more points will make you liable for a minimum six months disqualification. Of course, in some instances, we can argue exceptional hardship to avoid or reduce the ban, but the simple message here is if you don’t want to risk your licence, don’t speed.”