Britain's best & worst areas for speeding drivers revealed

For cyclists it will make bleak reading. New research shows that more than 10% of UK motorists have a speeding conviction and identifies the British postcode areas with the highest percentages of speeding-convicted drivers.

Car insurance provider, Admiral looked at statistics from the last five years and found that motorists living in parts of Hertfordshire, Dorset and Surrey are the most likely to have accrued points on their licence for speeding.

Over a quarter (26%) of drivers in Radlett, Hertfordshire have a conviction for the offence, the highest percentage in Britain. This figure is in stark contrast to the 5.5% of drivers living in St Ives, Cornwall who have been caught displaying lead-footed tendencies.

As well as Radlett, other areas with high percentages include Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset with 24%, Leatherhead in Surrey with 23% and Westbourne in Bournemouth, Dorset also with 23%. These all compare to a national average of 14%.

Along with St Ives, other areas with low percentages – or cold spots – include Small Heath in Birmingham, Wemyss Bay in Inverclyde and Cottingham in East Yorkshire.

While drawing firm conclusions from the statistics is not an exact science given the number of variables at play, there does appear to be a strong correlation between wealthy areas and concentrations of speeding motorists. Poole in Dorset is, according to Forbes.com, the second most expensive place in the UK outside London in which to buy a property. The Sandbanks and Lilliput areas of the town are second and seventh on Admiral’s speeding hot spots chart, while the stockbroker belt around London features high on both Admiral's hot spot and Forbes' property price lists.

Admiral managing director, Sue Longthorn, said, “"To see areas where so many drivers break the speed limit could be a worry for other more vulnerable road users such as cyclists. It's important that people are aware that speed limits aren't simply a guide and realise the impact their speeding could have on cyclists, who don't have the safety of airbags and seat belts on their bikes."

As reported previously on Road.cc, some countries, including Finland and Switzerland fine speeding motorists according to their income, hence the penalty of almost £200,000 handed out to a speeding Swiss millionaire earlier this year. Admiral's research suggests that a means-tested fine system is worth considering here.

Speeding hotspots and coldspots by percentage of drivers convicted in last five years:
 

Hotspots                                                                  

1st Radlett, Hertfordshire 25.7%                           
2nd Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset 24.2%                 
3rd Leatherhead, Surrey 23.1%                             
4th Westbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset 22.9%   
5th Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire 22.1%                 
6th Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire 21.9%        
7th Lilliput, Poole, Dorset 21.2%                          
8th Bushey, Hertfordshire 21.1%                          
9th Salisbury, Wiltshire 20.3%                               
10th Worcester, Worcestershire 20.3%               

Cold spots

1st St Ives, Cornwall 5.5%
2nd Small Heath, Birmingham 5.8%
3rd Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde 6.0%
4th Cottingham, East Yorkshire 6.1%
5th Possilpark, Glasgow 6.2%
6th Pickering, East Yorkshire 6.2%
7th Greenock, Inverclyde 6.3%
8th Tottenham, London 6.4%
9th Easterhouse, Glasgow 6.4%
10th Camborne, Cornwall 6.5%