Speeding fines hit four year high in UK
With recent reports showing that Day of the Jackal star Eddie Redmayne had been fined for speeding in a 20mph zone in London, figures obtained by road safety technology company, OOONO, have shown that speeding fines across the UK have hit a four-year high.
Redmayne — who received a £1,000 fine, £430 in other costs, and three points on his licence — is one of the millions of people who have been caught in the UK in the last year, and OOONO’s research shows a sharp rise in enforcement activity and highlights the regions issuing the highest number of penalties.
OOONO obtained the figures via a Freedom of Information (FOI) request covering 24 UK police areas, with the number of speeding fines up across 22 of those areas. Only Warwickshire and Durham had experienced a decrease, although Warwickshire had a particularly high 2023/24 due to a temporary average speed camera on the M6-M42 Southbound link in Water Orton.
UK areas issuing the most speeding fines (2024/25):
1 | West Yorkshire - 384,219 (up from 340,003 in 2023/24 – up 13%)
2 | Devon & Cornwall – 184,242 (up from 131,341 in 2023/24 – up 40%)
3 | Warwickshire – 177,373 (down from 207,549 in 2023/24 – down 15%)
4 | West Midlands – 147,070 (up from 87,908 in 2023/24 – up 67%)
5 | Nottinghamshire – 99,067 (up from 93,519 in 2023/24 – up 6%)
Fines rising in London more than anywhere else
credit: BMW
A combination of factors, however, has meant that nowhere in the UK has seen a rise in the number of speeding fines than London. A total of 778,600 speeding tickets were issued in the last year, with the rapid expansion of 20mph zones and increased camera presence both determining factors.
The Kensington & Chelsea (1,507% increase to 30,140) and Lambeth (295% increase to 37,319) areas were the two biggest sufferers, while more than half of London’s roads are now subject to a 20mph limit.
And thanks to cameras on residential streets and busy commuter routes, drivers are no longer simply being caught on motorways and A-roads. The 135 speed cameras in Camden equate to the highest density in the capital, while a single camera on the King’s Road in Chelsea caught a UK record 851 drivers in a single day.
“Many drivers may not realise just how costly certain roads have become”
Mike Skyte, spokesperson for OOONO, said: “Speeding enforcement is clearly on the rise, and many drivers may not realise just how costly certain roads have become. Our data shows that it’s not just motorways - everyday routes across towns and cities are becoming high-risk for fines.
“In London especially, the rapid expansion of 20mph zones is playing a major role in the increase. Many drivers simply haven’t adjusted yet.”
Penalties start from a £100 fine and three points on your licence, with both rising significantly for more serious offences. Analysis from OOONO suggests that some roads are potentially generating hundreds of thousands, and even millions, of pounds in fines each year. In fact, a camera on the A40 in north-west London issued 50,000 fines in 2024, bringing in more than £5 million.
So drive safely, folks.
words: Mike Booth
picture: OOONO