Derbyshire police clock driver speeding at 108mph on M1 during lockdown

According to data obtained by the RAC, two-thirds of police forces in the UK caught drivers speeding faster than 100mph in the first three weeks of lockdown.

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The highest speed recorded was by West Yorkshire Police, which said a motorist was travelling at 151mph on the M62.

Department for Transport figures show traffic on the UK’s roads was around two-thirds lower than average after the lockdown came into effect on March 23.

Simon Williams, RAC road safety spokesperson, said: “Some of the speeds police forces have caught drivers doing are truly shocking.

“At such high speeds there is virtually no time to react should anything unexpected happen in front such as a car changing lanes at the last second or a vehicle having to brake suddenly.

“Clearly, some drivers have taken advantage of quieter roads to speed excessively putting the lives of others at risk at the worst possible time – but at the same time it’s encouraging that so many police forces have taken firm action even during the lockdown, which sends a strong message to other would-be offenders.”

Mr Williams added: “As some schools and nurseries in England begin to open their doors from this week there will be even more pedestrians on the roads so we urge every driver to obey the speed limit and keep all road users safe.”

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