The latest official figures from the Home Office reveal increases in both speeding drivers and mobile phone use behind the wheel.

Failure to bey road signs and notices is also up considerably.

These figures are or the year 2022, the latest set of statistics available.

Speeding up

A record-breaking number of speeding fines were issued, while drivers caught using a mobile phone behind the wheel also increased significantly.

More than 2.5 million drivers faced a fixed penalty, a driver awareness course or were sent to court in 2022.

When it comes to the ongoing problem of mobile phone use behind the wheel, it’s only getting worse.

Tougher laws on mobile phone use while driving introduced in March 2022, appear to be failing to stem the problem. The number of drivers falling foul of the legislation rose by 93% year-on-year.

Anecdotal pubic surveys show this to be a serious evergreen issue. Meanwhile, academic research continues to show that using ‘hands free’ phones is equally as dangerous, despite being legal. These studies conclude that hands free is equatable, in terms of risk, with drink and drug driving.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: “Almost 3 million drivers were caught and prosecuted for how they acted on the roads.

“With speeding at a record high, it is a timely reminder that the best regulator of speed is the driver’s right foot.”

He added: “The tightening of the law for using a handheld mobile phone behind the wheel saw a significant increase in drivers being issued fines and points.

Codified

The Home Office data also highlights how, with changes in the Highway Code in January 2022, which introduced a hierarchy of road users and better protections for pedestrians, saw offences for neglecting pedestrian rights and traffic signs increase by a third compared to 2021.

That comes after recent research from the RAC showed that a third (31%) of drivers think pedestrians face even greater danger at junctions after the changes to the Highway Code were meant to improve safety.

Snap

Ways of catching errant motorists has also changed, adding to the figures.

The vast majority of fines are issued by police officers catching people in the act and official enforcement cameras However, the rise of dashcams in cars, as well as cameras used by cyclists and horse riders, are helping capture bad driving through Operation Snap.

This is the system where police forces across the UK  receive video footage from the public. It is sent in by concerned motorists viewing dangerous or potentially illegal driving. It means the chances of being caught has grown significantly through citizen owned cameras.

This has proved a vital addition to catching criminal drivers as we have seen a sustained cut back in traffic officers out on the road over the last decade. Deterrent effects of traffic police appears to have been severely hampered by the cuts. However, operation snap is beginning to redress some of these issues.

Traffic police

Cousens said: “With the rise of dashcams and riders wearing cameras, drivers behaving badly should beware that someone is always watching.

“Police forces are utilising the footage to hold drivers to account and using the film as evidence to prosecute offenders.

“Police owned and private cameras are a useful tool in catching bad driving in the act, but we do not want to see an over reliance on technology.

“The best way to deter illegal driving behaviours is to increase the number of traffic officers and visible presence on our roads.”

 

The figures

AA Analysis of Home Office Motoring Fixed Penalty Notices

Offence Description 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Number
(thousands)		 %
Careless driving offences (excl. use of handheld mobile phone while driving) 5.8  6.3  8.5  15.0  16.4  16.8  15.3  18.5  24.6  30.2  41.9  42.7  0.8 1.8
Use of handheld mobile phone while driving 162.4  133.7  113.7  97.4  86.4  79.9  53.0  38.5  28.3  17.9  19.6  37.9  18.2 93.0
Licence, insurance and record-keeping offences 94.6  92.6  87.5  76.2  72.2  85.9  91.3  95.9  102.2  114.5  111.1  102.0 -9.1 -8.1
Work record or employment offences 6.5  7.6  6.3  4.8  5.6  5.2  5.5  5.7  5.0  3.2  3.3  3.7  0.4 11.3
Operator’s licence offences  0.1   0.1   0.1   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.1   0.0  -0.0  -15.4 
Vehicle test and condition offences  82.0   84.1   87.1   68.9   60.8   58.3   50.9   49.1   51.9   41.0   55.3   51.8  -3.5  -6.4 
Speed limit offences  1,494.2   1,590.4   1,659.8   1,863.3   1,945.0   1,970.2   2,013.8   2,101.6   2,253.9   2,006.4   2,371.8   2,522.6   150.7  6.4 
Neglect of traffic signs and directions and of pedestrian rights  146.5   127.9   116.1   98.3   125.9   100.4   95.7   102.0   92.8   68.5   78.9   105.5   26.6  33.8 
Obstruction, waiting and parking offences  125.8   98.0   56.9   47.4   44.5   38.7   32.9   31.7   32.1   24.2   18.3   15.8  -2.5  -13.4 
Lighting and noise offences  15.2   14.5   17.4   11.2   8.2   8.4   6.5   6.7   7.2   7.8   8.0   8.0   0.0  0.1 
Other offences  10.9   11.8   10.8   9.2   7.0   7.2   7.1   7.1   7.4   9.9   13.0   13.7   0.7  5.4 
Miscellaneous motoring offences (excluding seat belt offences)  1.1   0.9   0.6   1.4   1.8   0.7   0.3   0.3   0.4   0.4   0.6   0.6   0.0  7.9 
Seat belt offences  137.0   133.2   86.3   45.3   29.6   19.6   18.5   21.6   39.7   48.2   50.4   48.4  -2.0  -3.9