New research has revealed which areas in England have the fastest drivers.

Up North in Rutland appears to come out on top.

Though it’s unlikely to do with the altitude.

Heading up

The study by car parts marketplace Ovoko analysed data from the National Highways National Traffic Information Service.

This collects the average speeds on England’s ‘A’ roads allowing the researchers to understand which local authorities had the fastest drivers.

It found that Rutland was the area with the fastest drivers between 2019 and 2023.

Of the ‘A’ roads studied in the local authority, the average speed of all drivers was 38.64 mph, giving it the top spot of any area.

The A47 was found to be the ‘A’ road with the highest average speed, at 46.1 mph.

The South is missing

Halton, located in Cheshire, takes second place, with an average speed of 36.1 mph over the period.

The A557 was the road with the fastest drivers in the authority, averaging 37.5 mph.

Meanwhile, Telford and Wrekin area makes its way into the top three, with an average speed of 35.62 mph on all ‘A’ roads, giving it a close third place.

Average speeds were found to be highest on the A41, at 40.5 mph.

Peterborough is fourth, with an average speed of 35.42 mph.

It was found that the A1139 was the road in the local authority with the highest average speed, at 46 mph.

With an average speed of 34.76 mph across all ‘A’ roads in the authority, East Riding of Yorkshire comes in fifth place.

The A63 was found to have the highest average speed in the area, at 44.2 mph.

Down South in the capital things are a little slower, with the City of London area averaging a speed of 7.8 mph.

 

Fastest areas in England

 

Rank Country/Region/Local Authority Average ‘A’ road speed 2019-2023 (MPH)
1 Rutland 38.64
2 Halton 36.10
3 Telford and Wrekin 35.62
4 Peterborough 35.42
5 East Riding of Yorkshire 34.76
6 Lincolnshire 34.44
7 Milton Keynes 34.40
8 Shropshire 33.98
9 Dorset 33.54
10 Redcar and Cleveland 33.42

 

Releasing the research results, it appears that the Norths lower congestions levels in towns and more rural communities helps speed journeys up.

“The contrast of more rural areas and built-up urban areas in this top ten highlights how varied England’s roads can be. While this data uses an average of all A roads, the difference in averages on roads that likely have the same speed limit is an interesting note, as the risks of driving at higher speeds are something that many unfortunately ignore.”

 

The fastest ‘A’ roads

Rank Road Name Local Authority Average speed 2019-2023 (mph)
1 A289 Kent 55.66
2 A299 Kent 53.82
3 A331 Hampshire 51.52
4 A338 Dorset 51.50
5 A13 Havering 51.18
6 A354 Hampshire 51.12
7 A15 North Lincolnshire 50.30
8 A380 Devon 49.58
9 A5300 Knowsley 49.34
10 A555 Cheshire East 48.80