Drivers in Avon and Somerset are more likely to get snapped by a speed camera after a new report revealed which police forces had reported the most speeding offences.
The data, which has been collated by price comparison website, GoCompare.com, reveals that Avon and Somerset police force hand out more than double any other force in the UK, with 386,969 offences caught on camera between June 2016 and May 2018. Bedfordshire Police are next on the list with 143,052 offences. West Mercia, South Wales and Cheshire Police complete the top five most snap happy forces.
At the other end of the scale, Cleveland Police handed out just 5,754 tickets over the same time period, making them the area the least punished in the country.
The extent of the issues in Avon and Somerset are underlined by the fact that the region is home to eight of the most active speed cameras in the UK, with traps along the M32, M4, M5 and M35 catching drivers.
The research has also reported the worst speeding offences in the UK, with many drivers going well above the speed limit when caught out. One driver in Gloucestershire was travelling at 167mph in a 70mph zone. Other terrifying examples include a driver caught in Suffolk travelling at 113mph in a 30mph zone, one speed demon caught by Merseyside Police being recorded travelling at 148mph in a 50mph zone, almost three times over the speed limit.
Other areas of the research revealed that Durham had seen the highest rise in incidents, with an 154 per cent rise. August was the busiest month for offences from June 2016 to May 2017, while April was the worst month from June 2017 to May 2018. December was the quietest month over both periods.
Forty-five forces were contacted for the data by GoCompare, but only 24 responded to the freedom of information request.
Busiest Forces Of The Past Two Years
Avon and Somerset - 386,969
Bedfordshire Police - 143,052
West Mercia Police - 143,039
South Wales Police - 135,315
Cheshire Police - 112,540
Hertfordshire Constabulary - 109,854
Kent Police - 107,494
North Wales Police - 105,295
Merseyside Police - 104,621
Devon and Cornwall - 102,508