Hundreds caught speeding in Suffolk
Police carried out a two-week crackdown
Last updated 6th Sep 2021
More than 1,900 motorists were caught speeding in Suffolk during a two week-long enforcement campaign.
The campaign, which was co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council, saw an increased amount of speed related checks and enforcement across both counties.
Officers spent the duration of the campaign highlighting and informing drivers of the risks of speeding and the consequences that driving above the limit can have through education and enforcement.
During this year’s campaign, held between Monday 26 July and Sunday 8 August, a total of 1,924 motorists were caught speeding, 1,832 of which were caught by fixed/mobile cameras while the remainder were caught by police officers on patrol.
Of those caught speeding, 1,844 were cars, 58 were vans, 18 were lorries, three were motorcycles, and one was a bus.
Chief Inspector Jon Chapman, Head of the Joint Roads and Armed Policing Team, said:
"The number of speeding offences detected as part of this year’s campaign is extremely disappointing to see.
"As we continue to reiterate speed is one of the four biggest dangers whilst driving alongside not wearing a seatbelt, drink driving or using a mobile phone. Although we know that these offenders are only a minority of the drivers, we see on our road every day, it is the sad truth that the difference between a few miles per hour can be the difference between life and death.
"We work throughout the year alongside our partners to target those that chose to drive too fast and are shocked that people still continue to put their lives and the lives of others at risk.
"Speed limits are in place for a reason – the limit is set at the maximum safe speed to travel on a particular stretch of road. Drivers shouldn’t use these limits as targets; there are always other factors to consider including other road users, levels of traffic and weather conditions. The faster you are travelling, the less time you have to react to the unexpected and stop safely.”
Tim Passmore, Police and Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, said:
"Yet again, it’s very disappointing to see so many drivers caught speeding during this two-week campaign. I find it absolutely staggering that despite all the publicity and numerous warning signs, so many drivers cannot keep to the speed limit.
"Speed limits are set for a reason. Speed is one of the four main causes of serious injury or death on our roads and these thoughtless drivers really do need to wake up to the fact that they are not just risking their own lives, but the lives of fellow road users.
"The faster you drive, the less time you have to react to the unexpected, so please keep to the speed limit and make our roads safer for everyone.”