West Yorkshire Police revealed as the most active force in the country in handing out use of mobile phone fines

The West Yorkshire Police force has been revealed as the most active force in the country in handing out speeding fines.
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Under a freedom of information request the data looked at how many penalties were handed out for illegal phone use at the wheel.

West Yorkshire Police was the most active force in cracking down on the offence, handing out 3,184 tickets – almost twice as many as second-place Essex, with 1.692 issued.

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Some forces have begun to trial cameras which can spot if a motorist is using a handheld phone while driving but the technology is not widespread.

Figures have been released on the number of fines handed out by West Yorkshire PoliceFigures have been released on the number of fines handed out by West Yorkshire Police
Figures have been released on the number of fines handed out by West Yorkshire Police

Speeding fines

At least two drivers have been caught reaching a speed of 162mph on British roads in the last year, according to police figures.

Avon and Somerset Constabulary and South Yorkshire Police both reported recording drivers reaching that speed in 2018, with West Mercia Police seeing at least one driver hitting 160mph on its roads.

Across the UK, the 10 highest speeds recorded by police were all 150mph or above – more than twice the legal motorway limit.

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The figures come from a Freedom of Information request submitted to every police force in the UK asking how many speeding fines they handed out in 2018 and the highest-speed offences they recorded.

Analysis of the data by car dealership chain Dick Lovett found that as well as recording the highest speed Avon and Somerset issue by far the most fixed penalty notices (FPN) for speeding – almost twice the number issued by the next closest force.

Breaking the limit

Throughout 2018 the force, whose area includes Bristol and Bath, issued 163,784 speeding tickets, ahead of West Mercia which issued 90,203. Hampshire Constabulary issued the third-highest number of tickets, with 73,220 handed out in 12 months.

Previous research found that between 2016 and 2018, eight of the 10 most active speed cameras in the country were in Avon and Somerset, on the M4, M5 and M32.

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In comparison, areas with fewer motorways and major roads handed out far fewer tickets. Gwent issued just 135 FPNs for speeding in 2018, putting it at the bottom of the table, below Bedfordshire (254) and Wiltshire (657).