Greater London has been identified as having the largest number of speed cameras in the UK, with almost 1,000 speed traps located across the Capital.

The camera hotspots include spot speed sites, red-light cameras, ‘speed on’ green sites and average speed cameras.

London has 0.6 speed cameras per square Km, the highest proportion of any region. Derbyshire, which has the second highest number of cameras in the UK, has a density of 0.3 cameras per square Km.

The data was obtained by short-term insurance provider Go Shorty, by means of a Freedom of Information Request.

Rank	Area	Cameras currently installed
1	Greater London	995
2	Derbyshire	958
3	West Yorkshire	402
4	Humberside	266
5	Devon and Cornwall	115
6	Essex	100
7	Bedfordshire	97
8	Kent	84
9	South Wales	69
10	Gwent	67

 

The organisation also gathered data on the highest speeds captured in each region. Nottinghamshire topped the list, with one driver caught travelling at 191mph. The offence was committed on the M1 Southbound, between junctions 26 and 25.

Eight constabularies in the UK reported speeders caught travelling at 150mph or more.

Rank	Constabulary	Speed
1	Nottinghamshire Police	191mph
2	Humberside Police	163mph
3	West Yorkshire Police	159mph
4	Essex Police	158mph
5	Kent Police	157mph
6	Gwent Police	155mph
7	Sussex Police	151mph
8	Lincolnshire Police	151mph
9	Derbyshire Police	148mph
10	Lancashire Police	147mph

 

Almost half of fixed speed cameras are not working, however, according to a separate study answered by 26 out of 44 police forces.

Of the 1,092 fixed speed cameras, 523 are inactive. Wiltshire Police reported that they have no fixed or mobile cameras but just rely on handheld cameras.

Some areas – like North Yorkshire, Durham, and Northamptonshire – have no fixed speed cameras working at all. Some of the cameras started to be switched off 10 years ago when funding arrangements were changed, and they became too expensive to replace.

The findings, from a BBC Panorama investigation, come as death rates on UK roads have plateaued over the past decade, after previously declining for 30 years. The death rate on the country’s roads increased by 5% in 2020.