England’s Worst Areas for Speeding Fines: Are You Driving Through One of Them?

Warwickshire Tops the List

According to a recent analysis of Freedom of Information data, Warwickshire is officially the worst area in England for speeding offences per capita – with a staggering 38% of people receiving a speeding ticket. That’s nearly four in every ten drivers.

The worst hotspot? The M6–M42 southbound link road. If you travel this route regularly, it might be time to double-check your speedometer.

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Other Speeding Hotspots in England

Several other police force areas aren’t far behind. Here’s how the top regions stack up based on the percentage of offences compared to local population:

• West Yorkshire – 10.8%
• West Mercia – 9.5%
• Metropolitan Police (London) – 8.5%
• Derbyshire – 8.5%
• Durham – 7.5%
• Dorset – 7.0%
• Gloucestershire – 6.5%
• Suffolk – 6.1%

And in terms of specific cameras, the A406 North Circular in London and the M6 J7–J8 (West Midlands) rank among the most active, clocking thousands of drivers each year.

The Full List

Area/Police Force	Total offences	Busiest camera	Total offences of busiest camera	Population of force area	% of offences per population size
Avon and Somerset	N/A	A303 between Podimore roundabout & Hazelgrove roundabout (w/b)	12,940	1,720,000	N/A
Bedfordshire	N/A	A1081 Airport Way, Southwest bound, Luton	8606	665,000	N/A
Cambridgeshire	36,210	A14, W/B MP 0829B, Fenstanton	4353	856,000	4.20%
Cheshire	43,202	A41 Long Lane, Upton by Chester	N/A	1,100,000	3.90%
City of London	N/A	N/A	N/A	8700	N/A
Cleveland	14,635	A689 at Wynyard	N/A	569,000	2.60%
Cumbria	31,274	A591 Ings travelling east	N/A	500,000	6.25%
Derbyshire	85,265	M1 Junction 28 to 30	N/A	1,000,000	8.50%
Devon and Cornwall	N/A	Laira Road, Plymouth	N/A	1,790,000	N/A
Dorset	54,101	A338 Cooper Dean to Blackwater NB Bournemouth	6270	774,000	7%
Durham	44,863	A1(M) J61 Bowburn to J60 Bradbury, Durham	5906	595,308	7.50%
Essex	92,818	A176 Nethermayne, J/W Ashdon Way, Basildon	8437	1,800,000	5.15%
Gloucestershire	41,429	M5 Motorway	6939	637,000	6.50%
Greater Manchester Police	166,436	N/A	N/A	2,700,000	6.10%
Hampshire	51,337	M27 Westbound between Junction 8&7 near Hedge End	N/A	1,990,000	2.60%
Hertfordshire	63,685	A4125 Eastbury Rd, near Manning Court, bi-directional, Watford	N/A	1,500,000	4.20%
Humberside	50,191	M62 Ouse Bridge Eastbound	N/A	932,800	5.40%
Kent	72,305	M25 clockwise at Junction 5 to Clacket Lane services	N/A	1,800,000	4%
Lancarshire	N/A	N/A	N/A	1,500,000	N/A
Leicestershire	54,769	A5460 Narborough Road	N/A	1,000,000	5.50%
Lincolnshire	94,987	A153 Anwick	N/A	750,000	12.70%
Merseyside	N/A	M62 Motorway	N/A	1,423,065	N/A
Metropolitan Police	757,375	A406 nr j/w Western Av NW11 to A406 nr Apsley Way NW2 W/B	N/A	8,950,000	8.50%
Norfolk	51,051	A134 Thetford	3237	908,000	5.60%
North Yorkshire	N/A	N/A	N/A	813,000	N/A
Northamptonshire	N/A	N/A	N/A	723,000	N/A
Northumbria	38,511	A167 Ponteland Road between A191 Etal Lane Roundabout	N/A	1,460,000	2.60%
Nottinghamshire	N/A	A38 Kings Mill Road/Kirkby Road	N/A	1,170,475	N/A
South Yorkshire	73,976	M1-4491B J32 – J31 Southbound	294	1,280,000	5.80%
Staffordshire	48,022	M6 Southbound between Junctions 13-10A	N/A	1,062,500	4.50%
Suffolk	46,077	A11 Barton Mills	2100	761,000	6.10%
Surrey	N/A	N/A	N/A	1,100,000	N/A
Sussex	62,226	A270 Lewes Road, J/W Coldean Lane	N/A	1,700,000	3.70%
Thames Valley Police	44,970	A42 Bicester, Oxfordshire	N/A	2,420,000	1.90%
Wawrickshire	210,393	M6-M42 Southbound link	N/A	554,002	38%
West Mercia	113,433	M5 Junction 8 southbound	N/A	1,190,000	9.50%
West Midlands	78,482	M6 between J7&8	11,274	2,930,000	2.70%
West Yorkshire	228,139	N/A	N/A	2,108,000	10.80%
Wiltshire	11,242	Thamesdown Drive, Swindon	704	722,000	1.55%

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Why Are So Many Getting Caught?

Some of these stretches are high-speed motorways and A-roads with changing limits or busy junctions. Others are lower-limit urban roads with strict enforcement. But it’s not just about signage – it’s about awareness.

One thing’s clear: enforcement varies widely across the country. Some forces are issuing hundreds of thousands of tickets, while others didn’t even provide data. But where enforcement is high, it’s having a serious impact on drivers.

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Are We All Getting Caught More Often?

Let’s be fair to Warwickshire and the North Circular while we’re at it. Both of those roads see huge volumes of traffic, much of it from people just passing through rather than locals. That’s bound to skew the per-capita figures. But even so – it doesn’t change the fact that these areas are absolute hotspots for tickets.

We’ve been chatting about this in the office, and there’s a growing feeling that more people are getting speeding tickets than ever. Everyone seems to know someone who’s been caught recently. It also seems like the days of the ‘wiggle room’ might be over.

Back in the day, many drivers worked on the “speed limit + 10%” rule of thumb, assuming you’d be safe if you kept just under that. But that no longer seems to apply. One of our team recently completed a speed awareness course (yes, they got caught), and another participant on the course had been clocked just 2 miles an hour over the limit.

The takeaway? The tolerance appears to be shrinking – if it exists at all. If you’re only a couple of miles over, it might still be enough to get flashed.

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The Real Cost of Speeding: Your Insurance

Even if you can afford the fine, speeding can hit you where it really hurts – your insurance premium.

Research suggests:

• 3 points on your licence could bump your premium up by 5%.
• 6 points could increase it by 25% or more.

Here’s what that might look like:

Insurance Before Points	+3 Points	+6 Points
£300	£315	£375
£500	£525	£625
£1,000	£1,050	£1,250
£1,500	£1,575	£1,875

And remember, insurance pricing is complex—your driving record, age, location, and vehicle all come into play. But penalty points rarely help.

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Tips to Avoid Getting Caught

It’s easy to get caught speeding, especially on roads you drive regularly where you’ve gone into autopilot. Here are some simple reminders:

• Keep an eye on changing limits—especially on smart motorways or when exiting junctions.
• Use cruise control where appropriate to maintain consistent speed.
• Be cautious around well-known enforcement spots, including overpasses, lay-bys and link roads.
• Don’t assume familiar roads are safe zones—they’re often where we’re least alert.

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Final Thoughts

Speeding fines are a hassle. But more importantly, they’re expensive—potentially far beyond the cost of the ticket itself. With hotspots like Warwickshire clocking in 4 in 10 drivers, it’s never been more important to keep a close eye on your speed.

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Data sourced from our insurance partner Quotezone.co.uk’s FOI-based investigation. Figures based on 2024 submissions from 29 of 39 police forces across England.