Driver caught at double speed limit outside school

The actions of a driver caught speeding at 56mph (90km/h) outside a primary school were "totally unacceptable", a senior traffic officer said.

Essex Police clocked the vehicle in a 30mph (48km/h) zone by Merrylands Primary School in Laindon, during a crackdown on illegal driving at the end of last month

A total of 56 people have died on Essex's roads in 2025, surpassing the 50 deaths the year prior.

Adam Pipe, head of roads policing, said: "It's been an awful year for us, but sadly I'm not surprised."

He cited speed, carelessness and driving impaired through drink and drugs as the biggest problems seen on the county's highways.

Officers caught 450 speeding offenders across Essex during the week-long campaign.

"We are seeing far too many examples of that kind of speed, not just outside schools but in our communities we're seeing it every day," Mr Pipe told Ian Puckey on BBC Essex.

"That kind of speed outside a school is totally, totally unacceptable."

Adam Pipe said speeding remained "far too much of a problem" in Essex

About 91,000 notices of intended prosecution for alleged speed offences have been sent out in 2025.

"And yet we're still seeing very high speeds and far too much of a problem on Essex roads," Mr Pipe added.

Officers have been given new speed enforcement devices to help tackle some of the issues they are seeing.

Essex Police is also due to trial cameras that use artificial intelligence to spot drivers not wearing seatbelts and using their mobile phones.

Speaking about this previously, Mr Pipe said: "We've got to change minds and change behaviours."