Driver caught doing 164mph on M25, police say

Kent roads policing officers issued over 8,400 speeding tickets in 2022

A driver who was speeding at 164mph was one of eight people caught by speed cameras driving at more than 150mph on the M25 in Kent last year.

Kent Police said more than 500 drivers were recorded on cameras driving at 100mph or more in the county in 2022.

Neil Greig, from road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: "These new figures are shocking."

Police said more than 77,000 speeding offences were recorded by fixed or mobile cameras in Kent in 2022.

The figures obtained by the BBC show a rise of 23% since 2010, but were lower than the 84,000 speeding offences recorded in 2020 when the country was in lockdown and roads had about a third of the amount of traffic as normal.

The top speed detected was a car being driven at 164mph - more than twice the speed limit - on the M25 at Swanley.

Ch Insp Craig West, head of roads policing at Kent Police, said: "There are still too many who travel at unacceptable speeds and put themselves and other road users at risk of serious harm.

"Vehicles are potentially lethal weapons and the faster your speed, the less time you have to react to unforeseen hazards or mistakes from other drivers and the greater the impact any collision may be."

Kent Police roads policing officers issued more than 8,400 speeding tickets in 2022, in addition to those caught on fixed and mobile cameras, an increase of 20% on the previous year.

Mr Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: "These new figures are shocking but underline the continued priority that must be given to traffic policing in Kent.

"Selfish criminals willing to totally ignore speed limits can only be stopped by high profile policing."

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].