Thousands of drivers fined for breaking Wales' 20mph speed limit (original) (raw)

Thousands of drivers have been fined for breaking Wales' 20mph speed limit law. For the first time, GoSafe has published how many offences were dealt with in what manner, meaning it is the first time we know how many drivers received fines.

The data made public is for January and February 2024. It shows of the 12,166 notices created in January, 4,843 were resolved by attendance on a speed awareness course and 3,258 were paid by fixed penalty notice.

In February, 9,995 offences were created, with 47% of people (4,722) carrying out a speed awareness course, and 2,542 (25%) paying a fixed penalty notice. The minimum penalty for speeding is a £100 fine and three penalty points added to your licence.

There is a six month period where offences can be resolved, so the most recent six months' figures are not made public. The latest figures for drivers caught breaking the 20mph law show another 13,507 drivers were found exceeding Wales' default speed limit. However, that number is down on the previous month when more than 15,200 drivers were caught.

The speed limit, which recently marked a year of being in place in Wales, was introduced by the Welsh Government in September 2023. They say it will make roads safer and the environmental cleaner, although there was a large backlash to the policy.

A review has been carried out, and councils are currently working their way through thousands of applications of roads which residents want turning back to their original speed limit. For the latest politics news in Wales sign up to our newsletter here.

GoSafe monitors speed limits in Wales, and has released the latest data. It divides the country into two - south and mid Wales and then north Wales. In south and mid Wales in September 2023, 6,840 drivers were caught exceeding the speed limit at an average speed of 28.4mph. The highest speed recorded was 62mph.

In north Wales, 6,667 drivers were caught, and the average speed was 28.6mph, with a highest recorded speed of 85mph.

Roadside engagement sessions are being run by GoSafe, Welsh Fire and Rescue Services, and other partners, where drivers are offered an education session rather than points or a fine, if they are eligible.

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