Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to issue one million traffic tickets by the end of the year in an effort to tackle speeding in the capital and improve road safety. This follows a steep rise in speeding offences being reported in London.
A Freedom of Information request by the Times earlier this year showed that around 595,000 speeding tickets have been issued by the Metropolitan Police since 2018 – a sharp 700% increase.
This rise coincides with the introduction of multiple 20mph zones across the city. Around a quarter of registered vehicles in London have received a speeding ticket in the last six years, primarily for exceeding 20 mph limits. Yet, the zones have helped to reduce the risk of road injuries and fatalities by 25%.
Khan says the increased figure will be achieved through the implementation of more stringent targets for the Metropolitan Police, as well as the introduction of a new network of laser cameras.
Transport for London (TfL) says the laser cameras will support the other anti-speeding measures in place across the city: “The laser cameras, which are operated by a team of police community support officers for the first time, complement other policing and enforcement activities to tackle speeding.”
“This includes London’s extensive fixed safety camera network, police roadside enforcement using speed guns, and Community Roadwatch, where community volunteers work with police to educate speeding motorists about the dangers and consequences of speeding.”
Khan’s efforts to improve the city’s road safety may have contributed towards London’s roads becoming much slower. According to TomTom data, London is the world’s slowest city centre to drive through, taking drivers 37 minutes to travel just 10 kilometres – a minute slower than in 2022.
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