More than 13,000 drivers caught speeding in Derbyshire in the last year

Derbyshire Constabulary recorded 13,124 offences in 2019-20, according to analysis of Home Office figures by the RAC Foundation.

This was seven per cent more than the 12,255 logged during the previous year, just below the eight per cent increase across the 43 police forces in England and Wales.

The number of people caught breaking the speed limit across the two nations hit 2.6 million in 2019-20.

There was wide variation between areas – North Yorkshire saw the largest spike with the figure more than doubling, while Avon & Somerset Constabulary recorded a 32 per cent drop.

The RAC Foundation said this could be down to a variety of factors, including differences in road networks, traffic volumes, policing priorities and resources, and the availability of detection technology.

Steve Gooding, the group's director, said: “Not for the first time there seems to be a patchwork approach to speed enforcement across England and Wales, with different constabularies dedicating varying levels of resource into catching those who break the limit."

Mr Gooding added that it was unclear whether reduced traffic levels during lockdown will subsequently lead to fewer speeding offences being committed compared with previous years, or if the clearer open roads will have tempted some drivers to go even faster.

Figures obtained earlier this year showed Derbyshire Constabulary recorded a rise in the number of drivers caught speeding at the start of lockdown in April, compared to a year earlier, despite most police forces who provided figures reporting a significant drop.

By contrast, many other forces recorded a significant drop in the number over the same period.

In Derbyshire, speed cameras caught the vast majority (94 per cent) of recorded speeding offences last year, which accounted for 83 per cent of all motoring offences over the period – compared to 85 per cent across England and Wales.

Speeding drivers in the area were fined on around 11,200 occasions, while around 1,400 offences were cancelled.

A speed awareness course was the next most common outcome recorded (411), followed by court action (80).

The RAC’s analysis shows the number of detected speeding offences across England and Wales has risen by 49 per cent since 2011-12.

The figure increased by 74 per cent in Derbyshire, from 7,500 eight years ago.

Mr Gooding added: “As always we need to have regard to the bigger picture.

"All motoring laws are there to make our roads safer, hence tackling speeding is important, but it is only one aspect of driver behaviour that warrants attention if we are to break out of the plateauing of road fatalities in recent years.”

A Home Office spokeswoman said: “How the police deal with speeding offences is an operational matter and will be enforced at the discretion of the individual police force.

“How forces approach speed enforcement may be governed by their own assessment of local issues, which could include targeting dangerous roads to reduce harm or cracking down on high-risk offenders.”