England speeding capitals named as 20mph offences surge

Reviewed by: Greg Wilson
Founder & Insurance Expert

Written by: Stephen Gamble
Insurance PR Writer

Fact-checked by: Quotezone Editorial Team

This content follows our Editorial Guidelines

Last Updated: September 2026
Read time: 4 min

Lincolnshire has been named England’s speeding capital, with Fixed Penalty Notices and conditional offer letters issued at a rate of over 6,200 per 100,000 residents in 2024/25.

Car insurance experts at Quotezone.co.uk compiled the data from a Freedom of Information request showing Lincolnshire Police issued 46,619 speeding-related FPNs and conditional offer letters during that period.

That’s more than six times higher than the rate in Gloucestershire, which recorded the lowest rate of the 18 English police forces to respond, at 975 per 100,000.

Warwickshire drivers came a close second, with 6,043 recorded speeding notices and offers per 100,000 residents. Warwickshire Police confirmed that the speed camera located on the M6 motorway J3a Southbound recorded the highest number of offences in its region.

Leicestershire ranked third, with 5,756 speeding notices and offers per 100,000 residents, followed by Greater Manchester (5,695) and West Mercia (5,446).

A further 10 police forces responded but were only able to provide figures for Notices of Intended Prosecution (NIPs) – an earlier stage in the enforcement process, sent before any penalty is confirmed.

The experts are warning drivers to be wary of rising speed offences and cautious not to breach reduced speed limits – to help improve road safety and protect drivers from unnecessary costs.

Motorists who receive an FPN can choose to plead guilty or not guilty, with guilty offenders facing a £100 fine and three penalty points added to their licence, unless the option to attend a speed awareness course is given.*

Convicted motorists also receive a DVLA endorsement code on their driving record for four years. Quotezone data shows motorists with three points on their licence pay around 15% more on average for their annual car insurance than drivers with a clean record.

In January this year, the government launched a new road safety strategy, which aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035, with safe speeds among its five core pillars for action.**

Nationally, speeding offences continue to climb, driven in part by the rapid rollout of 20mph zones, with almost a third of UK roads now subject to the lower limit – approximately 40,000 miles of the total road network.

Offences linked specifically to 20mph limits more than tripled in two years, from 37,219 in 2023 to 125,133 in 2025, according to separate analysis.***

As speed enforcement intensifies, motorists are urged to stay alert to speed limits to avoid the lasting costs a speeding offence can bring — both to their safety and their insurance premiums.

Greg Wilson, car insurance expert and CEO at Quotezone.co.uk, said: “Safe speed is high on the Government’s agenda and a core focus in its new road safety strategy, meaning we’re likely to see enforcement continue to tighten across the country.

“A speeding fine might seem like a one-off cost, but for many drivers it isn’t. Insurers view any endorsement as a sign of increased risk, and premiums will often rise noticeably as a result.

“As almost a third of UK roads are now under 20mph limits, drivers need to be extra cautious, not just for the safety of all road users but because the financial consequences of a single offence can affect insurance policies for years to come.”

Top 10 speeding hotspots in England:

 As one of the largest price comparison sites in the UK, Quotezone helps drivers compare and find savings on motoring essentials such as car insurance, breakdown cover and young driver insurance. 

References:

*https://www.gov.uk/speeding-penalties

**https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/695e2cff8832ab3a48513809/road-safety-strategy.pdf

***https://www.thetimes.com/uk/transport/article/20mph-speed-limit-uk-urban-roads-8zszp2z83

Photo credit – iStock.COM georgeclerk

All 39 police forces located in England were asked: “How many Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) and conditional offer letters were issued for speeding offences detected by automated speed enforcement cameras in the financial year 2024/25 (1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025)?”

18 police forces provided an exact response, while a further 10 police forces responded with figures relating to Notices of Intended Prosecution (NIPs). City of London was excluded due to its small residential population (~8,000), an outlier that would distort per capita figures.

Population data taken from each police force’s Wikipedia page.

This article is intended as generic information only and is not intended to apply to anybody’s specific circumstances, demands or needs. The views expressed are not intended to provide any financial service or to give any recommendation or advice. Products and services are only mentioned for illustrative rather than promotional purposes.