A new study by Volvo Car UK reveals more than four drivers a day were caught speeding in excess of 112mph over a twelve-month period from September 2024 to August 2025.
It includes all incidents where a breach of the speed limit was detected using in-car, fixed speed cameras, mobile speed camera vans, and average speed cameras.
The study was used to highlight the fact that all Volvo vehicles sold in the UK since 2020 have been fitted with an electronic speed limit of 112mph as part of its Vision Zero road safety strategy.
Research used data obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests submitted to police forces across the UK revealed that over three million breaches of the speed limit were recorded in those twelve months (3,082,339).
Responses from 32 police forces revealed that more than 1,500 drivers were caught breaching 112mph on UK roads over the period, equating to approximately one offence every six hours.
The most excessive recorded were 160mph in Cheshire and 159mph in Northamptonshire.
Northamptonshire also saw the highest number of drivers (291) who exceeded 112mph during the twelve-month study.
That’s perhaps because both the M1 and M45 motorways pass through the county – followed by Staffordshire (196) and Merseyside (117).
Nicole Melillo Shaw, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, said: “At Volvo Cars, safety in and around your car is our number one priority.
With a record number of licensed vehicles on the road in the UK – more than 42 million in 2025 -road safety has never been more important.
The fact a UK driver is caught travelling in excess of 112mph every six hours, highlights the importance and relevance of our speed limiter technology.
It is a feature we build in by design, and the findings of our research suggest it is the right approach to take.”
In Northern Ireland, statistics published by PSNI over a similar period (1st October 2024 – 30th September 2025) show a slight drop in speeding offences over the period.
However, with a total of 34,840 motoring offences over 19 categories, speeding features along with insurance offences to make up nearly 30% of the total detections.
Insurance offences numbered 5,857 with speeding accounting for 4,357 offences.
While most of these were dealt with by fixed penalty notices, 966 resulted in taking a speed awareness or safer driver course.
Over the past 12 months, the highest speed detected by the PSNI was 149mph on the M2 Foreshore in Belfast.
The gender breakdown for Northern Ireland shows 3,212 males and 1,145 females detected over the period.
Those caught peaked dramatically in the 18-29 year old category at 1,728 remaining similar to the 30-49 year old group at 1,714.
Numbers eased off in the 50-69 age category to less than half the peak figure at 732.
Speed awareness courses were introduced in Northern Ireland in 2010.
Drivers, depending on the speed at which they were detected, can be offered an opportunity to complete a speed awareness course as an alternative to penalty points.
Certain restrictions apply to who can qualify for this option.
Safer driver courses were introduced in Northern Ireland in May 2023 as an alternative disposal to the new fixed penalty notice for careless driving, subject to eligibility.
This category also includes a motorbike course, National Rider Risk Awareness Course (NRRAC).
A fixed penalty notice of £100 and three penalty points was introduced in Northern Ireland for the offence of careless driving, which is committed when the driving falls below the standard expected of a competent and careful driver.
It currently cannot be issued in the case of a road traffic collision and is considered for lower level offending including driving too close, unnecessarily staying in an overtaking lane or unnecessarily slow driving or braking.
The new careless driving offence is reported within the wider careless driving offence group which includes other offences such as overtaking on inside lane, driving on hard shoulder of motorway and reversing on motorway.
Motoring editor for Derry Journal Newspapers
