Everyone loves going for a late-night drive — the only downside to cruising around with music blaring is the quick flash from a speed camera.
Yep, that pang of dread that seeps through your body when you realise you might've been going a little faster than you should have and now need to pay a hefty fine.
But, if you thought all speed limits zones were just as likely to catch you out, you'd be wrong.
Advert
So, what speed limit is most likely to catch you out? Well, as 2022 data modified by car insurance provider Keith Michaels found, speeding in a 20mph zone was most likely to catch you out.
This actually makes a lot of sense, especially when you come off of a dual carriageway and head into a 20 zone, which feels like the definition of going at a snail's pace.
A close runner-up to this was 30mph speed limit zones in residential areas; the two were so close, in fact, that 2020 saw 6,893 more cases of speeding in 30mph areas than 20mph.
The only reason 20mph went to the top of the list is that there were 103 more tickets in that zone than 30mph.
And apparently, the least common kind of speed limit fine is temporary speed changes, like going from a 30 zone into a 40, then back to a 30, for example.
The breakdown for the number of people speeding in each zone is as follows:
Where drivers were caught speeding in January 2022 (confirmed):
Speeding in a 20mph zone: 480
Speeding in a 30mph residential area: 478
Speeding in a 50mph zone: 464
Speeding in a 40mph zone: 363
Exceeding 70mph motorway limit: 73
That's not all, as Michaels also analysed the data to create a profile of those most likely to get caught drunk driving.
And, it turns out men aged between 30-39 were the highest offenders, with the worst time of the year being in December. However, those aged between 60-69 had the least number of prosecutions during this time.
While that all sounds pretty depressing, there is actually a silver lining because Michaels also found that texting while driving was on a downward trend.
The data read: "Since 2016, the number of fines issued for use of mobile phones has reduced by 81% and could potentially reduce even further to 95% in 2022. In March 2022, it became illegal to hold a mobile phone or use it behind the wheel for almost any reason."
For anyone wondering, it's a £1,000 fine and 6 points on your license if you're caught texting and driving.
Shola Lee