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Kent records fastest speeding ticket of 157mph as FOI reveals 84 speed cameras now watch drivers

A Kent driver received a speeding ticket for doing an astonishing 157mph, making it the fifth fastest speed caught by police across the UK.

New research has now found that the county has a speed camera for every 13 square miles of road – a total of 84 cameras.

Motorists were caught clocking up speeds in excess of 90mph. Picture: Kent Police
Motorists were caught clocking up speeds in excess of 90mph. Picture: Kent Police

The research by Go Shorty, a short-term vehicle insurance provider, spans from 2018 to 2020 and found that Kent's top speed of 157mph made the top five during this time.

The driver was travelling anti-clockwise on the M25 near Sevenoaks.

Nottinghamshire Police holds the record for the fastest ticket, with the driver clocking up a staggering 191mph.

The A282 Dartford Crossing camera recorded the most offences in Kent.

Speeding remains a big problem, with drivers facing a minimum of a £100 fine and the potential to be disqualified from driving altogether for repeat offences.

The Dartford Crossing
The Dartford Crossing

Several drivers in Kent have been caught breaking the limit in recent weeks.

On Saturday, January 1, multiple motorists started the new year with fines for driving at more than 90mph.

One driver was issued with a Traffic Offence Report (TOR) after they passed an unmarked traffic vehicle on the A2 at Gravesend. The offending driver was clocked doing 96mph on a national speed limit road.

Not long after the Kent Police Roads force stopped a further two cars for the same offence.

One was spotted driving at 99mph and another at 95mph and were issued with TORs for excess speed.

On the same day, a driver was fined on the A2 near Dartford.

Police officers say the driver "flew past" them on the A2 at Darenth, at almost double the speed limit.

They clocked him as doing 97mph in a 50mph zone.

The offence occurred at 2.25am and the 23-year-old from Canterbury was later arrested in Gravesend.

In addition, once stopped, the motorist admitted using cannabis and he proved positive for the drug when tested by officers on the roadside, police said.

A party-goer seemed to be in a rush to get home
A party-goer seemed to be in a rush to get home

Similarly, over Christmas Kent Police issued a TOR to a driver travelling along the M20.

They were clocked at 120mph in wet conditions.

Officers from the roads policing unit were overtaken by the driver at a high speed.

The motorist sped past a police sergeant and also swerved from the outside lane at high speeds in front of the officer.

The Kent Police roads unit tweeted about the incident and warned other motorists "#SpeedKills".

Despite the thousands of speeding motorists government figures show that the number of fatalities in Kent from crashes - whether this be a pedestrian killed or a driver - is at the lowest it's been this decade.

In 2019 there were 4,195 accidents in the county. Of the 800 "serious or fatal" crashes from this statistic 39 resulted in a death.

In 2010 the figure was 56 and this has fluctuated from year to year but never been as low as 39.

Last year, Kent County Council pledged to try and cut fatalities on the county's road to zero by 2050.

The authority unveiled a "vision" to introduce 20mph zones in town and village, as well as roll out extra speed cameras.

Although Kent is in eighth for the number of speed cameras across the county, many argue that there should be even more.

In December last year, a family who lost their pet cat after it was hit by a car called for greater safety measures to stop people using their road as a "race track".

Moggy Leo was hit by a car in Edwin Road, Rainham, prompting his owners to start a petition asking Medway Council to install speed cameras.

Sophie McPherson, whose partner lives on the road, said: "I've seen a lot of people saying 'I've nearly been hit countless times trying to cross the road' and cars have been written off.

"It's just getting really bad and I think it's only a matter of time before someone does get hit and it's actually a person that ends up dying and then sadly that's when action will be taken."

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